Overweight and obese children!!!

Is it just me but does any one else hate to see overweight children? I met up with an old friend yesterday whom I hadn't seen in years. One thing she said was that her 10 year old daughter is 11.5 stone and quite tall (I'm trying to set an example to my kids and get down to that weight)! Tall may be but I have seen pictures of her and there is something seriously wrong. She said she just eats and eats and eats...... She was also talking about putting a lock on the fridge and even kitchen cupboard! I don't know about anyone else but it seems that there is more and more fat kids these days. My friend herself is not particularly overweight and neither are her other children or partner. However, she was feeding her two sons aged 4 and 2; Greggs sausage rolls. She also said that her 4 year old has also already had four teeth fillings. After more discussion, her partner's Mum and Dad look after the children when she goes out to work and basically feed them a load of crap (like three ice lollies)! Is it a lack of knowledge or has anyone not got any common sense these days???
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Replies

  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    From what I see kids don't go out to play anymore, they don't run around, ride bikes etc. they are stuck in front of a telly or pc screen. My son is nine and he is really active, tv is only a treat when he has moved about a bit!
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
    The kids where I live play out every single day.

    I saw a child in a pushchair a couple of days ago, who had a large cookie in one hand a four finger kitkat in the other and was just grazing away. I wanted to go over and ask the mother whats on earth was wrong with her.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    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?
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    :o) My sons are 9 and 8 years old. Just now the older one has asked me if he can watch the telly. I've said no because the sun is shining outside! They do not have free reign over screen time!
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    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?

    My husband would agree with you there!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    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.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    :o) My sons are 9 and 8 years old. Just now the older one has asked me if he can watch the telly. I've said no because the sun is shining outside! They do not have free reign over screen time!

    Thats exactly how I was raised.
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
    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 wasn't a fat kid but I was a fussy eater. I wish my Mam had given me a smack instead of pandering to childish whims, would have helped me more in the long run! Thankfully my fussy eating days are long behind me, changed pretty quick after I left home and got out in the real world.

    I don't have kids myself as seemed to miss the boat on that one but it annoys me that so many of those that do rear their kids so badly!
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
    From what I see kids don't go out to play anymore, they don't run around, ride bikes etc. they are stuck in front of a telly or pc screen. My son is nine and he is really active, tv is only a treat when he has moved about a bit!

    This has been debunked (will try to find UK study) activity levels haven't dropped. Turns out we're just feeding them fatty, sugary rubbish then blaming them for being lazy because it's easier. Bet your son doesn't come home to big macs and pizza every night.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    I was a fussy eater as well with Veg etc, and would protest. My parents didn;t hurt me, more the threat of voilence was enough lol.

    Left for college, eat anything that was given to me, as my auld man always said "hunger is great sauce"
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    To be brutally honest here, we've had phases of our kids particularly the older coming downstairs in the middle of the night eating and watching TV but don't do it anymore!
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    Oh and by the way, they're not fat as we control what they eat and we make sure they get plenty of exercise!:smile:
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    From what I see kids don't go out to play anymore, they don't run around, ride bikes etc. they are stuck in front of a telly or pc screen. My son is nine and he is really active, tv is only a treat when he has moved about a bit!

    This has been debunked (will try to find UK study) activity levels haven't dropped. Turns out we're just feeding them fatty, sugary rubbish then blaming them for being lazy because it's easier. Bet your son doesn't come home to big macs and pizza every night.
    I've heard the same thing but in my opinion I don't think the amount of time kids sit in front of a screen helps!
  • dawson55510
    dawson55510 Posts: 197 Member
    I notice this alot from when i was younger. I remember me and another guy being the ony fat kids in my class the whole way through primary school. But now it looks like 1 in 4 kids are over weight. I blamed my parents for force feeding me food as a child, i look at some of the kids today i actually said to my mate the other day while we where heading to the gym that i would love to speak to some of the kids parents to find out how they can be that overweight at that age its wrong!!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    When I was a kid, we never had crap in the house. If you wanted a snack you had milk, fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, whole wheat bread and peanut butter...stuff like that. Occasionally my mom would bake cookies, but she'd never buy those packaged garbage cookies from the store. Soda was a special occasion thing - something served at holiday parties only. No sugar cereals either. Kids eat what they're trained. If parents bring crap into the home, kids will eat it and learn to love it. Poor parenting in my opinion.
  • richx83
    richx83 Posts: 334 Member
    I can't help but think back to my own child hood for this topic:

    I was lightweight as a baby due to some digestion issues which caused me not to eat, this was resolved around the age of 5 at which point I was able to eat normally, I was pretty anti social however so did not tend to do the go out and play in a physical aspect at least.

    Regular eating however saw my weight increase year on year to the point where my weight generally was my age (in stones). Severe hay fever and bullying resulted in me going out even less but this was before computer games so was mostly TV watching for me.

    The treats side of things definitely would come from the Grandparents with cakes and ice creams and huge meal portions. I guess where i got lucky though was my parents from a young age would encourage me to try new foods but it was always a case of eat what you are given.

    Lost my way with this a little and it is turning in to a life story so I will finish off saying I cannot blame anyone for my weight issues and looking back my parents were responsible which their food choices etc. Alot of factors contributed to my weight beyond the stereotypical greedy/lazy views most have of todays over weight children. I wish it was possible to say something to these families but at the end of the day it is not my place to do so.

    sorry for the long post :smile:
  • Before I moved for schooling, I was pretty good friends with a couple who, themselves were overweight but what was tragic was that their 11 year old daughter was around 230lbs.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    when you see 6 year old with four cheeks and a couple of chins you know that something is wrong
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Before I moved for schooling, I was pretty good friends with a couple who, themselves were overweight but what was tragic was that their 11 year old daughter was around 230lbs.

