Childhood Obesity Rant

[jackie]

OK, I am so tired of seeing young, young children severely overweight.

I was in a restaurant and saw a child that could have been no more then 3, and she was absolutely enormous. My first thought was that she must have some sort of illness. Then her food came. She had an adults portion of chicken nuggets and french fries. There was a small "salad", which was really just a few slices of cucumber and tomato, which her mother promptly took off her plate.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Is it pure laziness on the parents part? Or do they not realize the damage they are doing to their child?

[Toby's my baby]

That is so sad. I too wonder if the parents honestly think they are doing anything wrong.

It also saddens me when I go to high school sporting events and seeing these 6/7/8th graders who are SO tinny, it is disgusting. They look like they are going to break.

[junescrater716]

I know I'm friends with this one girl who is like half the size of me. She was complaining the other day about how fat she was!!!!! I'm not fat and she's HALF THE SIZE OF ME!!!!!! I yelled at her and she kind of shut up but still she looks like shes going to be annorexic soon!!! :(

[junescrater716]

It's really sad my best friend is overweight and she needs seatbelt extenders. She joined a curves weight loss program but still it's really sad. :(

[lizbud]

OK, I am so tired of seeing young, young children severely overweight.

I was in a restaurant and saw a child that could have been no more then 3, and she was absolutely enormous. My first thought was that she must have some sort of illness. Then her food came. She had an adults portion of chicken nuggets and french fries. There was a small "salad", which was really just a few slices of cucumber and tomato, which her mother promptly took off her plate.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Is it pure laziness on the parents part? Or do they not realize the damage they are doing to their child?

This is a huge (pardon the pun) problem in the US. It didn't happen that much in my generation, but kids nowadays eat to much junk food. It is
sad and unhealthy.

[sparks19]

This is a huge (pardon the pun) problem in the US. It didn't happen that much in my generation, but kids nowadays eat to much junk food. It is
sad and unhealthy.


I heard on a TV commercial about childhood obesity (it was a foundation for it or something like that) that the vegetable most provided for kids is the french fry. not much a vegetable at all but in most cases it is the only one they get.

and not only is it that they eat too much junk food but they also sit on their butts all day playing video games and watching tv. I mean I played my fair share of video games when I was a kid but my favourite was a track and field game. You had to have this special pad and you actually had to do all the running and movements yourself to make your player move. They had the 500 M dash, hurdles, long jump, triple jump... etc etc. That game was so much fun. but I can also remember spending most of my time out riding my bike or going to the park with friends. now a days parents just plop them in front of a video game or the TV so they don't have to do anything with them.

it is very sad.

[GreyhoundGirl]

It is pretty sad. It seems there are a LOT of huge people in my school. But then again... they eat XL poutines with extra everything on it everyday at lunch. :eek: Then again, as also stated, there are a lot of really skinny kids at my school. However, there are very few "just right" kids. The big kids think they are fine, because their mommies tell them so, and the little kids think they're fat because they're been brainwashed by the media. :rolleyes:

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I think parents that allow their children to be obese are obviously hurting their children, but I'm sure they don't see it that way. It's probably part of how the parents eat and live- I'm sure most obese youngsters don't come from fit parents. Parents need to be more of an example to their children, too, and live healthier.

[Argranade]

Some people should stop being so darn lazy these days, including me!

I feel dumb saying this but even tho I weigh only 101 pounds I wanna get to 97.

It would just make me feel better cause I have not gone outdoors all winter very much so it makes me feel kinda weird lol, I usualy weigh 98 but I don't look realy realy skinny .. just a normal thin. :o

[dogzr#1]

I agree. It urks me a lot to see these severely overweight kids and most of the time, they are like 6 or 7 years old. It's sad how many problems they are probably going to have in the future. Most of the time, it's the parents fault. I think we need to educate the parents more than the children.

And then on an entirely different note, there are some kids that are SUPER skinny and anorexic and stuff. That's so sad to see these girls think they are fat when they are really really skinny.

And as Michelle said, they're are mostly super skinny, or really overweight kids at school and hardly any 'normal' kids. Some may think I'm skinny, but I eat like a horse, it's just my metabolism is super fast. I've been called anorexic and it hurts and trust me, I am trying to gain weight!

[borzoimom]

OK, I am so tired of seeing young, young children severely overweight.

I was in a restaurant and saw a child that could have been no more then 3, and she was absolutely enormous. My first thought was that she must have some sort of illness. Then her food came. She had an adults portion of chicken nuggets and french fries. There was a small "salad", which was really just a few slices of cucumber and tomato, which her mother promptly took off her plate.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE? Is it pure laziness on the parents part? Or do they not realize the damage they are doing to their child?
Its highly upsetting Jackie- I agree..
My daughter was always thin- and it was like- " does she eat enough?".. duh nooooooooo- she is growing at a 100 miles an hour..
They have stated several times, if heavy as a child- they will be as an adult. I am not sure totally if that is true- but it does seem to follow a pattern later in life.

[critter crazy]

What truley bothers me the most is the fact that everytime my son turns on the TV and all he sees are diet ads! I have to tell you it makes me so mad! My son is 7yrs old and weighs all of 50lbs, and everyday, all i hear is..."mom i need to diet, I am fat!" It just makes me sick! The kid is skinny. but all he sees, is all this crap about losing weight, so he feels that is what he needs to do! Drives me insane.

