Lower parental numeracy is associated with children being under- and overweight

This study is the first to find lower parental numeracy to be a risk factor for children being either over- or underweight. However, portion-size estimation skills, comprehension of nutrition labels, and comprehension of growth charts did not mediate the association between parental numeracy and children's BMI. The present findings thus winnow down the set of mechanisms potentially underlying this association. Parental numeracy is an as yet largely overlooked factor that can be targeted when developing interventions to prevent and treat malnutrition and to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight in children.