Validity of Maternal-Reported Weight and Height of 2–5 Year Old Children

To the Editor: In affluent-urban areas of India, overweight (6 %) and obesity (8 %) are prevalent in children as young as 2–5 y [1]. A potential risk factor for childhood obesity could be parent’s under-reporting their child’s anthropometry. In Indian culture, a larger body size is typically acceptable, and mothers may consider a chubby baby as healthy [2]. Therefore, it was proposed that Indian mothers may underreport their child’s weight status. The present study examined the validity of maternal reported height and weight of young, urban-affluent Indian children aged 2–5 y.