I understand that there are tons of Overweight people out there, but what is suppossed to be normal, skinny enough to see ribs?? I say to each their own! Just dont tryto push it off on me or my kids!
Look at him! does he look fat to you??
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c131/mjones77/critters/100_6370.jpg

[dukedogsmom]

I mean I played my fair share of video games when I was a kid but my favourite was a track and field game. You had to have this special pad and you actually had to do all the running and movements yourself to make your player move. They had the 500 M dash, hurdles, long jump, triple jump... etc etc. That game was so much fun. but I can also remember spending most of my time out riding my bike or going to the park with friends.
I LOVED that game! My friends and I had a blast playing that. I, too, was gone all day bike riding and swimming. We'd ride our bikes all the way across town to the big community pool. However, times have changed. Kids can no longer be out like that as it's so unsafe. I think that is sad :(

[Twisterdog]

I see some of both extremes. I've seen very heavy young children, which is indeed terribly sad. Children learn from their eating habits from their parents, and we all know bad habits are hard to break. Very irresponsible.

OTOH, I cannot count the number of my sixteen year old step-daughters friends who are grossly underweight, bulimic, anorexic, popping pills to lose weight, etc. That makes me just as sick ... that no one taught these girls that their beauty is natural, and so much more about who you are inside than what you weight.

[Catty1]

I know I followed in my father's "foodsteps". I have made long-term change, but I have to always be aware of that "following" thing.

I have seen lingerie ads in magazines - you know, the stuff that is made for 'real women's bodies'? All different sizes and shapes in that ad. Very positive.

Plus, I believe in Spain, and Italy, models have to have a minimum BMI of 18.5? No more anorexic stuff!

There are positive changes...let's hope they continue to grow!

[Pam]

they also sit on their butts all day playing video games and watching tv.

I agree with this entirely. In my neighborhood when my kids were growing up (the mid-1980's to the mid-1990's) the school bus would drop the kids off at 3:00 and by 3:10 kids were outside riding bikes, skating, playing hockey in the street and doing all kinds of things. I can't tell you the last time I saw a bicycle in my neighborhood. Do they even sell bikes to kids anymore? The kids now get off the bus and sit down in front of their TV or computer and that's how they spend their days. This is how they spend their summers too. Very sad. :(

[IRescue452]

To be honest, I don't think food has much to do with it. My sisters (6,6,12) watch tv almost all day. My mom, when she does cook, makes ground hamburger with anything she can find, otherwise they eat pizze and fast food several times a week. Half her grocery bills are junk food. But all three of them are average wieght or under. Explain that.
There is actually possible genetic influences on binge eating though, monozygotic twins are more likely to both have the problem, which means there is some genetic influence. Its possible that binge eating will be added to the dsm with anorexia and other eating disorders.

[Giselle]

To be honest, I don't think food has much to do with it. My sisters (6,6,12) watch tv almost all day. My mom, when she does cook, makes ground hamburger with anything she can find, otherwise they eat pizze and fast food several times a week. Half her grocery bills are junk food. But all three of them are average wieght or under. Explain that.
There is actually possible genetic influences on binge eating though, monozygotic twins are more likely to both have the problem, which means there is some genetic influence. Its possible that binge eating will be added to the dsm with anorexia and other eating disorders.
They're young and they have a faster metabolism? Genetics *does* play a heavy role, as well. Perhaps they do eat junk food, but they do not eat huge-sized portions. Perhaps they do exercise at school. Obesity is a multi-faceted issue. Besides, I know favorite games from about kindergarten through sixth grade is tag, soccer, etc. They're right at the age where playing these games is still "cool", and I wouldn't doubt they are active outside the home.

Frankly, I feel America needs to waken up. It pains me to see overweight children because it is their parents who've conditioned to eat and exercise the way they do. Sometimes, I feel parents should pass a test before they even think about procreating...

[Sirrahsim]

. Half her grocery bills are junk food. But all three of them are average wieght or under. Explain that.

It could be a form of malnutrition. Some people will get thin eating crap because their bodies simple are not getting the nutrients necessary to support their own body functions. You'll sometimes see this in a case where some of the siblings are overweight where as others are underweight even when they eat the same food. What's worse, malnutrition or obesity? They are both awful... and in that particular case caused by the same crappy food.

[Lori Jordan]

This also bothers me,I watch Maury(i know drama),Anyways there was a show and there was this 3-4 year old girl that weighed more than i do,That is pathetic The mothers say"My baby aint gonna starve",I will argue this point until i die.Neither did mine my kids all had a healthy apetite,But never were over weight ,There was one women that fed her child a plate of bacon,sausage,eggs toast and hashbrowns and i am not talking small porportions,That is rediculous do they realize the health problems there signing there children up for.
It ain't fair,We all know how it is for us adults loosing weight,Can you imagine a small child,IMO some people should not be given the right to have children it is sickning!

[jackie]

To be honest, I don't think food has much to do with it. My sisters (6,6,12) watch tv almost all day. My mom, when she does cook, makes ground hamburger with anything she can find, otherwise they eat pizze and fast food several times a week. Half her grocery bills are junk food. But all three of them are average wieght or under. Explain that.
Ok, just because they are not fat, doesn't mean they are healthy. Good eating habit are taught when you are a child, and they may not have the problems yet, but they might later. What Sirrahsim says makes sense, they may be suffering from a form of malnutrition.


What truley bothers me the most is the fact that everytime my son turns on the TV and all he sees are diet ads! I have to tell you it makes me so mad! My son is 7yrs old and weighs all of 50lbs, and everyday, all i hear is..."mom i need to diet, I am fat!" It just makes me sick! The kid is skinny. but all he sees, is all this crap about losing weight, so he feels that is what he needs to do! Drives me insane.
Ok, that is a little scary, your son looks gorgeous and not overweight in the slightest.

Children don't need to diet, but they should be fed a balanced diet, and get enough physical activity to keep them healthy. When I see a 6 year old pushing one hundred pounds, I do not consider that healthy.


