Overweight and obese children!!!

Well my daughter is overweight, but not obese. Everyone on my dad's side of the family is considered overweight even after having had weight loss surgeries, and going to the gym, and diet changes. I to am over weight, and I workout 5-7 days a week and eat well. I can't control what my daughter eats at daycare, but I do know that her daycare center has better meals then the last one she went to since the other one fed them sugar puff for breakfast every morning, but at home we only go out once a month, and all of our meals are freshly prepared and I have healthy snacks around the house and she gets one treat a day, and if she doesn't like dinner then she doesn't get dinner. My daughter does go outside to ride her bike and she plays with the neighborhood kids in the evenings. On the other hand I have a friend who gives her kid tons of junk food and the kid is a twig. I do think obesity is a terrible thing, and I think as a society we've become too indulgent with our children, but you can't just judge a parent by looking at their kid either.

As an adult who decides to have a child it is your responsibility to ensure that your child learns what it needs to know in order to live in the world. It isn't just food I am sorry to say. Parents (and I don't mean anyone specifically just in general) are lazy. This is one of my biggest peeves so forgive me if I rant. I will say from the start that if the child has a medically diagnosed condition then this is not directed at them. This is for 'normal' children with no other problems...Also when I say 'you' or 'your' this is in the general not directed at anyone in specific so please no one be offended

I have seen children sitting in strollers well past time when they should be walking..if a child can walk then that's it for the stroller apart from very rare occasions when it is simply too much walking for a small child. Don't be scared to push them a little. If a parent lets them get away with being lazy, eating everything they want and talking back then this is what they will get. Period.

I've seen kids having temper tantrums in the middle of shops because they want something and the parents just standing there watching them..for pity's sake take the kid outside. If they can't control themselves it is the parents job to do it for them. If that means the grocery shopping needs to get done another time when the child is either behaving or with a sitter then that's what has to happen. Children ARE inconvenient, life does not just go on as if nothing happened when you have one. Perenting takes effort.

When there is crap in the house that is what the kids want. If they don't KNOW what a coke is then they won't ask for it. If they have never been to McDonalds then they don't ask for it. If they don't KNOW that kids "aren't supposed to like" liver, brussel sprouts and vegetables they will eat whatever they are given. Children will eat what you eat. If they are offered treats then that is what they will want - I mean would you rather eat something yummy and chocolaty sweet or a big plate of spinach?? Kids aren't stupid..they will go for the treats every time if they have the choice. The trick is not to give them that choice until they are responsible enough to make it and by that time if everything has been done with the best interest of the child in mind they won't 'crave' crap.

The job of a parent is not to be friends, or buddies with their child.. it is to parent them. To make the decisions regarding what they eat and how much of it. To explain when they cry or whine that the behavior will not be tolerated and they do not get the choice. It's annoying to deal with a screaming child yes, but honestly, it takes only a few times to break them of those habits and have a respectful child that listens, does what they are told and has no food fetishes (most of the time).

There is nothing wrong with offering a treat on occasion but if it is offered daily or with any frequency then the child will expect it. Right now we are fighting this with our 4 yr old because he is not with us full time and gets given treats by others who take care of him. Last night he asked for a reward for doing something he was asked to do..omg child.. needless to say he was advised that this is not an acceptable behavior and I guarantee he will not ask again.

We have junk in the house since my thin as a rail boyfriend likes to pig out on things, but he responsible enough not to do it until AFTER his son goes to bed and to clean up the wrappers, and bags before the morning because if it is left out in sight his son will ask for some. Monkey see, Monkey do..

As an adult who decides to have a child it is your responsibility to ensure that your child learns what it needs to know in order to live in the world. It isn't just food I am sorry to say. Parents (and I don't mean anyone specifically just in general) are lazy. This is one of my biggest peeves so forgive me if I rant. I will say from the start that if the child has a medically diagnosed condition then this is not directed at them. This is for 'normal' children with no other problems...Also when I say 'you' or 'your' this is in the general not directed at anyone in specific so please no one be offended

I have seen children sitting in strollers well past time when they should be walking..if a child can walk then that's it for the stroller apart from very rare occasions when it is simply too much walking for a small child. Don't be scared to push them a little. If a parent lets them get away with being lazy, eating everything they want and talking back then this is what they will get. Period.

I've seen kids having temper tantrums in the middle of shops because they want something and the parents just standing there watching them..for pity's sake take the kid outside. If they can't control themselves it is the parents job to do it for them. If that means the grocery shopping needs to get done another time when the child is either behaving or with a sitter then that's what has to happen. Children ARE inconvenient, life does not just go on as if nothing happened when you have one. Perenting takes effort.

When there is crap in the house that is what the kids want. If they don't KNOW what a coke is then they won't ask for it. If they have never been to McDonalds then they don't ask for it. If they don't KNOW that kids "aren't supposed to like" liver, brussel sprouts and vegetables they will eat whatever they are given. Children will eat what you eat. If they are offered treats then that is what they will want - I mean would you rather eat something yummy and chocolaty sweet or a big plate of spinach?? Kids aren't stupid..they will go for the treats every time if they have the choice. The trick is not to give them that choice until they are responsible enough to make it and by that time if everything has been done with the best interest of the child in mind they won't 'crave' crap.

