Roll upon roll ... do I really want to look like a stack of doughnuts?
Schoolchildren should be put on the scales and measured every time they have a health check, because parents and doctors can no longer identify weight problems purely on sight.
With 60 per cent of Australian adults and 23 per cent of children overweight or obese, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, larger body shapes are becoming the norm in the community.
The senior medical educator at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Ronald McCoy, said the sheer number of overweight and obese people in the community had affected how weight was perceived, making it harder to identify children with weight problems.
''It's well documented that the appearance of people around you will influence your perception of obesity,'' he said.
''If you are surrounded by people who are a bit bigger, you will accept that as normal and a person who is a healthy weight will look thin.
''So many children are in the overweight or obese category in some areas that that passes for a normal body shape. So it's hard for parents and even doctors to identify if the child has a weight problem.''
While GPs routinely measure the growth and development of babies and toddlers, by the time they are in school their weight and height are not regularly checked. Dr McCoy said measurement should continue into childhood and adolescence.
''Measuring the weight of children is something that should be done on a regular basis,'' he said.
''So every time a child goes to the doctor they expect to be weighed and measured. It needs to be incorporated as a routine part of healthcare.''
Knowing your weight is one of the seven lifestyle strategies (full list at smh.com.au/national/obesity) recommended by the Children's Hospital at Westmead, which is supporting The Sun-Herald's 10-week Healthy Habits campaign, now in its sixth week and aimed at highlighting the childhood obesity epidemic.
A clinical psychologist with the hospital's weight management unit, Gerri Minshall, said parents should check their children's weight with their GP on a regular basis.
''Obesity is often an unacknowledged problem in this country,'' she said. ''It's a severe problem, but it's something people often feel a bit squeamish about talking about or checking with their children.
''One good thing to do is ask your GP to weigh, measure and chart the kids because we can't tell with our eyes any more whether children and adolescents are overweight, underweight, healthy weight or obese.''
Dr McCoy said many parents can be in denial about their child's weight problem and a body mass index chart can help illustrate the fact. Once parents acknowledge there is a problem, they can become agents of change for their child's health.
''You do have to strip away that judgmental attitude towards obesity and look beyond that to bring it back to the child's health,'' he said.
''When parents discover their child has high cholesterol or high blood pressure, that's when they realise it's affecting their health.
''Often you hear parents say, 'I'm too busy to cook, it's easier to buy takeaway,' and so on, but once they realise they are affecting their children's health, they'll do anything to help.''
While many adults and children find it very challenging to maintain a healthy weight, young people have a natural edge in that they are still growing.
''Their energy needs increase so that's where you have a big advantage over adults,'' Dr McCoy said.
''If they have the appropriate amount and type of food, and they are doing the appropriate amount of physical activity, their weight can be well managed. They do need a lot of support, though.''
Overweight children may be referred to a dietitian while obese children may need treatment at a specialist obesity clinic.
Do you think that we have lost sight of what is a healthy weight when it comes to our children? Let us know what you think on the Essential Kids' forums.
