Would you feel bad for this boy?
Replies
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well I think he may have a worse start but doomed? nah eventually we all have to make our own choices regardless of what our parents tell us
While that's true, the affects of childhood obesity reach into adulthood regardless of adult choices.0 -
I'm so glad my mom never did any of that to me. The only limitations on what I could/couldn't eat were REAL ones, like what was available and what we could afford.
I believe that children should be allowed to make their own food choices. I really dislike when parents create these artificial boundaries for their kids, more often than not they're based entirely within the parent's own insecurities.
I had no limitations. See where that got me. It took me 5 years after I left the house to learn not to have a snack every time I go out, and 18 years not to eat everything I want from the fridge when I want it... I REALLY wish my parents had given me 'artificial boundaries', personally.
I think the parents are trying, at least. They could just have let him had a big slurpee. I feel really bad for the overweight kids I see though, but I know some have health issues that cause weight too. So I try not to judge too much. But when the parents are clearly overweight too, it's harder.0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
What difference would diabetes make unless the child were in crisis and needed sugar ASAP? Fruit is still a wiser source of sugar than a slurpee.0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
What difference would diabetes make unless the child were in crisis and needed sugar ASAP? Fruit is still a wiser source of sugar than a slurpee.
If the child was having a critical low, like in the 20s for instance, fruit wouldn't be a good choice because the fiber would slow down the absorption of glucose, and people with that low of a blood sugar may not have the wherewithal to chew. My mother is type 1 diabetic, as she gets orange juice (concentrated sugar) or a regular coke if she's having a low, not fruit. So a slurpee IS better than fruit in that situation.0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
What difference would diabetes make unless the child were in crisis and needed sugar ASAP? Fruit is still a wiser source of sugar than a slurpee.
If the child was having a critical low, like in the 20s for instance, fruit wouldn't be a good choice because the fiber would slow down the absorption of glucose, and people with that low of a blood sugar may not have the wherewithal to chew. My mother is type 1 diabetic, as she gets orange juice (concentrated sugar) or a regular coke if she's having a low, not fruit. So a slurpee IS better than fruit in that situation.
Yeah, not sure if you actually read my post before replying, but you just agreed with me.0 -
Why would I feel bad? Not everyone wants to be healthy and if they ever decide that they want to they can do that too.
You would feel bad because it's a CHILD, and unlike his parents he isn't making an informed decision. You would feel because there's a good chance that his parents' bad decisions will cause him to develop type 2 diabetes, and it won't matter what he decides he wants to do in regards to diet and exercise later in life -- he will never be able to undo that harm. Human beings with empathy feel bad for children whose parents are making bad decisions for them; I suppose you don't feel bad for a toddler whose parents deny her medical treatment for religious reasons either.0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
Since your child has diabetes, would you want them having a Slurpee at all? The thing is all sugar and chemicals. And, LOL, you just judged people who judge.
EDIT, and of course I don't mean if he or she is suffering from low blood sugar.... and this boy clearly was not. He simply said "I want a Slurpee", or something to that effect. And who even knows if he was diabetic anyway?0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
If the kid has diabetes and they let him have a medium slurpee then they deserve judgement even more.0 -
Maybe the child has diabetes? In which case then the drink would mean he couldn't have fruit as then he'd be over his sugars.
As the parent of a child with an 'invisible disease' I hate people who judge.
Since your child has diabetes, would you want them having a Slurpee at all? The thing is all sugar and chemicals. And, LOL, you just judged people who judge.
EDIT, and of course I don't mean if he or she is suffering from low blood sugar.... and this boy clearly was not. He simply said "I want a Slurpee", or something to that effect. And who even knows if he was diabetic anyway?
Yeah, I think it's pretty cliear this was not a crisis. How likely is it that the parents would be giving him the choice of a slurpee now or fruit/pepperoni later if he was in a low blood sugar crisis?0 -
I had no limitations. See where that got me. It took me 5 years after I left the house to learn not to have a snack every time I go out, and 18 years not to eat everything I want from the fridge when I want it... I REALLY wish my parents had given me 'artificial boundaries', personally.
I think the parents are trying, at least. They could just have let him had a big slurpee. I feel really bad for the overweight kids I see though, but I know some have health issues that cause weight too. So I try not to judge too much. But when the parents are clearly overweight too, it's harder.
My guess is that there is more to your story than you are giving here. A lack of artificial limitations on food does not make for bad habits, you had to learn those habits from somewhere.
I was lucky because I was a thin kid growing up in a thin family with thin habits, but I'll give you my husband's story as well. Like you and me, he also had no limitations on his food choices. He grew up overweight in an obese family with obese habits. Any food left on the table was an insult to his mother. "Leftovers" was a dirty word. Food was love, and the more food you ate, the more loved you were. Any person of a healthy weight was "deathly thin" and "needed some good home cooking'' (me! lol). I remember once I mentioned to his mom that I liked ritz crackers and the next time I came over to her house, she had an entire bowl of ritz crackers out for me and I was expected to eat ALL of them. I learned pretty quick what it meant to be uncomfortably full, which was an experience I never had in my childhood. I gained a lot of weight when I started living with them, weight I'm still trying to loose today.
