Parents add weight to children’s body consciousness

Children as young as eight are increasingly body conscious while parents typically overestimate the size of their children, according to new research.

Two separate studies conducted by the school of applied psychology at UCC also indicate that 80% of young people are unhappy with their body — and the older the child, the more likely the child wants to be thinner.

Samantha Dockray of the school of applied psychology said the findings showed many children were caught between snacking on calorie-dense food while wishing they were thinner.