Overweight and obese children!!!

21June

Again, i think one can and should teach proper nutrtion to their children, without criticizing the child!!! or ruining their self esteem!!! I think all children should be taught proper nutrition,
whether the child is thin or fat. I think this is an ongoing lesson, too, not a 'one-time mention and it's done' thing.
I think if one doesn't put fattening foods and junk foods in their home, it will be probably be easier to keep children eating healhty foods.
If there are no poptarts, sugar laden cereals, candy, ice creams, etc, in the house,
while the child is developing their taste buds and habits,
the kids think plums ARE candy. I know, cuz i did this, when i was raising my children. Just no junk, no colas, no crappy foods were in my house.

My kids are both fit and healthy, slender at age 30 and 35, one runs marathons, the other is an athletic vegan,
and both love fruits and veggies,
cuz that is what they grew up on.

If your fridge is only full of healthy fruits and veggies, when the chlid wanders into kitchen,
the parent does not have to worry about WHAT the child is eating. There just won't be any arguments about "No ice cream before dinner", cuz, there is no ice cream in there. My kids just didn't know any different, this was all they knew, from birth on.

AND there is no competition for the child's att'n or cravings. The child LEARNS to love fruits and veggies. It's hard for a 10 year old to want an apple,
if there are ice cream and junk foods and cookies also nearby.
Remove those type of items from the kitchen, and the apples will begin to become appealing to children, especially if the child is raised on those items, all along, from the get-go.

Teaching a child how to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, CAN be done without causing psychological damage.
Same as when we teach them how to use shampoo, or how to do their laundry,
it is not saying "you are filthy!"

---

it is saying "This is how we do it."
Do these same people think we should not teach children how to use shampoo or else, they will have self esteem issues about their hair?
Life skills are part of parenting, imo.

Thanks for your excellent contributions!

JenniferNoll

oh man, poor kid. Some of my weight gain was due to steroids for Crohns, and they do make you want to eat, and retain fluid. I will acknowledge I was also making poor eating choices whilst on them though, so they are doing the right thing, making her diet healthier. Definitely limit the juice boxes, I used to drink tons of fruit juice thinking it was healthy not realising how much sugar.

My weight issue is due to steroids for crohn's too! I'm currently in remission, so I'm fighting to get the weight off. Good luck to you!

21June

My grand daughter is over weight for her age, she is almost 5 and weighs somewhere around 65 pounds... before you start blaming the parents she has a lot going against her which attributes to her weight.. she was diognosed with ashma last year shortly after her 4th birthday, spent 4 days in ICU during her first hospital stay of 7 days and a few months later another 4 days in the hospital. The meds they give her cause her to retain fluid and as my son calls her " she turns into an eating machine" it's all about the foods they give her during these times that matter I guess. Her mom is overweight (Obese) as is her intire family so she has genitics against her also. They are trying to do what is best for Hayden, dance and swimming for exercise, getting rid of the junk she eats in the house, one of the biggest I suggested is all the juice boxes, nothing but empty calories... since she will be starting 4K in a few weeks I am worried that she will be the kid that gets picked on, and it breaks my heart, she's really proud right now though, she has lost 4 pounds since they reduced the steriods she needs to take which is exciting and it's sad that at almost 5 she realizes her weight is a problem. she told me not to try and pick her up like I do her older cousins, she's too heavy... I love my little girl..

I feel sorry for her. Perhaps natural therapies may work for the asthma. Sometimes no choice but to take steroids. My son was on steroids too for a while.

Unfortunately, steroids increase appetite; an unwanted side affect!

jnh17

My grand daughter is over weight for her age, she is almost 5 and weighs somewhere around 65 pounds... before you start blaming the parents she has a lot going against her which attributes to her weight.. she was diognosed with ashma last year shortly after her 4th birthday, spent 4 days in ICU during her first hospital stay of 7 days and a few months later another 4 days in the hospital. The meds they give her cause her to retain fluid and as my son calls her " she turns into an eating machine" it's all about the foods they give her during these times that matter I guess. Her mom is overweight (Obese) as is her intire family so she has genitics against her also. They are trying to do what is best for Hayden, dance and swimming for exercise, getting rid of the junk she eats in the house, one of the biggest I suggested is all the juice boxes, nothing but empty calories... since she will be starting 4K in a few weeks I am worried that she will be the kid that gets picked on, and it breaks my heart, she's really proud right now though, she has lost 4 pounds since they reduced the steriods she needs to take which is exciting and it's sad that at almost 5 she realizes her weight is a problem. she told me not to try and pick her up like I do her older cousins, she's too heavy... I love my little girl..

