51pc parents can’t tell if a kid is obese

LONDON - A poll of almost 1,200 parents has shown that more than half of parents cannot spot a child who is clinically obese.

Third of Britain’s kids are either overweight or obese. But many mums and dads think super-sized kids just carry a small bit of weight - when they are often so huge they require adult clothes.

Digitally altered photos of youngsters either normal weight, overweight or obese were shown to mother and father with kids under 15.

And the result indicated that 51 per cent could not identify the child who was obese.

An adult is considered obese with a body mass index of 30 or greater. This is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in metres squared - although target BMI figures for adults and kids differ. Londoners were worst at spotting bigger kids.

“Many parents may not realise their child has a problem, or they think it’s just puppy fat,” the Sun quoted Public Health Minister Anne Milton, as saying. (ANI)