Too Fat for Fifteen
Anyone else see this premier tonight on Style channel? Wow. It's about a private academy in NC for obese kids. It combines academics and weight loss. Really sad to see kids so young with such incredible health challenges. But they all seemed like nice kids, and many of them are really determined to change their lives. Kind of humbling to be an adult and whining about my poor choices - puts it into a little perspective.
But the poor girl who is over 500 pounds at 17 really has a hard go of it. She can barely walk, and she struggles to do simple things most of us take for granted. Where the heck are the parents who let kids get like this? After all, who buys the food the kids eat? The parents, that's who. Oh, well, lecture over.
It's a new series and was pretthy good. Check it out next week.
But the poor girl who is over 500 pounds at 17 really has a hard go of it. She can barely walk, and she struggles to do simple things most of us take for granted. Where the heck are the parents who let kids get like this? After all, who buys the food the kids eat? The parents, that's who. Oh, well, lecture over.
It's a new series and was pretthy good. Check it out next week.
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Did anybody else want to strangle Scotty's mom for taking him to an all-you-can-eat Chinese food restaurant???0
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that show is beyond sad. I feel like the parents enable those kids. How do you allow your teenage child to hit 200+ pounds. That is not healthy. I hate to say it but that is child abuse/neglect. You are taking years off your childs life before they are even an adult. 11 year olds weighing triple the amount they should is beyond upsetting.0
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It's very upsetting. I think it's an important show to have these days. But I agree that it is child abuse. I went to a wedding Friday and the daughter of the bride weights more than me. She's in college now and her weight should have been dealt with YEARS ago.
Scotty will need a serious wake up call. His surgery hasn't been a wake-up call for himself or his family. It's just crazy.0 -
I find your little lecture really rude. I happen to be 16-years-old and fat as hell, but my parents are not child abusers. My weight is MY problem. Maybe it should be considered the parent's fault if the child is very young, but all the kids on Too Fat for 15 are smart enough to realize that they're putting themselves in danger.
I absolutely hate this show. These kids are obviously not learning anything which is why every damn time they go off campus, they make horrible choices. Their diets are way too restrictive as well. 1200 calories and 10 grams of fat? Teens need a lot more calories and fat than adults do, and honestly, I don't know anybody, young or old, who can stick to 10 grams of fat per day. That's ridiculous.
And they obviously don't tell the kids that weight fluctuation is normal. It really pissed me off when they had that "surprise" weigh-in in the middle of the week. I don't remember her name, but one of the students said it was just make her feel bad. I agree 100%.
Have you ever even realized how much most of the students absolutely hate being there? I understand why. It's torture-- being torn away from your parents and starved. Wellspring needs to re-evaluate the situation. It can't be healthy mentally or physically.0 -
And, you know what's really child abuse? Having a show like this. Too F-A-T for 15? How degrading is that? They're only on tv to be ridiculed by people like you.0
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I have never seen this show and can't comment on its content, however I do agree that much of the weight problems in the majority of the kids could have been avoided if the parents took the time to learn proper nutrition themselves and teach their children proper nutrition and exercise habits. There have been many times when I've seen a post on this very website where one adult is patting themselves on the back because they didn't indulge in their children's chicken mcnuggets and I'm left thinking, well yeah, that's great for you but what about the kids??? They deserve the same healthy considerations.
I agree that it is not always the parents fault. I have a brother who weighs over 300 pounds, is a diabetic and has now lost all kidney function. It is beyond sad and our family is coming to grips with the fact that my brother will not be long for this world. We grew up in the same home, had the same parents, were all very active physically, ate the same meals and while our meals weren't exactly healthy by my current standards, there was still usually a protein and at least one vegetable at every single meal. My brother had a paper route and used his earnings to buy his own soda, candy and hamburgers - he was overweight as a teenager and made his own bad choices. Even now when he is in such poor shape physically and knows that it is due to his own bad choices, he continues to make the very same, very bad choices. This was not my parent's fault, it is clearly my brothers.