My stepson (9) has been on steriods (among other medication for allergies) since he was 3 for asthma (multiple hospital visits as well). Maybe we're lucky but I've never known him to have an increased appetite. He's actually super thin but when he hits a growth spurt, he'll of course eat more. Sometimes my husband will say "he ate 2 bowls of oatmeal, half a carton of strawberries, and is still going" and I want to strangle him because then he thinks it's awesome to eat as much as possible. Then, when he gets around other kids it's an all out eating contest - which is normal since ALL the boys I've ever known do this. Drives me nuts just on the basis of wasted food.

21June

Out of all people who are overweight/obese, it seems that there is a minority that are like that due to a medical condition and/or medication. What about the majority? Its not about judging people but its always easy to make excuses. I met a paediatrician the other day who said one can always use lack of time as an excuse!

dreamsofescaping

A LOCK ON THE FRIDGE FOR AN 11 year old

No lock on the firdge in my house when I was a kid. If you wanted something you asked, if you were told no that was the end of it

Parents nowadays think there kids are special and need to be treated and waited on hand and foot.

That was the same in my house, when we wanted something we asked if mom said no that was the end of the story.

jnh17

Out of all people who are overweight/obese, it seems that there is a minority that are like that due to a medical condition and/or medication. What about the majority? Its not about judging people but its always easy to make excuses. I met a paediatrician the other day who said one can always use lack of time as an excuse!

Plus, the rise in obesity has been a big topic here. There has ALWAYS been medical issues so that doesn't explain away the rise in obesity.

mzfiyaa

I also hate seeing kids overweight its like everytime they cry or if they are hungry they feed them and it can also be the foods they eat .when i was a kid i was very active i was not able to eat sweets,sodas,candy and cakes or anything of that nature maybe once in a while and i was a good size i was very active i rode my bike all the time.im pretty sure if there was internet i would of been home a lot more i didnt start gaining weight until i stopped going outside and that was around 10th grade i put on 10 pounds.

SonoraflowerKim

This is one of those discussions that will hit the nerve for some up here. Our really good friends are a WHOLE family of very large and servery obese people. They have 3 girls, 2 are married at age 20 and 22 and the youngest is 14. Now the two older ones are very large and short; as is the 14 year old. These girls were never told "not to eat this or that" and their mom didn't want them to be deprived of anything food wise. The problem is they are not active, sit inside and eat all hours of the day, literally! And most is unhealthy, microwave food, processed food, and fat based foods with lots of sauce, butter, and other not so good choices. Very few veggies and no concept of portion control! When this family cooks, its like they are cooking for 30 people; not just 7 or 8.

I know that today our children are indoors more and using gadgets more than in the past, but most of our problem lies in that we do not encourage our children to go out and burn off 60 minutes of play or sports a day and then give the reward of a gadget. Sometimes we forget to watch the sugar in our "healthy snack" choices or permit them to have more than they really need. The other thing is that SODA replaces water and other drinks that our bodies need. Our society doesn't do much to discourage this lifestyle because "why would they?" The more America eats like this, the heavier their pockets will get! We are slowly making a society that lives longer due to processed and preservative packed foods. We aren't killing a nation, we are making sure they live longer, which in turn makes every aspect of our society harder to support!

It takes a change of one family at a time to help the next generation become more aware of food choices, exercise, and life style changes to ensure that they have a healthier tomorrow. For each one of us on MFP, we are making that first step by setting an example of how to be "in love with your body" to make it the best machine you can control in your life!

dreamsofescaping

Okay... Coming from personal experience as a fat kid all of my siblings and my mom are skinny folk. I was always the odd ball out being the chubby baby, the fat kid, the obese teen, the morbidly obese adult. My mom put me on so many diets as a kid I remember say for bedtime snack the other kids would be eating chips and popcorn and there I was with my apple (they all should have had an apple in my opinion) even though they are skinny lol but for 2 reasons 1. its a healthier choice and 2. I hated being treated differently.

At dinner time they could eat as much as they wanted (within reason) and I had smaller portions (not so bad now that I am an adult and can look back) BUT at the time as a child I hated being the only one with an image problem.

I can recall a time when I was around 8 my mom caught me hitting myself over and over in the mirror and I was yelling at myself "I hate myself, why cant I be skinny" HOLY lol I havent thought about this memory in so many years I am tearing up writing this.

I worry for my daughter who is turning 4 this month she is an average child weight wise, but I don't want her to end up like me but at the same time I don't want to pass my weight issues onto her. She just needs to worry about being a little kid. I try to offer her healthy snacks but she does like her chocolate milk (wont drink white milk only in her cereal) but I am the parent and the final choice is mine what I put in front of her for dinner or lunches etc. I do the cooking not her (obviously) so I make the choice to cook say skinless/boneless chicken breast instead of a household fav growing up Shake n Bake chicken. I never understood a healthy portion of side dishes say rice because my mom would heap our plates full of it (probably because she was a single mom of 4) and it was a lot cheaper to feed us the side dishes than say the meat part of it. As I got older I saw how much my sister would dish out for rice and I remember thinking... WOW... You eat like a bird?? Is that even a normal amount? It turns out... IT IS!!!!

