PRESS RELEASE: OnePoll (Fat)
Written: Saturday 2nd January, 2010
BAD EXAMPLE
A third of British kids think their parents are overweight, it was revealed yesterday (Fri).
The shock study of 1,500 youngsters aged five to 15 shows six in 10 wish their parents were healthier.
And a fifth reckon their folks are setting them a bad example.
But the extraordinary results show that DAD is even worse at maintaining a healthy weight than mum.
More than four in 10 children believe dad eats too much, compared to 26 per cent of mums.
And, whereas 36 per cent of kids say dad could do with dropping a few pounds, 29 per cent of kids say the same about mum.
Children also claim their dads could do with exercising more - as 53 per cent don't think they do enough, compared to 49 per cent of mums.
The research, conducted by www.OnePoll.com, reveals that 27 per cent of children also think THEY are overweight.
And of these, 18 per cent claim mum and dad are to blame for their battle with the bulge.
A spokesman for the global research company said: "Children learn from the example their parents set, so if mum and dad has an unhealthy diet, it is likely that the kids will too.
"Similarly, if parents don't exercise, they are not creating an environment within which the children will want to exercise.
"Unfortunately kids tend to learn many of their bad habits from their parents, and it is really hard for a child of an influential age to make their own decisions about what it good for them."
The poll also shows that a quarter of kids say their mum and dads both smoke, and nearly half wish they didn't.
Over a third of children with smoking parents say it makes them sad to know their parents have such an unhealthy habit, whilst 53 per cent say the smell makes them sick.
Shockingly, 11 per cent of children polled say they would like to try smoking to see what the fuss is all about.
But 80 per cent of children think it is wrong for parents to smoke in front of their children.
Similarly many children under the age of 15 have also seen their mum and dad DRUNK, and don't like what they see.
Thirty nine per cent of kids have witnessed mum under the influence of alcohol, and 43 per cent have seen dad tipsy.
And the experience made 12 per cent of these children feel upset because they didn't like the person their mum or dad became, whilst 15 per cent were confused because they didn't act like themselves.
A quarter of children claim mum and dad shouldn't touch booze in front of them.
The Onepoll spokesman continues: "Parents have a responsibility to behave sensibly in front of their children, and if this means curbing their behaviour slightly then so be it.
"No one is saying adults don't deserve a drink every now and then, but to indulge to the point where they lose control in front of the children is unacceptable."
Research conducted by global market research company www.onepoll.com
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