However, when I see shows where the children are overweight and struggling, yet the parents are feeding them processed garbage, complaining that is all they can afford when they have a flat screen TV and a Wii - that can hardly NOT be seen as a fault of the parents. Or, when someone is on this site trying to get healthy and still feeding their kids garbage.
It really goes both ways.0 -
Children belong outside playing not behind a computer screen or a video game or the tv. Sorry you take offense to my comment however it's my opinion.
I have my own kids and I don't keep their diets strict they have junk food and get the occasional splurge on fast food. However I cook for them they love vegetables because I have given them since they were babies. My kids are very active, the sad thing that I see is kids in my daughters class that are so over weight. When your kid cries or whines you don't result in giving them junk to keep them quiet instead as parents you must find out why they are crying. Because a mom or dad wants to be left alone they plop a child in front of a tv with more junk again not solving the problem kids didn't ask to burden you , you choose to have kids. It's the parents that start the eating habits, people like to blame it on the schools but schools only provide 1-2 meals a day and are portioned out. Extra snacks, soda, and junk is provided at home, schools have PE which is the most activity kids get all day since when they are home they become hermits in the house. Parents need to set the example play with your kids, even Nick tv has active days where they cut there shows off for 3 hours on a weekend and tell kids to get outside and get active. I don't think the show is embarrassing I think it's a reality check instead of statistics that show how bad obesity is America. Obesity started with adults then it went to teens and now it's children it's a very serious matter that needs to be recognized.0 -
I find your little lecture really rude. I happen to be 16-years-old and fat as hell, but my parents are not child abusers. My weight is MY problem. Maybe it should be considered the parent's fault if the child is very young, but all the kids on Too Fat for 15 are smart enough to realize that they're putting themselves in danger.
I absolutely hate this show. These kids are obviously not learning anything which is why every damn time they go off campus, they make horrible choices. Their diets are way too restrictive as well. 1200 calories and 10 grams of fat? Teens need a lot more calories and fat than adults do, and honestly, I don't know anybody, young or old, who can stick to 10 grams of fat per day. That's ridiculous.
And they obviously don't tell the kids that weight fluctuation is normal. It really pissed me off when they had that "surprise" weigh-in in the middle of the week. I don't remember her name, but one of the students said it was just make her feel bad. I agree 100%.
Have you ever even realized how much most of the students absolutely hate being there? I understand why. It's torture-- being torn away from your parents and starved. Wellspring needs to re-evaluate the situation. It can't be healthy mentally or physically.
Of course they hate being there now they are on a diet and must exercise instead of being enabled by their parents. At this rate these kids will not make it to 30.0 -
If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that the children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80 percent chance of being obese. Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems.
There are many risks and complications with obesity. Physical consequences include:
increased risk of heart disease
high blood pressure
diabetes
breathing problems
trouble sleeping
Child and adolescent obesity is also associated with increased risk of emotional problems. Teens with weight problems tend to have much lower self-esteem and be less popular with their peers. Depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder can also occur.
obesity is now among the most widespread medical problems affecting children and adolescents living in the United States and other developed countries. About 15% of adolescents (aged 12-19 years) and children (aged 6-11 years) are obese in the United States according to the American Obesity Association. The numbers are expected to continue increasing. Childhood obesity represents one of our greatest health challenges.
◦The popularity of television, computers, and video games translates into an increasingly sedentary (inactive) lifestyle for many children in the United States.
◦Children in the United States spend an average of over three hours per day watching television. Not only does this use little energy (calories), it also encourages snacking.
◦Fewer than half of children in the United States have a parent who engages in regular physical exercise.
◦Only one third of children in the United States have daily physical education at school.
◦Parents' busy schedules and fears about safety prevent many children from taking part in after-school sports programs.0 -
I have been a little overweight my whole life, and I would never blame me getting as big as I did on my parents, but when I was 16 I was 200lbs, and being that young it was because my parents taught me NOTHING about nutrition/exercising or anything of the sort. The most I ever got was, "get your veggies, they're good for you."
