Interventions that increase the accuracy of children's perceptions of their weight status could help them lose weight in a healthy way, researchers concluded after conducting a study involving nearly 5,000 individuals. Participants were from 2005-2014 NHANES and ranged between the ages of 8 and 15 years. Among the results:

• ~One-third never made an effort to lose weight.
• 29% made determined attempts to do so.
• Children's determined attempts to lose weight correlated with their BMI percentile.
• Self-perceptions of overweight increased the likelihood of determined attempts to lose weight >7-fold.
• Health professionals’ perceptions that children were overweight increased the likelihood of determined attempts to lose weight by nearly 3-fold.
• Parent perceptions had a small but statistically significant influence on children's attempts to lose weight.

The authors noted the importance health professionals can play in childhood weight loss efforts.