How can moms win, do you or don't you

ginnylee74
ginnylee74 Posts: 398 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A kind of a rant or a serious question.

On the news this am there was a segment regarding a mother that put her 7 year old daughter on a WW type diet as she had been diagnosed obese by her doctor.:frown: Instead of points, for children, colors were used. Green, orange and I think red. The idea was to help show the correct vegies, fruits, etc to include in your eating each day for the child and perhaps the mother too. :smile: There were two mom's with diagnosed obese children in the segment. A big uproar was made saying that the children were too young to be on a diet.:noway:

I don't know how the mothers presented this to their children (life style change or you're too heavy you're going on a diet) but you know you can't have it both ways.:huh: I'm speaking to the government as well as the news media. Last week or maybe two weeks ago you hear of a child, a young boy, being threaten with being taken from his family because he is obese and the news and gov't is having a fit.:sad: Today the mom's are being criticized because they want to have their children eat healthy. I raised my children to be healthy eaters and today they are. I didn't want them to have a weight problem. They were able to have goodies and not always did they eat the best when they were at friends, but for the most part they were healthy eaters. Today as they are getting older they are having to watch what they eat. And they do. It's kind of hard not to know in this day and age that being overweight and inactive is not good for you.

I didn't have the government or the news media getting on my case. Who turns these people in to the eating police? For the most part parents don't want to have children with health problems. I know there are exceptions out there. Some need to be educated and some don't care. Can anyone explain to me why when parents are trying in today's times to feed a family the best they can why they have to be ostracized? Do any moms out there have anything to say? Am I just talking to the wind or do others feel some of the same way?

Now, just what are the mom's to do today? How can they win?
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Replies

  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    I'm not a mom, but I'm interested to hear what they have to say on this.

    It does seem to to be an impossible position society has put parents in today. (And not just regarding weight but that's another topic)
  • ElementalMoe
    ElementalMoe Posts: 186 Member
    It's called taking the time to put your kids welfare first. I'm a single mom. I grew up with a weight problem, and I'm doing my best to give my daughter the proper foundation to make smart & healthy food choices so she doesn't have to deal with the negativity that comes from being over weight.

    I think that these kids who are certified obese are that way because their parents go the easy route and instead of giving them healthy fresh whole food options that takes time to prepare, they are getting prepackaged foods because it's easier. And their parents don't get them out being active. . . AND, finally, it's important for parents to be the parents, for goodness sake - If the kid is pestering for junk, don't give in to shut them up, say NO, and make some consequences if they persist. Too many parents these days don't understand the importance of discipline and setting boundaries for their kids. Kids will respect you if you give them limits and stick to your guns.

    With the knowledge that we have today surrounding healthy eating and exercise, there's no reason for kids to be obese, but we live in a time and age of instant gratification and where the easy way is viewed as the best way.
  • shonora
    shonora Posts: 48 Member
    That's the traffic light diet, that's used in schools here to teach kids whats healthy green: fruits &veg amber: meat, poultry & dairy etc and red: sweet treats and what should just be an occasional treat, I think it's a great idea, the earlier they understand what they are eating the better, it's more an education programme than a diet
  • Goodwin1948
    Goodwin1948 Posts: 10
    If the mother does not put this to the child the right way the child will have a weight issue his or her whole life. I know becasue I am a products of a mothers who continually put me on a diet because I was never thin enough. She took me to doctors who put me on high protein diets. I had to pee in a cup or pee on sticks to see if I was losing weight and not cheating. The rest of the family ate high calorie items and I was reduced to meat patties, cottage cheese and lettuce. No matter how much I lost it was never enough. If I lost 30 pounds she would tell 5 more and you will be perfect. The only thing I could control in my life was my food intake because I had no control over anything else. If you have a child with a weight problem and you want them to succeed the whole family will need to change their eating habits. You need to make sure that they are not on a diet, instead they are changing their eating habits. If you include exercise make sure you all do the exercise and that the child doesnt fell as if they are being punished. Make exercise fun.
    Parents should very careful how much they let the schools into their lives. The schools can serve healthy luches but parents need to serve healthly breakfasts and dinners. The more you let the schools and the government do for the less control you have over your own life. This is how children get taken away from parents
  • njean888
    njean888 Posts: 399 Member
    Anyone regardless of age which is considered obese should be on a diet! I have two children which are very slender, they eat tons of fruits and veggies but most importantly are very active kids. My niece is 7 years old and weighs almost 100 pounds! My brother cannot say for one second that it is genetics. We do not have one obese person in our family. They just choose very unhealthy food day in and day out.
  • bethanytowell
    bethanytowell Posts: 256 Member
    I say Kuddos to the parent for helping their child! When i was a child, we played outside, what ever happened to that? Let your kids go run around and ride a bike at the park for goodness sake, thats all it takes.
  • paj315
    paj315 Posts: 335 Member
    I think as long as it's approached as a plan for healthy eating and not focused on calorie restriction it's ok. The plan described sounds more like an education process than a diet. I applaud the mom's for taking the time to educate their children about whats healthy to eat.

    Another component (and probably more important for kids today) is the activity component. Get those kids butts off the couches and outside to play or to a park or in a sport...some thing!!!

    I have an overweight child and I have NEVER restricted his calories , but over the last year we have focused on fruits and veggies and a healthy breakfats and have cut fast food out entirley and he has lost some weight.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Get the child to be more active! Buy them a wii or a bike! When I was a kid we never came inside!
  • mmsilvia
    mmsilvia Posts: 459 Member
    I give my son a balanced healthy 'diet'. As a family we changed our eating habbits to include more fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein and dairy. Don't get me wrong my son has his fair share of treats but, don't we all??

