The study featuring in the November 2010 issue of The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (JSAMS), published by Sports Medicine Australia, examined whether children’s actual and perceived physical ability and their parent’s perceptions differed by weight status.
Results showed parents of overweight children perceived them to be less able than non-overweight children. Overweight children had the same perception. Despite these perceptions being accurate, such beliefs influence motivation to participate in physical activity.
It is therefore important for parents of overweight children to tell their children that they are quite able to participate in physical activity, to help in increasing their levels of activity.
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Editor, Professor Gregory Kolt says: “This study has shown that overweight boys and their parents perceive them as being less competent at sports, less proficient in outdoor games and prefer watching sports than actively participating compared with their leaner friends. Similar trends were identified in girls."
The study highlights that understanding these differences is important because physical activity levels are significantly lower among overweight children and children’s motivation to participate in physical activity is influenced by their perceived and actual competence.
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