Bless my moms heart for all she tried to do for me as a kid and teenager (diets, diet pills, diet teas, monitoring portions when I was little, saying no to me even though the other kids got the go ahead) but as I got older she kind of stopped caring and said yes and dished me out the same amount as her (enough for probably 3 people) shes 95 pounds maybe 100 so she eats what she wants and as much as she wants now that I am an adult living on my own I make my own choices and no longer follow her foot steps.

Sorry its such a long reply but this post hits home because I was that overweight child so I know oh so well! lol.

wilmnoca

Kids do play, its child abuse

Parents "they won't eat anything but chocolate, cries usless they get chips and pizza"

When I was a kid, " mam, I don't like this dinner, reply, smack, theres people starving, eat it or go hungry"
Problem solved.

If you have fat kids you should be ashamed of yourselves? Would you give a kid cigerettes? Or Alcohol? Or would you starve a child?

Pre-cise-ly.

21June

This is one of those discussions that will hit the nerve for some up here. Our really good friends are a WHOLE family of very large and servery obese people. They have 3 girls, 2 are married at age 20 and 22 and the youngest is 14. Now the two older ones are very large and short; as is the 14 year old. These girls were never told "not to eat this or that" and their mom didn't want them to be deprived of anything food wise. The problem is they are not active, sit inside and eat all hours of the day, literally! And most is unhealthy, microwave food, processed food, and fat based foods with lots of sauce, butter, and other not so good choices. Very few veggies and no concept of portion control! When this family cooks, its like they are cooking for 30 people; not just 7 or 8.

I know that today our children are indoors more and using gadgets more than in the past, but most of our problem lies in that we do not encourage our children to go out and burn off 60 minutes of play or sports a day and then give the reward of a gadget. Sometimes we forget to watch the sugar in our "healthy snack" choices or permit them to have more than they really need. The other thing is that SODA replaces water and other drinks that our bodies need. Our society doesn't do much to discourage this lifestyle because "why would they?" The more America eats like this, the heavier their pockets will get! We are slowly making a society that lives longer due to processed and preservative packed foods. We aren't killing a nation, we are making sure they live longer, which in turn makes every aspect of our society harder to support!

It takes a change of one family at a time to help the next generation become more aware of food choices, exercise, and life style changes to ensure that they have a healthier tomorrow. For each one of us on MFP, we are making that first step by setting an example of how to be "in love with your body" to make it the best machine you can control in your life!

Well said and its not just in America! Your so right in your comment about the amount of sugar in a healthy snack!

PhilyPhresh

Kids do play, its child abuse

Parents "they won't eat anything but chocolate, cries usless they get chips and pizza"

When I was a kid, " mam, I don't like this dinner, reply, smack, theres people starving, eat it or go hungry"
Problem solved.

If you have fat kids you should be ashamed of yourselves? Would you give a kid cigerettes? Or Alcohol? Or would you starve a child?

Pre-cise-ly.

second that

ShreddedTweet

Don't keep crap foods in your house. I come from a large family, I'm the youngest of 6 kids, we all got the same home made dinners - spuds, mince, veg etc. If you didn't 'like' that dinner there was no question of whinging about it...you just ate it! We never had 'soda' in the house or sweets or crisps. We spent most of the day climbing trees, cycling etc. I had an overweight cousin, her house was stocked full of *kitten* food and they got food every time they cried for it! Take responsibility for your kids' health for God's sake! Buy better - eat better.

21June

Okay... Coming from personal experience as a fat kid all of my siblings and my mom are skinny folk. I was always the odd ball out being the chubby baby, the fat kid, the obese teen, the morbidly obese adult. My mom put me on so many diets as a kid I remember say for bedtime snack the other kids would be eating chips and popcorn and there I was with my apple (they all should have had an apple in my opinion) even though they are skinny lol but for 2 reasons 1. its a healthier choice and 2. I hated being treated differently.

At dinner time they could eat as much as they wanted (within reason) and I had smaller portions (not so bad now that I am an adult and can look back) BUT at the time as a child I hated being the only one with an image problem.

I can recall a time when I was around 8 my mom caught me hitting myself over and over in the mirror and I was yelling at myself "I hate myself, why cant I be skinny" HOLY lol I havent thought about this memory in so many years I am tearing up writing this.