No one ever explained to me about nutrition until it was out of control. THAT I do put on my parents hands. When you're 15 years old, you're old enough to make your own choices of what to eat - but those choices come from NO guidance.0 -
And, you know what's really child abuse? Having a show like this. Too F-A-T for 15? How degrading is that? They're only on tv to be ridiculed by people like you.
You hate this show, however you seem to have no problem watching it. To ridicule a kid would be making fun of them. Scotty's whiny crying behavior pisses me off. His father obviously didn't take the time with his child to get him to man up. That's not making fun of the boy, that's stating a freaking obvious. I take issue with his parent.
I stand by my words that this is child abuse. I'm glad you don't feel the same about your parents. That's great and real special. However, as a parent of two daughters I know that their health and well being is in my hands. It is my responsibility to make sure they bathe everyday, have clean clothes, eat nutritious food, exercise and go to school. it is against the law to keep your kids out of school. Heck, it should be against the law to have a kid over 400 pounds!!!0 -
And, you know what's really child abuse? Having a show like this. Too F-A-T for 15? How degrading is that? They're only on tv to be ridiculed by people like you.
You hate this show, however you seem to have no problem watching it. To ridicule a kid would be making fun of them. Scotty's whiny crying behavior pisses me off. His father obviously didn't take the time with his child to get him to man up. That's not making fun of the boy, that's stating a freaking obvious. I take issue with his parent.
I stand by my words that this is child abuse. I'm glad you don't feel the same about your parents. That's great and real special. However, as a parent of two daughters I know that their health and well being is in my hands. It is my responsibility to make sure they bathe everyday, have clean clothes, eat nutritious food, exercise and go to school. it is against the law to keep your kids out of school. Heck, it should be against the law to have a kid over 400 pounds!!!
I agree 100%0 -
I haven't seen this show and I don't have kids of my own, so I can't form a full opinion either way on the child abuse issue.
I can tell you that I worked for an icecream store and, one NIGHT, some kids came in from a school away game and a young man (maybe nine? I dunno he was reeaally short) came through my fountain line and ordered a banana split for himself. Now, that's one banana, three scoops of ice cream, Hot Fudge, Strawberry and Marshmallow topping, nuts, whip cream, and cherry. Before he left he went to the food counter and ordered a bacon cheeseburger combo to go. So.... yeah.
When I was 13 (THIRTEEN!!) I weighed 220lbs. Now I had always been overweight, but also tall. (at 220 I was about 5"7) I remember when I was about five or six I couldn't fit the little girls clothes anymore. I've always had to shop out of my age-range (until Juniors-Plus came out).
Now I don't think that my parents knowingly allowed my weight to get that high and, plus, I distinctly remember SNEAKING into the SUGAR JAR and my mom didn't find out until I told her last year.
My parents don't have the best eating habits... Hell, most of the time my dad will have icecream and popcorn for dinner but that started after I could fend for myself.
Anyway, when that random day came in middle school that I decided to weigh myself *I* decided to take action and cut out soda. At that age that was all I needed to do to start the landslide. I stopped snacking and started drinking water instead and quit eating when I was longer hungry. Eventually I got down to 185lbs and managed to stay there (through the help of Marching Band and teenage shenanigans :devil:) until I went to college. And, OH BOY, that's why I'm here now.
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I absolutely charge the parents with the responsibility for giving their child the basic knowledge and structure needed to be a healthy, well adjusted adult. We all expect parents to make sure that their kids have clothes on their back when they go to school, we expect the parent to teach their kids about how to cross the street without being run down, we expect parents to teach their children not to talk to strangers. Why wouldn't we expect parents to give their children the basics about nutrition?
Now I agree that once a child hit's their teens, it's far more difficult to give them nutritional knowledge and have them follow it, but by that point the knowledge should already be in place. That doesn't mean they should know everything, but they should know basics. I hear stories all the time, from friends and even some family (horrifies me!) about their child "only eat's chicken finger" or "only eats Macaroni and cheese" and I want to shake them (the parents, not the kids). I'm talking about 5 and 6 year old children here. And these people see nothing wrong with allowing this behavior.