    Disgusting! WTH is wrong with people? :explode:
  • skinimin
    skinimin Posts: 252 Member
    It's heart breaking I think.

    I was at the gym yesterday and saw a girl who couldn't have been older than 12, she was overweight and at the gym on the treadmill. I mean I guess they're trying to combat it but it's sad that he even has to be there in the first place.

    I agree, there was maybe two or three "fat kids" through our entire primary school years and they probably wouldn't have even been considered fat compared to today's fat kids.

    Like I said, heartbreaking, the result of ignorance and abuse :(
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    I couch in my local sports club, and some of the childs, who are under 12, would struggle to run 50metres.
  • Having struggled with my own weight now for about 5 years I just feel very sad when I see overweight children. I have two girls 12 and 5 and they are both scrawny, yet never stop eating! My 12 yr old literally eats 3 x the amount of food I eat but is tall and very slim. But the fact is they are never still, I took them swimming yesterday, walking, playing on the beach and to the park (I'm on holiday until september) so I guess they counter what they eat. Generally their food is healthy, all meals are always healthy choices with the exception of the occasional pizza but they do have snacks every day. Sometimes they chomp threw a box of grapes or blueberries like they're sweets and other times they'll be munching on rubbish but I do believe that this is ok as long as it is moderated by me!! I'm the parent so their weight and food consumption stops with me, I'm the one responsible.

    I must admit I sometimes wonder what big kids must eat if my children eat all they do and are so skinny ;-)
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
    I wish when I was younger I was restricted more. I clearly have genes/genetics whatever it is, that causes me to put weight on easily and when I was a child I was allowed to get biscuits from the barrell (granted I'd only take 3 but it's not the point)

    I also used to go over my friends house almost daily after school and her mother would buy us 3 chocolate bars EACH.

    I really wish that had not happened and a different kind of lifestyle was created for me from the start. I was only until I got older, wiser, and actually started putting on more weight I realised why.

    I do think kids are made a bit more aware now, as I literally had no clue back then about health, diet or anything. This was like 16 years ago give or take, so it was less of a concern with children as it is now - as I used to go out and play and run A LOT. Didn't use the internet or play video games (much) back then!

    So, mothers/fathers/siblings please tell your children/sibling and make them aware they may thank you for it in the future! (I don't mean on this forum I mean in general, and in a total non offensive way - I just wish my mother had told me!)
    I see my nephews mum feed him crap everyday, and it makes me sad, and cringe.

    If I ever become a mother, I'm not saying I'm going to feed them ALL HEALTHY ALL DAY EVERYDAY, because that is NO fun for children and they can burn things off easier than adults BUT, I definitely am going to make right choices, and let them have KID food now and then!

    Pretty sure I wouldn't be such a chocolate fiend if I hadn't of been fed so much as a child.
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    It really is sad to see! I feel its a combination of things and people do not realise the risks to health of being overweight. Educating children will hopefully lead to a healthier lifestyle!
  • bazfitness
    bazfitness Posts: 275 Member
    Slightly off topic... but speaking of bad parenting. I was working in Stockport, England about a decade ago for a while. While on a lunch break walking around the town with a work colleague we heard a mother shout at her young 4-5 year old kid 'Bradley, will you ever stop f$%^ing cursing'. We were in stitches laughing at the irony of it. at the same time saying OMFG... that kid has just got no hope with a mother like that!

    I'm not making that up either (well except about the kids name - not sure what that was), though I wouldn't blame yeah if you don't believe it!
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    I blame the pikeys

    They just seem to be taking over
  • 21June
    21June Posts: 99
    Having struggled with my own weight now for about 5 years I just feel very sad when I see overweight children. I have two girls 12 and 5 and they are both scrawny, yet never stop eating! My 12 yr old literally eats 3 x the amount of food I eat but is tall and very slim. But the fact is they are never still, I took them swimming yesterday, walking, playing on the beach and to the park (I'm on holiday until september) so I guess they counter what they eat. Generally their food is healthy, all meals are always healthy choices with the exception of the occasional pizza but they do have snacks every day. Sometimes they chomp threw a box of grapes or blueberries like they're sweets and other times they'll be munching on rubbish but I do believe that this is ok as long as it is moderated by me!! I'm the parent so their weight and food consumption stops with me, I'm the one responsible.

    I must admit I sometimes wonder what big kids must eat if my children eat all they do and are so skinny ;-)

    You've hit the nail right on the head there, :smile: .
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
    When I was a kid, " mam, I don't like this dinner, reply, smack, theres people starving, eat it or go hungry"
    Problem solved.


    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.

    So so so so true. I used to HATE mushy peas when I was little. I honestly thought my parents had been taken over by aliens when they fed them to me, since they knew how much I hated them. Ahh, childrens imagination. BUT I STILL had to eat them.

    And I completely agree on the 'Parents nowadays think there kids are special and need to be treated and waited on hand and foot.' What happened to adults being adults and kids being kids? Seriously, kids run their parents around these days.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
    Its there behaviour as well

    I was told, sit there be quiet or else. Now kids run around restaurants, trains, planes and parents just smile as if its okay

    If you are not going to look after them, stop sh*tting them out
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
    I blame the pikeys

    They just seem to be taking over

    No it's the Chavs