Just baby fat?

"In a 2006 study that surveyed the parents of obese children, only one-half recognized that their child was overweight, and less than one-third said they were "worried" about their child's weight. In another survey, only 38 percent of parents had taken steps, or were planning to take them, to help their obese child lose weight.

Several factors may be contributing to this indifference among parents, experts say. Some parents believe their child's excess weight is just "baby fat," for instance, and some may simply be in denial. Or it could be that parents have concluded their kid is normal after eyeballing his or her overweight peers.

"Because so many children are overweight and obese ... they don't stand out as much as they would have 20 or 30 years ago," says nutritionist Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "I almost see a lack of concern with some parents."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/21/children.fat.obesity/index.html?hpt...