I heard on a TV commercial about childhood obesity (it was a foundation for it or something like that) that the vegetable most provided for kids is the french fry. not much a vegetable at all but in most cases it is the only one they get.
I read something similar in a magazine, sad, sad, sad... I wonder if ketchup could be classed as a form of vegetable too? Haha

[jackie]

This also bothers me,I watch Maury(i know drama),Anyways there was a show and there was this 3-4 year old girl that weighed more than i do,That is pathetic The mothers say"My baby aint gonna starve",I will argue this point until i die.Neither did mine my kids all had a healthy apetite,But never were over weight ,There was one women that fed her child a plate of bacon,sausage,eggs toast and hashbrowns and i am not talking small porportions,That is rediculous do they realize the health problems there signing there children up for.
It ain't fair,We all know how it is for us adults loosing weight,Can you imagine a small child,IMO some people should not be given the right to have children it is sickning!

That makes me so angry. It is laughable when parents complain that their kids won't eat anything but pizza pops and french fries, who is the parent? Maybe if they didn't feed them that junk in the first place, the kid wouldn't mind getting a normal meal.

I am even starting to wonder if there should be a section in child services for those kind of cases?

[Lori Jordan]

That makes me so angry. It is laughable when parents complain that their kids won't eat anything but pizza pops and french fries, who is the parent? Maybe if they didn't feed them that junk in the first place, the kid wouldn't mind getting a normal meal.

I am even starting to wonder if there should be a section in child services for those kind of cases?
There should be something with child sevices if obesity can take a humans life it sure could take a childs,I had a friend years ago when i started having children her kids ate nothing but garbage(she said they wouldnt eat anything but,When they were at my home i used to take them for weekends they ate roast beef potatoes and veggies and they never put there nose up,Also they were monsters at home and angels in my home,I dont talk to this women anymore but they still live in my mothers neighborhood and both the kids are in jail for bad crimes,I am just glad my kids are well behaved.

I hope in the near future there will be laws against this sort of thing.

[mike001]

We're surrounded by obese kids out here too. My children were never fat, but they also weren't allowed to sit on their butts. They actually played outside with their friends (who were't locked in the house glued to a game or t.v.) But if you sit in a fast food place you will notice that some of those kids have trouble walking they are so fat. I've noticed that most times, the parents are also obese, especially the moms, so they encourage these kids to eat out of proportion foods. Have you ever noticed a child eating a salad? I have also read that if you were a chubby child you became an obese adult. In some cases I can see where it is true, but I don't know if it's a general rule. We had a neighbor with such an obese little boy that he had to start taking meds for a cholesterol problem at age seven....how sad is that.

[buttercup132]

To be honest, I don't think food has much to do with it. My sisters (6,6,12) watch tv almost all day. My mom, when she does cook, makes ground hamburger with anything she can find, otherwise they eat pizze and fast food several times a week. Half her grocery bills are junk food. But all three of them are average wieght or under. That's my family. Well in the summer we are barley in the house but in the winter everyone stay inside (for obvious reasons!) I am underweight but I eat lots of junk food and sit on my butt all day. But I'm not anorexic or belemic and I don't think I'm fat. I have a few friends who are fat and they bmx and eat semi-healthy but dont seem to loose weight (they bike ALL the time and every day in the summer) so they are very active. I don't think you should be blaming the parents, tv, or food for alot of people (well less then majority) it's just the way they are built.

[sparks19]

That's my family. Well in the summer we are barley in the house but in the winter everyone stay inside (for obvious reasons!) I am underweight but I eat lots of junk food and sit on my butt all day. But I'm not anorexic or belemic and I don't think I'm fat. I have a few friends who are fat and they bmx and eat semi-healthy but dont seem to loose weight (they bike ALL the time and every day in the summer) so they are very active. I don't think you should be blaming the parents, tv, or food for alot of people (well less then majority) it's just the way they are built.


Sorry I don't know many 4, 5, 6, or 7 year olds that are just built to be obese. it is one thing for a teenager who is going through their change.... It is normal for their bodies to start taking it's real shape. Heck as a teen I was above average and I developed QUITE a bit. But as a CHILD.... I was normal weight. Unless it is a medical condition there is no reason for a child under 10 to be obese. In that case it IS laziness and poor diet if you ask me.

[carole]

The US is not alone in this problem, here down under we are having exactly the same problems, with our children being overweight, some changes are being made, with introducing certain levels of physical activity in schools, some schools even make sure the tuck shop does not have too many high fat food options available, but i do feel a lot more could be done.

It has been said my generation will outlive my childrens generation, and i quite believe it, that is really sad.

I remember when i visited the US over thirty years ago, the only takeaway available in NZ at that time was fish and chips,if you had those too often you soon got fed up with it all, and i was gobsmacked when i arrived and found so much choice, mcdonalds, kfc,and so much more, of course it was all great for me at that time, but now of course we have all those options and have had for sometime, and what do we have overweight children and adults.

I know when i was young and working, i would come home and prepare a meal for myself, nowadays the young ones come home from work, pick up the phone and order a pizza, I probably would have done the same thing, if the choice had been on offer in my younger days, but it wasn't,whereas it is nice to have so many food choices, i just wish they were healthier ones, i do praise Mcdonalds and BK for bringing out healthier options,but we still need to do more.

One of the big problems in my opinion is sweet drinks,which are a favourite with most of the young, high energy drinks, sports drinks, which may sound good , but a full of sugar,lift plus and v are two that come to mind.

Of course we are also so much more inactive than we used to be, children spend too much time watching telly, playing video games, on the computer,we have remotes for everything,it is a sign of the times, but they are not good ones,if only using a cellphone and texting were a good form of exercise eh? the young ones would be really fit, more likely to suffer from OOS in later life sadly. :(

Of course this problem is not only with the younger generation,we have many adults who are obese too, but it does appear this generation is having a lot more problems with weight issues than ever before.

