Parental weight has been shown to be a strong determinant of offspring weight status. This study used cross-sectional self-reported and measured data from Stage 3 (2008-10) of the North West Adelaide Health Study (baseline 1999-2003, n=4056), a longitudinal cohort of Australian adults, to investigate the association between midlife parental body shape and four indicators of obesity and fat distribution. The analysis used pictograms for recall of parental body shape, and measured body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist hip ratio (WHR) and waist height ratio (WHtR) of adult offspring (n=2128). Compared to both parents being a healthy weight, offspring were more likely to be overweight or obese if both parents were an unhealthy weight at age 40 (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.67-2.76). Furthermore, those participants whose mother was an unhealthy weight were more likely to be overweight or obese themselves (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.14-1.98). There were similar but lower results for those with an overweight/obese father (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.08-1.93). The effect of one or both parents being overweight or obese tended to be stronger for daughters than for sons across BMI, WC and WHtR. BMI showed the strongest association with parental body shape (OR 2.14), followed by WC (OR 1.78), WHtR (OR 1.71) and WHR (OR 1.45). WHtR (42-45%) and BMI (35-36%) provided the highest positive predictive values for overweight/obesity from parental body shape. This study showed that in this population, parental obesity increased the risk of overall obesity and central adiposity for adult offspring, particularly for daughters. Pictograms could potentially be used as a screening tool in primary care settings to promote healthy weight among young adults.