Parents can't usually tell when their children are overweight

A new study suggests that parents may not be reliable indicators of their children's health. The findings, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found that only a small fraction of British parents of "very overweight" children recognized the condition in their kids.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the UCL Institute of Child Health surveyed 2,976 families in the U.K. The survey asked parents and guardians if their child was obese, overweight, underweight, or a healthy weight.

Out of the entire survey, just four parents identified their children as "very overweight." Doctors, meanwhile, concluded that 369 children whose parents were surveyed fit into the category. And a full 31 percent of parents underestimated their child's weight.

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The researchers noted that the survey results are discouraging, because if parents don't recognize their children are overweight, they can't help them become healthier. England's National Child Measurement Program estimates that one in five children aged 10-11 are obese, and another 14 percent are overweight.