[Ceph]

This is a really sensitive subject for me....

America is obsessed with being thin...it drives me insane(literally). I am 5'3 and I used to weigh 180 pounds, which kind of put me in the size 15/16 scale at the time. I was always heavy...I take after my dad...I am short and squat with a huge bone structure....In my Dad's words, built like a brick s*** house. I was a biig baby, and I never was very thin even when I was young. I was very strong, and I was very healthy...I went to exercise classes two days a week (starting in elementary school with a marine sharpshooter as the fitness instructor). I tried countless times too loose weight and it never worked...

Let me tell you what it was like to be obese as a kid. In elementary school my best friend got in front of the whole class and had them bowing down to me as fat queen. I was bullied and beat up....In middle school I didnt have a whole lot of friends, and I was ridiculed for being the fat kid.

but over all I was happy with myself....I didnt like what people were like around me, but I was me and I didnt care....and what does it really matter as long as you're healthy. I was very solitary...but I had my parents, my cats and my books to keep me happy...I didnt care what other people thought.

In high school I started rowing - rowing is one of the most strenous sports...back legs, abs arms and shoulders...it works pretty much everything. A rower can create enough lactic acid in 8 minutes to keep a proffessional football player puking for two days. We practiced 5 days a week, for two hours each day after classes. My first three years of crew I didnt loose any weight...pretty much maintained...I grew stronger...I was in great shape...but I was definetley a rolly poly. The summer before my senior year I realized that though I was strong enough I wasnt light enough to row in the top boat....so I lost 30 pounds by increasing my running and decreasing my meals....it finally worked, though by standards I was still very large. I remained that way until after my freshman year of college..when the ROTC told me if I didnt loose weight I would be out of the program...so I lost another 20 pounds...I am still not skinny...but I have curves now.

I watched my thinner 'friends' (I realized after I joined the army that I had really just been a tag along and a pain for them for the most part) obsess over being thin, becoming bolemic, anorexic, and sick...I didnt understand that...

So let me tell you what being thinner did to me....people started treating me better, being nicer to me...I could wear everything I wanted to, which was nice...

But my self esteem hit rock bottom...I wasnt comfortable with myself anymore...I have joined the countless women who are asking themselves if they look good...I dont know anymore if people treat me well because they actually like me or if they think I just look good...I find that many people will be nice to me upfront, but when they get to know me (I have a quarky personality) they dislike me....that hurts....when I was overweight, those few people who were real friends didnt care what I looked like, they cared about who I was...and they *knew* me. I like that I lost weight, but at the same time, I am so regretful of loosing that comfort I had.

I dont understand why everyone has such a problem with being large. I know those kids in elementary school beat me up and ridiculed me because their parents taught them it was wrong. And its amazing how something that happened so long ago to a young girl can impact a person 10 or 20 years later.

So before you become disgusted with someone for being large, here's a thought....ask yourself if they are happy with themselves....ask yourself if they are good people on the inside...because its not what's on the outside that matters...its whats within.

whew...sorry for the length...but sometimes you got to understand the other point of view....I'm sort of passionate on this subject because it affected me for a long time...and still does in some ways.

[lizbud]

Being overweight can have an emotional component as well as calories,
etc. A lot of weight problems need to be addressed on different levels
rather than simply counting calories.

[GreyhoundGirl]

I am underweight but I eat lots of junk food and sit on my butt all day.

Haha.. the gably crew knows that's me! :p

[xcolbi]

It is pretty sad. It seems there are a LOT of huge people in my school. But then again... they eat XL poutines with extra everything on it everyday at lunch. :eek: Then again, as also stated, there are a lot of really skinny kids at my school. However, there are very few "just right" kids. The big kids think they are fine, because their mommies tell them so, and the little kids think they're fat because they're been brainwashed by the media. :rolleyes:


I agree. DOWN WITH XL POUTINES!

[finn's mom]

I'm not disgusted with someone who's large, I'm saddened by it. Regardless of the reason, whether it's internal or external or both, I find it sad because that person's life isn't normal on a daily basis and their lifespan is shortened. And, I'm not talking about someone who could stand to lose a few pounds. I think most people in here are talking about the folks who are morbidly obese. When you see a five year old who is three times the size of a normal child, it's sad. I'm more saddened when I see children who are really big and can't live a normal childhood, because it's not their fault. I'm not saying the parents are bad parents or that they don't love their child, but the parents of a toddler or a preteen have quite a bit to say about what their child eats and what their child does to stay physically active.

I don't watch a lot of tv or read a lot of newspapers or magazines. And, I hope when I have children, I can help them find better things to do with their time than that stuff. I'm all for educational dvds or whatever, but as soon as you start throwing commercials into it, it's usually not good.

Anyway, my thoughts are all over the place with this subject.

[xcolbi]

Some may think I'm skinny, but I eat like a horse, it's just my metabolism is super fast. I've been called anorexic and it hurts and trust me, I am trying to gain weight!

