This study investigated the relationship between parents' reports, as compared with our obtained measurements, of their children's body status. Separate body mass index (BMI) scores were calculated based on: (1) parents' report of their children's height and weight, and (2) children's measured height and weight. Results indicate that parents' perceptions of their children's body status reliably varied from the scores obtained from our measurements, such that parents whose children classified as overweight consistently underreported their children's BMI, while parents whose children fell into the underweight category did the opposite. Implications for the potential psychological mechanisms at play in addition to how these findings might relate to the larger childhood obesity crisis in the United States and internationally are discussed.

One of the greatest challenges in education, whether in formal settings or in the television arena, is creating contexts for learning that are relevant to children's lives. This article describes the formative research process by which the creators of the Ghostwriter television series develop educational programming that is meaningful for its young audience. Focusing on a particular Ghostwriter story, we describe two research studies that were conducted to inform its creation. Children's ideas and sentiments were then integrated into the story in various ways. Our hope is that readers will emerge with an understanding of the process by which the Ghostwriter development team involves children in creating educational programming. Child-centered stody development such as this demonstrates television's ability to educate while addressing children's concerns about complex social issues in their lives.