Maternal perception of excess weight in children: a survey conducted by paediatricians in the province of Milan.

Objective: To establish whether maternal perception of a child's body weight (BW) and food intake is related to the level of maternal education.

Study Design: Height and BW of 569 mother/child couples were measured, and mothers received a questionnaire regarding their perception of their own weight and their child's BW and food intake.

Results: Twenty-nine percent of mothers and 35% of children were overweight or obese.