Same here. I'm super skinny, but NOT because I try to be. I eat a lot most of the time, but then there will be days when I'm just not that hungry so I don't eat a lot. I've been called anorexic too, but I just ignore it.
At 13 years old, I'm only 85 pounds. :(
I was born tiny. I've never been the least bit chubby in my life. Not even when I was a baby.
Even though I eat a lot at times, I'm pretty active too. I play football, basketball, figure skate, school sports, and then I go outside and play badminton, play with Colbi, walk to the park or Shortline (Convenience store around here) with my friends, play hockey and even more.
I don't know why I'm so skinny. :(

[buttercup132]

Same here. I'm super skinny, but NOT because I try to be. I eat a lot most of the time, but then there will be days when I'm just not that hungry so I don't eat a lot. I've been called anorexic too, but I just ignore it.
At 13 years old, I'm only 85 pounds. :(
I was born tiny. I've never been the least bit chubby in my life. Not even when I was a baby.
Even though I eat a lot at times, I'm pretty active too. I play football, basketball, figure skate, school sports, and then I go outside and play badminton, play with Colbi, walk to the park or Shortline (Convenience store around here) with my friends, play hockey and even more.
I don't know why I'm so skinny. :(I used to be the same. Except I think I was 75lbs! I got called anorexic and when I got the high school I had to go down to the guidence counceler cause they thought I was! I hate how people automatically assume that because your skinny your belimc or anorexic. I did gain more weight after I matured . I'm also a very picky eater and hate food like cake , chocolate and ice cream making people think even more that I was dieting and stuff. People always underestimate my strength too (not that that's a bad thing in some cases). But it still is stupid, I'm stronger then most my friends who are normal weight and as strong as the people at my work who are in their 20's and 30's.

[dab_20]

I think it's sad when kids are obese because they sit in front of the tv all day... and that can make them really unhappy, too. Your parents should teach you from a young age to eat healthy and stay active. Plus limit your tv time and time playing video games. But I have another opinion on it too.

I'm technically 'obese', at 155 pounds and 5' 4"... and I've been battling it for a couple years now. I think it's unfair that some people think that just because kids now a days are overweight, it means they are lazy. I'm definatly not a lazy person. I get about 2 hours of exercise most days, some days more, some less. I don't play video games, and I probably watch an hour of tv a week. At one point in November, I was so unhappy with myself, because I coulden't seem to lose weight... I wanted (and still do kind-of) to be like those skinny girls you see on tv and magazines. So I starved myself for a couple weeks, because that seemed to be my only option. I lost about 15 pounds. I started eating again because I was always weak and sick and coulden't keep up with my friends anymore. I've gained it all back plus some. There is so much pressure to lose weight... especially for people my age. Most kids do it the wrong way like I did.

I think if your comfortable with yourself, you are perfect the way you are. And if you want to lose weight to be a healthier person, the healthy way, than that's great. But what bothers me even more is seeing people who are perfectly skinny... like my friends who are skinnier than I am, say "I'm so fat I need to lose weight". Half the time they know they're skinny and just want to hear it! Sometimes they really believe they are. That's what really saddens me.

[GreyhoundGirl]

Except I think I was 75lbs!

I'm 13 and 80 lbs but for some reason I look bigger than a lot of people who wiegh more than I do... Probably because I hate those skin-tight fashions. My mom thinks they would look good on me, but I don't like the look on ANYONE. T shirts seem so much more comfy... lol :p

I eat like a pig, but do 22 hours of competitive ballet a week, jog 5 KM a day, do random sports, swimming for 3 hours, and any competitions...plus agility... I'm pretty active

[sparks19]

It's one thing to be large and still be healthy. No one is saying that is wrong or disgusting. hell I am 5'3" and weigh almost 200 pounds. but to look at me you would not know I weigh that much. Then there are others who are 5'3" and weigh 200 pounds and can hardly get around. These examples are totally different. I weigh almost 200 pounds because.... for one... I have a rather um... large... chest LOL I won't go into detail but you wouldn't believe how much of my weight is actually sitting right there. I have more muscle mass than the average 200 pound person. I was also a large baby. I weighed 10 pounds and LOOKED like it too lol.

I was definately not a scrawny kid.... but I didn't have to waddle to get around. it's a terrible thing to say but I have seen so many kids to have to waddle just to get moving because they are so large. You can't tell me they are healthy.

I am not obsessed with being skinny and frankly I think people that try too hard to be very skinny (who aren't just naturally like that. my dad's g/f for example. that woman puts away food like I have never seen but can't gain a pound. but she is healthy) and jeopardize their nutrition for their looks are just as unhealthy as obese people who are OBESE. Having a large frame does not make you obese IMO.

BUt when you can't walk to your mail box without losing your breath.... something is wrong there... especially if you are a child. I certainly don't have a fast metabolism by any means and as a kid I put away a ton of food.... but I also did a ton of bike riding, running, skipping.... general kid activities.

Now a days I see kids sitting on their butts watching tv or playing video games on bright sunny days when they should be outside playing. My brother has three (almost 4) kids. They certainly have the genes to become large but my brother and his wife are VERY proactive in their kids health. they don't eat at McDonalds except for a treat now and then.... their snacks are fruit and other healthy things... not chocolate and chips. They have them involved with sports teams, they take them on nature hikes regularly, they even entered them in a Iron kid "competition". it wasn't really a competition more just a fun thing for kids of different age groups. They had to swim a certain amount, run a certain amount and bike a certain amount.... and you know what... they LOVED it. They search around for little things like this too keep their kids active instead of letting them turn into bumps on a log. and those kids are wonderfully fit... AND well behaved. They get a lot of exercise and they aren't experiencing the behavioural issues with their kids that a lot of parents are experiencing these days. keeping your kids active can do a lot more than just make their bodies healthy... it keeps their minds healthy and everything else.

No one is saying being large is bad.... being obese is unhealthy.... especially for a young child. the older they get the harder it will be for them to lose the weight they need to be healthy. if they are exercising and still cannot lose the weight the is a whole different ball game.... but many of the obese kids I have seen are barely able to walk around let alone ride a bike or play tag.

[carole]

Hey i am the first one to appauld anyone who is comfortable with their body shape, be it thin or not so thin.