I'm sorry, but very VERY few 15 or 16 year olds understand the chemistry of the human body, and even fewer understand how that relates to the way we store fat and increase muscle mass. It's up to parents to give them the basic knowledge they need. In some small percentage of cases I would agree with extreme dietary neglect being branded as child abuse, although mostly I would say it's just ignorance.
The big problem (and I've seen it first hand through my wife) is what this does to the child's personality as they grow older. Weight issues can manifest in a multitude of symptoms later in life, in some cases it takes years of therapy to resolve them, and in others they are never resolved or even recognized. So if you ask me if it's neglect, I say yes, but whether it's criminal neglect depends solely on the degree.0 -
WOW! What a great thread!0
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last year i received a call from dfs to pick up a 6 year old foster kid, i was excited. when i got this little girl she was obese. she was 100lbs, buying clothes for her was a challenge. even though she needed to be in size 8 for length, i had to buy 14 and then cut down the legs and hem the pants, I watched this little girl for the first few days and she never knew when she was full she ate constantly, so i started portion controlling her food, and taking her to the park to play, after school snacks were fruit and nuts, she started losing weight and looking nice, Then we had to place her in a new foster home and i explained everything to them, she has since put back on all her weight and then some. i was so upset to see her. obviously the new foster home lets her eat whatever all day long!0
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I haven't seen the show. I do, however, have 6 kids whose eating habits I control (for the most part). My 9 year old has type 1 diabetes so I have to be on top of what she eats all day everyday. I had to change a lot of rules around here because I used to let the kids get whatever they wanted from the fridge. I've always kept healthy snack food available, and we hardly ever buy soda. My children have always been either normal weight or just below normal weight. But, the issue isn't only about how healthy food is. It is just as much about portion size and carb counting. There are a lot of parents that have no idea how to lay down the ground rules. I thought I knew a pretty decent amount about nutrition but I've learned so much more within the last year. My point is that sometimes it takes a big event to get the ball rolling. If I can keep my "little firecracker" in line food-wise, then surely other parents can help their children stop binge eating. I just hate hearing about all the health problems children have that could have been prevented by a healthy diet and exercise. I wish I would've had the option to prevent my daughter from getting type 1 diabetes, I would've done anything within my power. It pisses me off that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in children. Type 2 can be prevented and sometimes managed with lifestyle changes. Who would knowingly do that to their kids?
From what I've read here, the show is degrading but I think the intentions are good. Hopefully, the end will justify the means.0 -
I think the title of the show is abusive! It makes me cringe. If they don't feel awful enough about themselves, this will really lower their self esteem.0
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Not to mention the fact that 18 is the age allowed to join this site..Spunky...perhaps this is one of the reasons why? Parental supervision needed in this case perhaps?:flowerforyou:And, you know what's really child abuse? Having a show like this. Too F-A-T for 15? How degrading is that? They're only on tv to be ridiculed by people like you.
You hate this show, however you seem to have no problem watching it. To ridicule a kid would be making fun of them. Scotty's whiny crying behavior pisses me off. His father obviously didn't take the time with his child to get him to man up. That's not making fun of the boy, that's stating a freaking obvious. I take issue with his parent.
I stand by my words that this is child abuse. I'm glad you don't feel the same about your parents. That's great and real special. However, as a parent of two daughters I know that their health and well being is in my hands. It is my responsibility to make sure they bathe everyday, have clean clothes, eat nutritious food, exercise and go to school. it is against the law to keep your kids out of school. Heck, it should be against the law to have a kid over 400 pounds!!!
I agree 100%0 -
I don't think there's anything wrong with the title. being politically correct about it won't help them. I saw the 17 year old girl in the previews, and she IS fat. FAT FAT FAT. Really fat. Sorry~ I'm sure she is a nice girl, and a charming person, but sugarcoating the fact that she is FAT isn't going to help her. Teaching her about diet and exercise will.0
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15 is just a kid, far too young to fully understand how the body works. The parents are responsible for the child's upbringing, whether it be food, clothing or shelter. No 15 year old should have to make decisions that are better left up to their parents. If someone tossed a 15 year old to the curb, there would be an outcry, so why not an uproar for feeding a young child like this garbage. In perspective these 15-16 years old may feel they are not children, but looking back they'll see they're just babies and that their parents WERE responsible for taking care of them in ALL ways.I find your little lecture really rude. I happen to be 16-years-old and fat as hell, but my parents are not child abusers. My weight is MY problem. Maybe it should be considered the parent's fault if the child is very young, but all the kids on Too Fat for 15 are smart enough to realize that they're putting themselves in danger.
