Mothers' accuracy in identifying their four year old children's weight status using the Lester Body Shape Models versus CDC graphs

Childhood obesity is the number one nutritional health problem in the United States is complex and multifaceted in both assessment and in effective interventions. The goals of Healthy People 2010 call for action to combat childhood obesity. A mother's recognition that her child is at risk is the first step in assisting a mother to move to action. To date the majority of research monies and effort concentrate on interventions after obesity exists. The literature supports a need to facilitate mothers in identifying their four-year-old child's body shape as an initial point of concentration. The Lester Body Shape Models (LBSM) are one method proposed to assist mothers across ethnicities and cultures to accurately identify her four-year-old child's body shape utilizing comparison as a tool. Although in this study, there was no statistical significance in the mothers' ability to identify the child's weight status or body shape (X 2 = .250, p = .617) using the CDC graphs and the LBSM as tools. However, the LBSM may be an alternative method to mothers' accurately identifying their child's body shape and weight status. Descriptors from the mothers' comments and the mothers' positive response to the visualization and comparison method using age specific models may be another technique to educate mothers' to the health related risks of childhood obesity.