But young children being obese is sad in my opinion, they are not in control of their eating habits, their parents are, some people would consider it a form of child abuse, no i am not saying I agree with that, but it has been said before.

Of course it is assumed if you are fat , you must be lazy, and that can be far from the truth,there is such a thing as being fit and fat,some thin people are not fit at all.

In my opinion, and generalising here, and from what i read is fact, this generation is lazy, even my generation,not exactly through choice but because of technology,and even if you are not one of them, a lot of the children are not participating in regular exercise, eating badly and hence we have obese children.

Being obese or morbidly obese, just is not good for your well-being, the health problems are many as most of you know.,and maybe not in the US, but here in NZ can end up costing everyone financially.

So it really is sad when you see a young child three times what they should weigh, as they are being set up for a lifetime of health problems, I think everyone would be in agreement here surely.

[Twisterdog]

I do think there is a lot more to what someone weighs than what they eat and how active they are. And it's SO unfair. :mad:

Example: my son has this incredible metabolism. He eats, I'm not EVEN exagarating, more than the rest of the family combined. He eats all day long, whatever quanity, whatever calorie content he wants. He must consume 10,000 calories a day! And, frankly, he sits on his butt a lot. He plays a lot of video games, watches TV, etc. He is 5' 10" and weighs 160 pounds, quite thin.

My step-son, OTOH, eats an average amount for a teenage boy, I'd say, but less than my son, for sure. He is a little more active, too, riding his bike around more, etc. He is 5' 1" and weighs 150 pounds, quite heavy.

My niece and I were always the same way growing up. We are about the same height, but she always weighed at least 20 pounds less than I did, yet ate easily twice as much as me a day, every day. No fair! :mad:

[Anita Cholaine]

Childhood obesity is also becoming a big problem here in Argentina.
I went to the mall last saturday morning, and I saw this woman with his son, who was about 3 years old. Guess what she bought him: huge hamburger, fries and soda, and it was 10 AM! I don't want to even imagine what her mother gives him for lunch and dinner.

I feel so disgusted about parents who do this. I mean, their children will probably have lots of health problems in their future, and they have no idea of what they are doing. And these poor kids will grow up thinking that this kind of eating habits are ok, making it harder for them to change.

I think education is crucial to battle childhood obesity. All parents and soon to be parents should know the importance of healthy eating habits during their children's infancy. It is something that will affect them for the rest of their lives

[sparks19]

but we aren't talking about kids who are just a little over weight here or there.... we are talking OBESE... MORBIDLY obese. Every kids weight can fluctuate and they all have different metabolisms BUT obesity is totally different. There HAS to be a way to curb that kind of weight gain before it reaches the point of obesity.

[Argranade]

That's my family. Well in the summer we are barley in the house but in the winter everyone stay inside (for obvious reasons!) I am underweight but I eat lots of junk food and sit on my butt all day. But I'm not anorexic or belemic and I don't think I'm fat. I have a few friends who are fat and they bmx and eat semi-healthy but dont seem to loose weight (they bike ALL the time and every day in the summer) so they are very active. I don't think you should be blaming the parents, tv, or food for alot of people (well less then majority) it's just the way they are built.


I'm like the same as you almost lol,

During the winter I'm home like ALL day because I HATE the cold, I mean in middle the summer I'll have 2 large blankets rapped right around me like it's the middle of a winter storm lol, I just can't sleep without being with blankets.

In ther Winter I usualy wight only 100 Pounds but in the summer I'm more active then I''m usualy around 98.

I eat ALOT and sit in my a** all day long as I don't know why I don't gain any fat O.o, but then again I'm kinda lucky ... there's not one obese person in my family so it probably has to be genetics with being obese, but than again some parents don't even care about what there kids eat & if there even getting any exsersize.

[finn's mom]

I don't think anyone is saying it's anyone's fault if a child has medical problems or that they're disgusted by children who have thyroid problems or other medical conditions. I know personally I'm just talking about those children whose parents allow them to eat whatever they want, whenever they want and however much they want. Or those who allow them to be completely physically inactive. Or a combination of the two issues. I had a friend in high school whose little sister would drink about ten sodas a day. They had step stools all over the house for this child to get into the cabinets, fridge, pantry, etc whenever she wanted. And, it's not like she was pigging out on apples and bananas and celery. She was eating nothing but junk food and she was so big, i couldn't bear to be around her, it made me so sad and so mad all at once. The entire family was unhealthy, but especially her.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify my own stance.

[Killearn Kitties]

I am even starting to wonder if there should be a section in child services for those kind of cases?

Only today I heard a report on the radio about a child who is being taken into care because he weighs 14 stones (almost 200 lbs) at eight years old. The situation seems to have gone beyond the point where his mother, school, or doctors seem to be able to do anything for him. He will initially be hospitalised until he has lost a certain amount, then when he is able to exercise he will be started on a program.

This was a very particular case, but I wonder whether it is something we will start to see more of.

[sparks19]

Only today I heard a report on the radio about a child who is being taken into care because he weighs 14 stones (almost 200 lbs) at eight years old. The situation seems to have gone beyond the point where his mother, school, or doctors seem to be able to do anything for him. He will initially be hospitalised until he has lost a certain amount, then when he is able to exercise he will be started on a program.

This was a very particular case, but I wonder whether it is something we sill start to see more of.


I was watching Dr Phil one day (I despise Dr Phil but I was interested in this one family he was talking to) they were talking about childhood obesity. this mother (was divorced) and she was allowing her 3 or 4 year old son to eat nothing but junk and thought she was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Apparently she had been on the show about it before and she refused to change his eating habits and refused to believe that letting him eat this way was ruining his health. this child said.... on his own .... that it is hard for him to get up off the floor.... walk places.... run.... even get up and down the stairs or in and out of bed.