No amount of his parents putting artificial limitations on his choices is going to undermine that kind of conditioning. It took him a lot of years of hard work, evaluating his relationship with food and relearning how to eat to loose the weight. The cause of his weight problems was not a lack of limitations, it was an unhealthy relationship with food.0 -
It's the meal of a 10 year old who is 30 lbs overweight.fruit and pepperoni? what kind of meal is that?0 -
So sad. A few weeks ago I stopped for a drink at a near by gas station. I noticed a young girl probably my sons age - 4. Her mother gave her a fountain pop. She's 4 years old!! Does this bother anyone else?0
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At 10, he can make his own choices, so no, I wouldn't feel bad. He doesn't HAVE to eat crap like his parents, he chooses to. My husband and I are fat and tell our kids they can't have sugary stuff, wonder if we get weird looks too? Because obviously if you're fat, it has nothing to do with illness or anything, ever.0
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Fruit or Pepperoni?
Decisions decisions.....0 -
So he gets a slurpee but can't have fruit? How the **** does that make sense? And pepperoni? Who eats pepperoni by itself? So fattening. Ugh. In a way I feel bad because he's got horrible examples, but I also know that when I was younger and chubby with overly obese parents, I knew I didn't want to be like them.0
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you don't know anything about these people.
maybe the family is overweight but it could also be that they are half way thru their weight loss journey and today was a cheat day for them.
i see tons of posts from people and their "cheat days"
don't judge people until you've taken the time to learn their back story.0 -
i don't think he's doomed, seems to me like his parents are trying to cut his portion sizes which is a good start, how do you know they haven't enrolled him in some type of sport activity? As they learn better they'll do better.
I concur.
This is a no-value topic for a "Food & Nutrition" forum.
Judging others in the guise of "helpful conversation" is a harmful and negative habit.
Period. Put any spin on it you want, it still is just a way to ignore our own failings.
Eliminating our own negative thinking and actions is about 1000 times more important that what any passer-by is doing or not doing.0 -
you don't know anything about these people.
maybe the family is overweight but it could also be that they are half way thru their weight loss journey and today was a cheat day for them.
i see tons of posts from people and their "cheat days"
don't judge people until you've taken the time to learn their back story.
Well said.0 -
I'd file that one under 'its none of my business' and then consider getting a slurpee... mmm slurpee
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We can't all be Quarterbacks and Recievers...the world needs Offensive Linemen too!! Whats an offense without the O-line???....is it football season yet??!!!0
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So sad. A few weeks ago I stopped for a drink at a near by gas station. I noticed a young girl probably my sons age - 4. Her mother gave her a fountain pop. She's 4 years old!! Does this bother anyone else?
I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They like to drink soda when it's around, like at parties and restaurants. I like to get the fruit juice sodas sometimes as a treat and I always share with them when they ask. I don't see the big deal. It's no worse than candy. They can only have sips of soda with caffeine (or coffee or tea, which they will ask for a sip of every once in awhile), though, and I tell them why.
It does bother me when I see little ones with sippy cups full of juice that they drink all day every day. I know some kids who won't even touch water, all they drink is juice. I guess I just think of juice and soda as treats, like candy.0 -
were these the people you saw??
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So sad. A few weeks ago I stopped for a drink at a near by gas station. I noticed a young girl probably my sons age - 4. Her mother gave her a fountain pop. She's 4 years old!! Does this bother anyone else?
Actually this makes me laugh. A year or so ago we were at BJs and I got a couple pieces of pizza and a soda to share with my kids. I had to laugh because I was probably the perfect cliche of the horrible mother, overweight, and feeding my kids junk.
But really, they have soda maybe twice a year. Even juice, they get a tiny glass once a day (assuming they don't steal the bottle in the fridge). And their weight is fine. So I'm not worried about what other people think. I think it's ok in moderation.0 -
you don't know anything about these people.
maybe the family is overweight but it could also be that they are half way thru their weight loss journey and today was a cheat day for them.
i see tons of posts from people and their "cheat days"
don't judge people until you've taken the time to learn their back story.
yeah, that's it....0 -
as a child born of excess, the parents cant be blamed. when my mother was a young woman she figured she would give me everything she never had because she could. i wasnt doomed coming out of my childhood. but i was faced with an obsticle that in turn makes me a stronger person.0
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were these the people you saw??
*win*0 -
This post seems unproductive. I ate junk as a kid too, capri suns every day, and twinkies as dessert. We went to fast food at least 2-3 times a month. We were overall healthy though, and you have no idea what these people are like in general.
A slurpee once in a while isn't a problem, and you really have no idea how they eat, or what they were saying. I just don't get the point of posting this I guess.0 -
This post seems unproductive. I ate junk as a kid too, capri suns every day, and twinkies as dessert. We went to fast food at least 2-3 times a month. We were overall healthy though, and you have no idea what these people are like in general.
A slurpee once in a while isn't a problem, and you really have no idea how they eat, or what they were saying. I just don't get the point of posting this I guess.
sorry if i sound mean! i have an interview coming up and am really grumpy. And been reading a lot about fat acceptance and its striking a chord. Anyway...carry on.0 -
Don't be so judgemental he is a future FP member HA! If our parents were so perfect in the healthy eating department we wouldn't be here. And for those who say their parents were very healthy and taught you great skills shame on you for not following them lol
My kids eat PLENTY of junk food but also PLENTY of healthy food. Their metabolism can handle it. But I also make sure they understand (esp my 15 yr old daughter) to be very mindful because the weight as she matures can show as fat very quickly and that she needs to exercise or she is going to look like me lol She exercises. I thought maybe she would choose not to eat so much but she chose exercise lol Eating a ton must run in the genes for me and mine lol0 -
My dad never had us make wise choices in foods. We didn't eat out due to finances, but we are when we wanted as much as we wanted. You would have no clue since we weren't overweight kids. I now have learned how to eat correctly. There are plenty of skinny kids heading down the same road, but most people ignore that.0
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