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A new study from one of the leading coupon code websites in the US has found that over half of parents of children under the age of 10 believe that their child is overweight. However, 31% of these parents claim to be ‘unconcerned’ about their child’s weight.

One of the leading coupon code websites in the US has conducted a study of 2,457 parents of children under the age of 10, in a bid to discover more about their attitudes towards their children’s health and weight.

The study, conducted by www.CouponCodes4u.com, found that 57 percent of the parents taking part admitted that they thought that their child was ‘overweight,’ with 14 percent believing that their child was ‘dangerously obese.’

In contrast, 12 percent of the parents taking part stated that their child was ‘underweight’. These respondents were subsequently asked to explain why they thought this was the case, with 45% claiming it was due to their child being a ‘fussy eater’ and a further 12 percent explaining that their child was involved in sports or other extracurricular activities, which contributed to their child being "underweight."

The respondents who admitted that their child was ‘overweight’ were asked if they were concerned about their child’s weight. The study found that almost a third, 31 percent, weren’t concerned about their child being overweight, while 62% admitted to feeling concerned.  The remaining 7 percent admitted to feeling ashamed and embarrassed by their child’s growing weight problems.

The respondents that admitted to not being concerned about their child being overweight were subsequently asked why they felt this way, to which over half,  58 percent, said that they simply blamed ‘puppy fat.’  A further 17 percent claimed that their child received ‘plenty of exercise’ both at home and at school, while 28 percent said it was their child’s genes that were to blame for their weight.

When the parents who admitted to believing their child was ‘overweight’ were asked if they had placed their child on a diet, 11 percent said ‘yes’. The remaining 89 percent said that they hadn’t ever put their child on a diet plan, with 5 percent admitting that they let their child eat ‘whatever they wanted’ to.

Mark Pearson, Chairman of CouponCodes4u.com, said the following about the findings: “It is shocking to see how many American children are struggling with being overweight, and in some extreme cases, being obese. With many children now affected by various levels of obesity, this is obviously a growing epidemic and one that needs immediate attention from both parents and children alike.”

He continued: “Living a healthier lifestyle often means making difficult choices but the ends outweigh the means when it comes to your health. Parents should have a greater say in their children’s eating habits, and limiting the amount of unhealthy foods that their family eats per week. With a growing amount of supermarkets and grocery stores taking coupons on everyday healthier items, leading a healthier lifestyle just got easier and cheaper. Check out our ‘Grocery Coupons’ section on CouponCodes4u.com for all the latest coupons that you can use during your weekly shop.”