INDIANAPOLIS -- As the United States launches its first-ever
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month today, scientists say
the problem may be even more widespread than was thought.
Researchers have found that parents tend to underreport their
children’s weight. Estimates of obesity and body mass index
(BMI) based on parent-supplied data may miss one in five obese
children, according to the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM). Earlier this year, Congress unanimously passed a
resolution for National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in an
effort to raise public awareness and mobilize the country to
address childhood obesity, according to ACSM. A wide array of
organizations have joined together for the National Council on
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month to educate parents, policy
makers and others about the problem and to encourage preventive
action on childhood obesity. A website developed by the
organizations includes a toolkit with fact sheets, sample
letters to the editor, scripts for public serv