Childhood obesity abusive?

Options

Replies

  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Options
    In for the sh!tstorm.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Options
    In for the sh!tstorm.

    me too
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Options
    In for the sh!tstorm.

    me too


    Is this offensive? I think it should be discussed.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Options
    May I direct you to the Search function ^. You may find a historical record of such discussions.
  • nerding4ever
    nerding4ever Posts: 28
    Options
    Maury! Maury! Maury!
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Options
    May I direct you to the Search function ^. You may find a historical record of such discussions.

    got it. Thanks!
  • CupcakesAndRazorblades
    CupcakesAndRazorblades Posts: 227 Member
    Options
    ugggghhhhhh! I want to staple my eyelids closed.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Options
    I'll bite. It's not abusive. It's stupidity. If you can find me that parent that is feeding their kid "seven" style, then I'll step on the abuse buss. Other than that, it's just poor parenting and there aren't laws against that... yet.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    In for the sh!tstorm.

    me too


    Is this offensive? I think it should be discussed.

    it's not, and it should be discussed, but on this forum (and probably most of the internet) discussions like these don't end well....
  • 1duffwf
    1duffwf Posts: 76 Member
    Options
    This is a hard one. I think that childhood obsesity is an epidemic - however it's not all the schools fault or responsibility to solve it. When all is said and done I think parents have to shoulder some of the responsibilty as well. As a child I didn't have video games, and although we had a computer the only game I was playing was "Oregon Trail" (well that should date me a bit!). I was raised by a single parent and money was tight. We didn't have Twinkies or soda in the house. Instead my mom had fruits and veggies for snacks. She would make homemade cookies every so often for lunch or if I was lucky I would get to pick out a box of Fruit Roll-Ups. Going out to eat was a once a week luxury (probably because we couldn't afford it much more).

    In addition to the regulation you mentioned below big daddy government is stepping in on the food side too. I work in a food manufacturer - and the USDA has mandated schools serve a certain amount of whole grains and meat at each lunch. We have had to change our product formulations due to these new regulations. There seems to be a lot of confusion within the schools on the new regulations as well.
  • butterflyluv1218
    butterflyluv1218 Posts: 430
    Options
    I think it is definitely an epidemic. My son just graduated from kindergarten and just looking around I saw so many overweight/obese kids his age. Unless there is a medical reason I think it is the parents fault. YOU buy the food and control what goes in to your childs mouth. I know this is not the case in teenagers but with young kids it falls on you. Lack of physical activity plays a major role as well. When we were kids we got thrown outside with a popsicle and told to have fun. Kids now have video games, computers, Ipads, etc. Just my opinion.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    I can get what I need from the title of the thread. Kinda glad she deleted the OP. Three subjects to never discuss...religion, politics and feeding your kids wrong. :laugh:
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
    Options
    My children's school now requires extra "move it" time besides gym - this is an additional 15 minutes everyday where the children are taken to the gym to do some kind of physical activity.

    Isn't this recess? When I was a kid we had recess and we ran, played games etc outside (unless too cold/icy - then we played in the gym). Do kids not get recess anymore??
  • drinknderive
    drinknderive Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    I'll offer my perspective.

    I have a 42lb 3 year old. She has been diagnosed as obese. She eats a vegetarian, well-balanced diet and regularly runs around like crazed toddlers tend to, swims, rides her bike, etc. She is also in the process of recovering from severe acid reflux and the excessive weight gain that it caused when she was an infant (she was 24lbs at 6 months old).

    If there were ever a law put into place that went after parents of obese kids, a lot of concerned, vigilant, caring parents like myself would be under question, which would be absurd.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Options
    When we were kids we got thrown outside with a popsicle and told to have fun.

    LOL I feel like an abuser because my husband and I send out 5 kids outside and sometimes have to lock the door to get them to figure out how to play! They're 3-13 end up hanging out playing an indoor game out on the front walk and look like we've seriously just put them out.