I worry for my daughter who is turning 4 this month she is an average child weight wise, but I don't want her to end up like me but at the same time I don't want to pass my weight issues onto her. She just needs to worry about being a little kid. I try to offer her healthy snacks but she does like her chocolate milk (wont drink white milk only in her cereal) but I am the parent and the final choice is mine what I put in front of her for dinner or lunches etc. I do the cooking not her (obviously) so I make the choice to cook say skinless/boneless chicken breast instead of a household fav growing up Shake n Bake chicken. I never understood a healthy portion of side dishes say rice because my mom would heap our plates full of it (probably because she was a single mom of 4) and it was a lot cheaper to feed us the side dishes than say the meat part of it. As I got older I saw how much my sister would dish out for rice and I remember thinking... WOW... You eat like a bird?? Is that even a normal amount? It turns out... IT IS!!!!

Bless my moms heart for all she tried to do for me as a kid and teenager (diets, diet pills, diet teas, monitoring portions when I was little, saying no to me even though the other kids got the go ahead) but as I got older she kind of stopped caring and said yes and dished me out the same amount as her (enough for probably 3 people) shes 95 pounds maybe 100 so she eats what she wants and as much as she wants now that I am an adult living on my own I make my own choices and no longer follow her foot steps.

Sorry its such a long reply but this post hits home because I was that overweight child so I know oh so well! lol.

I'm sorry if you've got upset by this debate. That was not the intention! I'm sure you're setting a good example to your daughter. You're on here, thats a start!

amyniceneasy

Kids do play, its child abuse

Parents "they won't eat anything but chocolate, cries usless they get chips and pizza"

When I was a kid, " mam, I don't like this dinner, reply, smack, theres people starving, eat it or go hungry"
Problem solved.

If you have fat kids you should be ashamed of yourselves? Would you give a kid cigerettes? Or Alcohol? Or would you starve a child?

I'm sorry that you feel I should be ashamed of myself for having an overweight kid. I have one and I was one and so was my husband and his siblings. Before you pass judgement on others you should really look at the whole picture. You don't know what is going on in my home or the homes of other overweight children. I do not give my children free access to junk food. I limit TV time to less than an hour a day. Unfortunatly its the time when my child is NOT with me and some underlying hereditary issues that are fighting against her. I litteraly provide food and menus to family and friends and schools that watch her and they do not follow through. It's a constand struggle every day.

zaithyr

I was an overweight kid. I was tortured by my step mother about my weight and ended up a morbidly obese adult. You have to be very very careful how you approach weight issues with a kid. I am in favor of cooking healthy for the whole family and finding kid-friendly recipes.

21June

Kids do play, its child abuse

Parents "they won't eat anything but chocolate, cries usless they get chips and pizza"

When I was a kid, " mam, I don't like this dinner, reply, smack, theres people starving, eat it or go hungry"
Problem solved.

If you have fat kids you should be ashamed of yourselves? Would you give a kid cigerettes? Or Alcohol? Or would you starve a child?

I'm sorry that you feel I should be ashamed of myself for having an overweight kid. I have one and I was one and so was my husband and his siblings. Before you pass judgement on others you should really look at the whole picture. You don't know what is going on in my home or the homes of other overweight children. I do not give my children free access to junk food. I limit TV time to less than an hour a day. Unfortunatly its the time when my child is NOT with me and some underlying hereditary issues that are fighting against her. I litteraly provide food and menus to family and friends and schools that watch her and they do not follow through. It's a constand struggle every day.

Some like to speak their mind but can be too harsh. I agree with you that its difficult when the child is not with you!

Guitarjon

I'm a primary school teacher and I say it time and time again. It's too easy to have kids these days, especially in the UK with various benefits. It's far to easy for someone who can't be assed to just give in to a child and there are that many cheap and easy fixes which are usually full of crap.

Personally I think it's disgusting to see fat kids. I was never fat as a kid only as I got older ( at university). I also agree with the comments about TVS and screens and the lack of exercise. I didn't get fat until I was around 17,18 when I started driving and stopped playing sport at school so there must be a link here. As well as having my own money to buy food etc. the same has just happened to my other halfs cousin. He's been stick thin for as long as I've known him until the last year. He has always had a healthy appetite and eats mounds of chocolate. Now he's fat.

ChgingMe

Out of all people who are overweight/obese, it seems that there is a minority that are like that due to a medical condition and/or medication. What about the majority? Its not about judging people but its always easy to make excuses. I met a paediatrician the other day who said one can always use lack of time as an excuse!

I agree. It isn't about the minority who are obese due to no fault of their own. And believe me they are in the minority. The majority of overweight/obese kids got that way because the parents are most likely obese and were never taught the correct way to eat. Its gets me nuts when i hear a mother say the child is big boned. Had a co-worker who went through 2 pediatricians because her 6 year old 85 pound daughter was called obese by the doc and was told she needed to lose weight. The mother was offended. The next doc told her the same thing. So she left that one as well. The whole family was obese from the mother to the 16 year old. How do you educate that??