Apparently the father fought for custody of this child and won. they came back on the show and the child had lost 70lbs or something like that. the child was around 8 when he came back on the show. they asked him what his favourite food is and he said :eek: BROCCOLI. he loves it.... he loves to eat fruit and loves to eat vegetables. when the father got custody of him he (with the help of a physician) started a slow weight loss program. it started with walking up and down the stairs a certain amount of times each day and then increasing the amount of times he could do it over time. the child now says he is so happy that he can go out and play with his friends.... he loves to do his stair exercises and loves to play sports.

After hearing this how could any parent think they are doing a good thing for their child by letting them eat whatever they want to the point that they can't even get themselves off the floor without help.

[xcolbi]

I used to be the same. Except I think I was 75lbs! I got called anorexic and when I got the high school I had to go down to the guidence counceler cause they thought I was! I hate how people automatically assume that because your skinny your belimc or anorexic. I did gain more weight after I matured . I'm also a very picky eater and hate food like cake , chocolate and ice cream making people think even more that I was dieting and stuff. People always underestimate my strength too (not that that's a bad thing in some cases). But it still is stupid, I'm stronger then most my friends who are normal weight and as strong as the people at my work who are in their 20's and 30's.


Same here, I'm also a picky eater. :p But I've got a peanut allergy too, so I can't eat as much because a lot of things say "May contain traces of peanuts."
If I get shoved just a little bit I go flying. It gets annoying after a while. Last year a girl purposely pushed me and, well I went flying and cracked my neck. It hurt.
I'm pretty strong too. Physically and emotionally. If someone calls me a bad name, I don't even care. If someone physically hurts me somehow (like today during my basketball tournament :rolleyes: ), I'll just shake it out and then just carry on with what I was doing. Or try and get back at them. ;) Unless of course I was seriously injured. :p

[Kalei]

I agree with you all. It's always the person's choice on how they want to look, but the media definately makes people think they should look a certain way. I think if you are happy the way you are then it is fine. I went anorexic for about 2 months in high school I got very skinny (I was already skinny to a point) and after a long time I just realized that I can't go on all my life not eating...foods to good! So i began to eat again and I gained the weight I lost back. right now I am normal weight, not chubby, and not anorexic skinny...although I would like to lose about 5 or 10 pounds, I don't know how. I exercise, but then again many people tell me I don't have to lose weight...so maybe that's why I'm not lol.

But I do feel bad for the kids out there that are very obese and the kids that go anorexic, it is sad because both are unhealthy.

[dogzr#1]

While on the subject of eating disorders and such, I'm going to have a mini-rant.

There are a whole bunch of girls at school who think they are fat but when they are incredibly skinny to begin with. They are mostly cheerleaders or the 'popular' people. It's sad to see them sitting at a table, not eating anything, while their boyfriends are there chowing down. We (my friends and I) have told them many times that they aren't fat and don't need to lose weight, but they don't listen. Of course, I think it might just be a show type thing. They probably eat breakfast and dinner, just don't eat lunch at school and when questioned about it, say that they want to lose weight when they really don't. My friends and I eat a whole crappload during lunch, stealing each others food or trading it and stuff. Two of them are cheerleaders and they get asked why they eat so much. I know sometimes they can't help it, but most of the time they choose not to eat because of media and just peer-pressure or something. It's really sad how many problems kids are having with weight now a days.

I guess I'm lucky to have good genetics because I am 5'4 and haven't passed the 100lb mark yet. Thank you dad for being tall! Any who, as said before, I have been asked if I am bulimic because everyone sees me eat a lot during lunch then go to the bathroom afterwards. They assume I go to throw-up I guess, but most of the time I go just because I need to pee! :p

Sorry for making this so long, I just had to rant!

[Kalei]

While on the subject of eating disorders and such, I'm going to have a mini-rant.

There are a whole bunch of girls at school who think they are fat but when they are incredibly skinny to begin with. They are mostly cheerleaders or the 'popular' people. It's sad to see them sitting at a table, not eating anything, while their boyfriends are there chowing down. We (my friends and I) have told them many times that they aren't fat and don't need to lose weight, but they don't listen. Of course, I think it might just be a show type thing. They probably eat breakfast and dinner, just don't eat lunch at school and when questioned about it, say that they want to lose weight when they really don't. My friends and I eat a whole crappload during lunch, stealing each others food or trading it and stuff. Two of them are cheerleaders and they get asked why they eat so much. I know sometimes they can't help it, but most of the time they choose not to eat because of media and just peer-pressure or something. It's really sad how many problems kids are having with weight now a days.

I guess I'm lucky to have good genetics because I am 5'4 and haven't passed the 100lb mark yet. Thank you dad for being tall! Any who, as said before, I have been asked if I am bulimic because everyone sees me eat a lot during lunch then go to the bathroom afterwards. They assume I go to throw-up I guess, but most of the time I go just because I need to pee! :p

Sorry for making this so long, I just had to rant!

hehe, its good to pee!

[GreyhoundGirl]

Any who, as said before, I have been asked if I am bulimic because everyone sees me eat a lot during lunch then go to the bathroom afterwards. They assume I go to throw-up I guess, but most of the time I go just because I need to pee! :p



*snort* HAHAHA!!!

[dab_20]

I was watching Dr Phil one day (I despise Dr Phil but I was interested in this one family he was talking to) they were talking about childhood obesity. this mother (was divorced) and she was allowing her 3 or 4 year old son to eat nothing but junk and thought she was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Apparently she had been on the show about it before and she refused to change his eating habits and refused to believe that letting him eat this way was ruining his health. this child said.... on his own .... that it is hard for him to get up off the floor.... walk places.... run.... even get up and down the stairs or in and out of bed.