I absolutely hate this show. These kids are obviously not learning anything which is why every damn time they go off campus, they make horrible choices. Their diets are way too restrictive as well. 1200 calories and 10 grams of fat? Teens need a lot more calories and fat than adults do, and honestly, I don't know anybody, young or old, who can stick to 10 grams of fat per day. That's ridiculous.
And they obviously don't tell the kids that weight fluctuation is normal. It really pissed me off when they had that "surprise" weigh-in in the middle of the week. I don't remember her name, but one of the students said it was just make her feel bad. I agree 100%.
Have you ever even realized how much most of the students absolutely hate being there? I understand why. It's torture-- being torn away from your parents and starved. Wellspring needs to re-evaluate the situation. It can't be healthy mentally or physically.0 -
lol good edit0
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I don't think there's anything wrong with the title. being politically correct about it won't help them. I saw the 17 year old girl in the previews, and she IS fat. FAT FAT FAT. Really fat. Sorry~ I'm sure she is a nice girl, and a charming person, but sugarcoating the fact that she is FAT isn't going to help her. Teaching her about diet and exercise will.
Sugarcoating doesn't help, but does being demeaning help?0 -
why is it demeaning to identify the truth? I'm 5'9". This means I'm tall. So describing me as tall is just an adjective. It has no bearing on my personality, or intelligence, or anything else that could be considered demeaning. I didn't say anything about her except she is fat. That's the truth, and it is an accurate adjective to describe her current body composition.
The ones who are demeaned by her current state should be her parents.0 -
I very much agree, I don't think calling a child fat is going to motivate them to make better choices. What an interesting mix of folks we have on this site...I don't think there's anything wrong with the title. being politically correct about it won't help them. I saw the 17 year old girl in the previews, and she IS fat. FAT FAT FAT. Really fat. Sorry~ I'm sure she is a nice girl, and a charming person, but sugarcoating the fact that she is FAT isn't going to help her. Teaching her about diet and exercise will.
Sugarcoating doesn't help, but does being demeaning help?0 -
I'm not speaking to a child. I'm describing one.
If I were speaking to her, I'd speak in a manner appropriate for speaking to a child.0 -
why is it demeaning to identify the truth? I'm 5'9". This means I'm tall. So describing me as tall is just an adjective. It has no bearing on my personality, or intelligence, or anything else that could be considered demeaning. I didn't say anything about her except she is fat. That's the truth, and it is an accurate adjective to describe her current body composition.
The ones who are demeaned by her current state should be her parents.
Yes, technically that's correct. But you know that there's a much more insulting stigma when you're described as "fat" as oppposed to being described as "tall". And the media is so obviously using that title as an attention getter. That wouldn't be positive attention, either, it's negative attention, as in "Oooh, let's watch the fat kids!" like they're freaks.0 -
you may not like what I am going to say...but here goes.
the reason "fat" has a stigma attached to it is because deep down, we all know that fat is something you allowed to happen through bad choices (99% of the time, thyroid people I'm not talking to you). You kept eating, and not moving, until you reached "fat".
We hear "fat" but we think "lazy" because the two are connected in a causal relationship.0 -
Personally I've never connected the two..anyone can be lazy, one doesn't connect to the other in my mind. But that's just me:flowerforyou: We'll all have our thoughts on this whole fat for 15 matter before the night ends:laugh:you may not like what I am going to say...but here goes.
the reason "fat" has a stigma attached to it is because deep down, we all know that fat is something you allowed to happen through bad choices (99% of the time, thyroid people I'm not talking to you). You kept eating, and not moving, until you reached "fat".
We hear "fat" but we think "lazy" because the two are connected in a causal relationship.
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