The job of a parent is not to be friends, or buddies with their child.. it is to parent them. To make the decisions regarding what they eat and how much of it. To explain when they cry or whine that the behavior will not be tolerated and they do not get the choice. It's annoying to deal with a screaming child yes, but honestly, it takes only a few times to break them of those habits and have a respectful child that listens, does what they are told and has no food fetishes (most of the time).

There is nothing wrong with offering a treat on occasion but if it is offered daily or with any frequency then the child will expect it. Right now we are fighting this with our 4 yr old because he is not with us full time and gets given treats by others who take care of him. Last night he asked for a reward for doing something he was asked to do..omg child.. needless to say he was advised that this is not an acceptable behavior and I guarantee he will not ask again.

We have junk in the house since my thin as a rail boyfriend likes to pig out on things, but he responsible enough not to do it until AFTER his son goes to bed and to clean up the wrappers, and bags before the morning because if it is left out in sight his son will ask for some. Monkey see, Monkey do..

Take a jump - this post pissed me off so much.
Your thin as a rail boyfriend likes to pig out on things - so its okay because he is thin and doesn't do it in front of son.

The job of a parent is not to be friends, or buddies with their child.. it is to parent them. To make the decisions regarding what they eat and how much of it. To explain when they cry or whine that the behavior will not be tolerated and they do not get the choice. It's annoying to deal with a screaming child yes, but honestly, it takes only a few times to break them of those habits and have a respectful child that listens, does what they are told and has no food fetishes (most of the time).

I must admit I say this to my kids often enough. they have plenty of friends but I'm their parent. Yes it can be easier to give in but not in the long run. Must admit my son who is 'typical' eats almost everything and will try most things ( and he is the one with food allergies). My kids like looking at the fruit and veg in the supermarket and like trying new things.

The kids do go to McDonalds but have to walk there and back and the only time they have fizzy pop in the house is xmas or if we been on a day out and I treated them to some.

I do wonder how people can afford to eat out as much. A trip to McDonalds for the four kids come to around £15 which could allow to buy a days worth of food - imagine that for 7 days - £105.

So many parents wants to be their kids BFF. Parents are the bad guy...they think their kids wont love them unless they give them everything they want. Well, you AREN'T their friend...you are their parent. They have friends....parents are the ones they look to for guidance and discipline....to set the right example socially AND healthwise. Treat your kid like your kid and they will thank you when THEY have kids.

I saw a 3 year old girl at the water park who was so fat she could barely climb the stairs to the water element. The parents were also quite large. How can this not be their fault? All the other kids were running from her, so sad. Another issue with pre packaged and fast foods though, my mother in law is raising her daughters 4 kids, all are normal weight but the 9 and 11 yr old have high cholesteral! How horrible is that. So just because a child is not over weight does not mean an un healthy diet is not affecting your health.

I don't have kids but even seeing some kids and what they eat breaks my heart. One of my friends, that I no longer hang out with, takes her toddler (just turned 2) to McDonald's twice a week, and has been going since she was eating solid food. I no longer hang out with them because they were enabling my bad habits too incidentally and that's how I gained weight!...

People find it easier to throw their kid a chocolate to make it happy, than to keep it company (talk, play, teach it about life)... Same thing with the TV and computer. But there were always bad parents. Guess chocolate and TV are just more available now.

Video games, lazy parents that don't prepare fresh, healthy meals, hormones in the food (genetic engineering) and lack of ambition. I am 37 and there was only one fat kid in the class when I was growing up. Now I look at kids and I am in shock. My teenagers have been allowed to eat what they want because they have my genes thank goodness but not every child can do that and not blow up. I feel bad for the in a way but it's usually a family thing. I see fat kids, I see their fat parents and shake my head....

My genes allowed me to eat what I wanted for as long as I wanted, but as soon as I hit mid 20s and didn't have good diet and eating patterns it caught up with me.

When there is crap in the house that is what the kids want. If they don't KNOW what a coke is then they won't ask for it. If they have never been to McDonalds then they don't ask for it. If they don't KNOW that kids "aren't supposed to like" liver, brussel sprouts and vegetables they will eat whatever they are given. Children will eat what you eat. If they are offered treats then that is what they will want - I mean would you rather eat something yummy and chocolaty sweet or a big plate of spinach?? Kids aren't stupid..they will go for the treats every time if they have the choice. The trick is not to give them that choice until they are responsible enough to make it and by that time if everything has been done with the best interest of the child in mind they won't 'crave' crap.

Are you suggesting that until a child is old enough to recognize what is healthy and choose that over something that is junky (but tastier) - which, by all accounts, could be well into their teen years or even older, or maybe never, judging the number of obese adults these days - they should not be allowed to even know that such treats exist? That sounds like just as potentially disastrous as overfeeding junk.