    Eventually they figure it out and start running around playing hide & seek and stuff; it helps when there are more neighborhood kids around :laugh:

    It is like pulling teeth though.
  • BflSabrefan
    BflSabrefan Posts: 17
    Options
    My children's school now requires extra "move it" time besides gym - this is an additional 15 minutes everyday where the children are taken to the gym to do some kind of physical activity.

    Isn't this recess? When I was a kid we had recess and we ran, played games etc outside (unless too cold/icy - then we played in the gym). Do kids not get recess anymore??

    My kids get recess but it is considered "free play" they can basically sit there if they wanted to. The mandated time is set up so the kids are physically doing something (like gym) - let me rephrase that, my kids get recess IF it's nice outside...which in Buffalo is about 2 months of the school year.
  • meadowsmummy
    meadowsmummy Posts: 108
    Options
    I'll offer my perspective.

    I have a 42lb 3 year old. She has been diagnosed as obese. She eats a vegetarian, well-balanced diet and regularly runs around like crazed toddlers tend to, swims, rides her bike, etc. She is also in the process of recovering from severe acid reflux and the excessive weight gain that it caused when she was an infant (she was 24lbs at 6 months old).

    If there were ever a law put into place that went after parents of obese kids, a lot of concerned, vigilant, caring parents like myself would be under question, which would be absurd.

    As a parent at the other end - my 4 year old is 32 pounds and is considered underweight for her height i can understand this.
    If someone stated i was abusing my child because i dont feed her enough i would be irate. I believe we are responsible for our children but there are some instances when it cannot be helped. However if a child was say 100 pounds at 6 and there are no medical conditions i would totally blame the parents.
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
    Options
    I don't want the government in my refrigerator any more than I want them in my bedroom. Everyone need to mind their own business and worry about their own kids. How would you feel if the government deemed it abuse if the parents drink alcohol around their child or if the parent/child prays or goes to church? The government is best served protecting it's citizens against enemies of our freedom rather than wage war on the way parents choose to rear their offspring.
  • squirrell79
    squirrell79 Posts: 154 Member
    Options
    Ugh, I should just keep walking, but I can't resist....

    I think there's no black and white answer. I think it's a range--a very wide range where there are lots of things in play.

    There are kids who are plump, or husky, or what-have-you. Abusive parenting? No. Room for improvement? Absolutely.

    And then there was the 8 year old who was 200 pounds. Abusive? In the sense of the word as we usually mean (e.g. beatings), no. But abusive in the sense of that child's health? Unless there are medical issues that contributed to that weight (example being the situation described by meadowsmummy), I do not wish to be unkind, but I have to lean towards "yes."

    At the same time, I believe that there are many factors that have contributed to that situation. Yes, it is all about the choices that one makes for oneself and for one's family. But then, too, it must be acknowledged that choices happen in a context. They do not happen in a vacuum.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    My children's school now requires extra "move it" time besides gym - this is an additional 15 minutes everyday where the children are taken to the gym to do some kind of physical activity.

    Isn't this recess? When I was a kid we had recess and we ran, played games etc outside (unless too cold/icy - then we played in the gym). Do kids not get recess anymore??

    My kids get recess but it is considered "free play" they can basically sit there if they wanted to. The mandated time is set up so the kids are physically doing something (like gym) - let me rephrase that, my kids get recess IF it's nice outside...which in Buffalo is about 2 months of the school year.

    when I was a kid, in Britain, in the 80s, we had playtime (aka recess in America) in all weathers apart from heavy rain. If there was heavy rain, then we played in the school hall or the classroom instead. Light rain and all other weather conditions, we were outside. And if there was heavy snow, the school would close (Britain's like that, not prepared for heavy snow) but we'd all be out in the streets throwing snowballs anyway. And one time I walked a mile and a half home because school closed due to snow halfway through the school day.

    I think part of the problem is that safety rules nowadays are based on minimising litigation rather than being about what's in the kids' best interests. Maybe there should have been a few more safety rules in the 80s, but not to the extent that kids' normal development is being affected by a lack of physical exercise (which includes obesity but also other developmental issues such as being able to develop gross motor skills and some kinds of social skills etc from free play outdoors).

Categories