Mothers Overestimate Dietary Quality

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One reason kids may not be eating healthier is that maybe their parents overestimate the quality of their child’s diet. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I mean, if they think their kids are already eating well, then there’s no reason to change.

For the first time ever, this theory was actually tested. The mothers of 2,000 preschoolers were interviewed. What percentage of moms insisted that their child’s diet was good? The vast majority. What percentage of their kids’ diets were actually good? Now, note, this is in accordance with the USDA Healthy Eating guidelines, which aren’t exactly strict. But let’s look.

Only 0.2 percent—1 in every 500 kids! The vast majority of mothers overestimate the quality of their child’s diet.

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• G. Kourlaba, K. Kondaki, E. Grammatikaki, E. Roma-Giannikou, and Y. Manios. Diet quality of preschool children and maternal perceptions/misperceptions: The GENESIS study. Public Health, 123(11):738 -742, 2009.

• comida chatarra
• niñez
• pautas de alimentación
• USDA