Apparently the father fought for custody of this child and won. they came back on the show and the child had lost 70lbs or something like that. the child was around 8 when he came back on the show. they asked him what his favourite food is and he said :eek: BROCCOLI. he loves it.... he loves to eat fruit and loves to eat vegetables. when the father got custody of him he (with the help of a physician) started a slow weight loss program. it started with walking up and down the stairs a certain amount of times each day and then increasing the amount of times he could do it over time. the child now says he is so happy that he can go out and play with his friends.... he loves to do his stair exercises and loves to play sports.

After hearing this how could any parent think they are doing a good thing for their child by letting them eat whatever they want to the point that they can't even get themselves off the floor without help.

I saw that episode. The little boy was 184 pounds at four years old! :( That's so sad... I was soo happy to see that his father helped him with losing weight and now he's so happy. He is an adorable little boy.

[CathyBogart]

A 4 year old heavier than me?? BOY am I glad that father got custody!!

[jackie]

I was watching Dr Phil one day (I despise Dr Phil but I was interested in this one family he was talking to) they were talking about childhood obesity. this mother (was divorced) and she was allowing her 3 or 4 year old son to eat nothing but junk and thought she was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Apparently she had been on the show about it before and she refused to change his eating habits and refused to believe that letting him eat this way was ruining his health. this child said.... on his own .... that it is hard for him to get up off the floor.... walk places.... run.... even get up and down the stairs or in and out of bed.

I can't imagine ever being so ignorant to allow that to happen to your child.
I am glad to hear that someone in his family took the steps needed to get him down to a normal weight.

[jackie]

OK, this is too all the girls in here talking about eating lots of bad food and still being skinny.

You seem to be almost proud of it, but if I were you I would start making changes for a healthier diet. Just because you aren't overweight, doesn't mean that you are particularly healthy and have free reign to sit on your butts all day eating junk. I would start taking care of my health before my physical appearance took a change for the worse.

[jackie]

OK, this child should have been taken away from her parents YEARS ago.

Absolutely disgusting.

400 pound, seven year old (http://pandachute.com/videos/400_pound_7_year_old)

[catmandu]

Is it any wonder that Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in North America
with all the sugar thats in the processed food that most people eat these days.
A 25 % increase in the last 10 years the fatest growing disease in the world.
We have to be more careful about we are eating these days.

[Daisy and Delilah]

OK, this child should have been taken away from her parents YEARS ago.

Absolutely disgusting.

400 pound, seven year old (http://pandachute.com/videos/400_pound_7_year_old)

This video is absolutely unbelievable. That poor kid. Will she ever be able to live normally after all she's gone through? What were her parents thinking to let this happen??? :( :( :( She should be removed from the parent's house and they need to be trained on proper nutrition, before she's allowed back in their house again. Pathetic :(

[columbine]

I was once a small child, and I seem to recall that nearly any vegetable tastes great when one is allowed to eat it with one's hands. ;) Especially when one is allowed to dunk it in yogurt colored with a bit of paprika, turmeric, or spinach. (It was a kind of flavor code - the "green" yogurt also had onion powder, the "yellow," garlic powder, and the "pink" had something else - chili powder maybe?) It's kind of dinner, kind of art...

Love, Columbine (still playing in her food after all these years)

[Marigold2]

It seems that no matter what someones weights is it is never correct. My daughter was made fun of in junior high and high school because she was around 85 lbs. She is now 95 and she has a great figure. She can eat anything she wants and not gain weight. All those girls who made fun of her in school are now on a diet and trying to lose 40 pounds of flab. My daughter was always a picky eater and her portions where always small. Plus we never ate fast food and I do mean never. I can remember taking my kids to Burger King once, never did I take them to McDonald's. Those overweight kids as many of your mentioned were eatting enough for three people in one serving. The resturants are partly to blame with their supersizing everything. To these children a supersize is normal size. I have however noticed that the last 6 months or so resturants seem to be making the portions smaller. I think this is a good thing. Some of them serve the food on plates big enough for a horse to feel full let alone a person.

[carole]

Really that is so sad about that seven yr old girl, and in my opinion is child abuse, as for supersizing, we have never had that here in NZ, my son had some at LAX airport and he could not believe how huge the meal portions etc at Mac's were, but is it not true that they are not doing that anymore in the US.?

[dogzr#1]

I truly feel sorry for Jessica. At 7 years old and already 400 pounds, it is just so sad. How did her parents let it get so out of hand?! Well, at least she is in better hands now and hopefully she'll be able to lose all of that weight.

Also, it's true, our portions at restaurants etc. have gotten increasingly bigger. I am 14 years old and am still eating off the children's menu because the adult one is way too big for me. And if we get burgers or something, I have to get a kid's meal. The sizes are just way too big for me.

[carole]

When i was in Salt Lake City over thirty years ago, i remember ordering just a dessert, as i was not that hungry, when i saw the size of it, i just about fell over, it was enormous, and yes i never got through it all, we just did not have anything like it in NZ, desserts were rather smallish here.

[mike001]

We worry about our dogs'weight, why not ours? I think people are eating too much junk food nowadays, yes I'm also guilty of that. But I've never let my weight get out of hand. I was shopping with my friend the other day and we overheard a little girl telling her mom not to hang out beside her in case they ran into some of her friends. The mom was bewildered and wondered why.... that little girl said to her mom...because you're fat and it makes me shy.
I don't know if I felt more sorry for the girl or her mom. But her mom was a chub and that girl just popped it out. We wondered over that for the rest of the day.
No doubt the little girl was rude, but.....out of the mouths of babes.
I guess it depends how one feels about oneself. I keep to a normal weight to stay healthy and I do feel better that way.