    I was an over weight child and have struggled with my weight my whole life. I do not want want the same for my son.
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    if you teach them good eating habits from birth they will make good food choices i believe. My five year old loves salads, steaks, chicken, veggies and fruit. he knows he gets one unhealthy snack after dinner (usually ice cream or fruit snacks) and all other snacks must be healthy (Carrots, fruit, etc). He gets a happy meal as a treat maybe once a week, but knows what are healthy foods and what foods are only good for us once in a while. He is also very active and we do something every night. Either soccer practice, taking a walk to the park or playing outside with his friends. I believe that our kids eating habits are easier to modify while they are young.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    I think as long as it's approached as a plan for healthy eating and not focused on calorie restriction it's ok. The plan described sounds more like an education process than a diet. I applaud the mom's for taking the time to educate their children about whats healthy to eat.

    Another component (and probably more important for kids today) is the activity component. Get those kids butts off the couches and outside to play or to a park or in a sport...some thing!!!

    I have an overweight child and I have NEVER restricted his calories , but over the last year we have focused on fruits and veggies and a healthy breakfats and have cut fast food out entirley and he has lost some weight.

    Totally agree with this. Focusing on education and not calorie restriction or the whole "diet" mentality is the key. Plus getting the kids to be active is SO important.

    My son is not anywhere close to being overweight (he's always been a lil shrimp), but we focus on "every day foods" "sometimes foods" and "special day" foods. He's 5 and has a really great grasp on what's acceptable for a daily snack as opposed to a once a week treat, or things we eat at special occasions like birthday parties and holidays. I'm very happy that I've got a little guy who'll reach for an apple or a banana instead of a cookie :) He also has ADHD so, the whole "being active" thing isn't really a problem with him lol it's the whole "can't you just sit down for 5 minutes?" that's a problem!
  • sma83
    sma83 Posts: 479 Member
    Perhaps you dont allow your child to become obese in the first place! Unless there is some underlying medical condition that causes extreme weight gain, there is NO reason you child should be obese. You buy the food, you prepare the food and you serve the food. So just WHY is your kid obese? I agree that you "cant have it both ways"...you cant threaten to take a kid away from its parents for being obese but then criticize them for putting the kid on a diet. However, how difficult is it to just avoid the situation in the first place? You are your childs first line of defense. Dont shove crap into their mounts all the time and they wont be fat. Dont let them sit in front of the TV for hours on end with no physical activity. I am a single mother. I go to school full time and I babysit. I understand being busy, being tired, being broke...but my daughters health comes first. Does it really matter if I have to work extra to be able to afford the better food, or that Im tired and dont feel like cooking her a healthy meal? NO! I put my big girl panties on and do what is best for her. Thats my opinion anyway.
  • emmettdalvin
    emmettdalvin Posts: 1
    I agree kids should be active- We never came in before dark when I was growing up along with gymnastics, soccer and other sports. I have a 11year old daughter who plays softball and soccer year round (at the same time), she is 5'3" and weighs approx 195lbs, I do not have junk food in my house, I do not have cable or internet or any type of video game console. She just overeats- I try to be very careful how I approach the subject of weight with her- I try to make smaller portions of meals, keep tons of fruit and vegetables in the house (which fortunately she loves)- but it is a daily struggle- it angers me when people judge parents of overweight children- I am trying EVERYTHING I can to help her without her getting a complex about her weight.
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
    Preteen kids often put on a little weight before a growth spurt. I don't see the point of dieting for young kids, but teaching healthful eating habits and keeping them involved in moving instead of sitting so much is a great idea.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    I'm a mom of an almost 6 year old and a 3 year old. My almost 5 year old son is 49" tall and weighs 80 lbs. As you can tell he definately leans towards being a bigger kid. However, on him it's not all fat. He's very stocky and has a lot of muscle. That being said, however, my husband and I are VERY aware of what we feed him and how much. On a normal day, he can out eat me. He also seems to have my eating tendancies...lots of snacks and loves carbs! We've taught him to love veggies (mostly tomatoes and cucumbers) and protein (sausages and cheeses and yogurt).

    It's very difficult as a mom, to not focus on the weight issue (being that I, myself am trying to lose weight). But we are focusing more on the activity. Getting him playing outside more and going for walks as families. Luckily he loves being active (ice skating, baseball, basketball), he'll just never be a small kid. Never was, never will be. My hope is that the habits we're teaching him now, last into school and beyond when he's making his own food choices.
  • jennkess
    jennkess Posts: 86
    if you teach them good eating habits from birth they will make good food choices i believe. My five year old loves salads, steaks, chicken, veggies and fruit. he knows he gets one unhealthy snack after dinner (usually ice cream or fruit snacks) and all other snacks must be healthy (Carrots, fruit, etc). He gets a happy meal as a treat maybe once a week, but knows what are healthy foods and what foods are only good for us once in a while.

    Love ^^^^^ this I think what freaks people out is the word itself "DIET" it is viewed as such a bad word, when really everyones food intake is their personal 'Diet' it's adjusting the way you eat and how you view foods, if the obese child eats Fast Food every day, yes they will be overweight. and have other health issues down the road- flipping them to just salads and food because they are fat is also counterproductive in my mind as that leads to mental struggles with weight.

    Parents showing them the benefit of healthier choices, and occasional treats helping them learn why we need to make the choices we do and follow that up with example will greatly benefit them in the long run.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    As a mom, I think parents should be concerned about their children's weight. My problem with the Vogue article was the manner in which this woman treated her daughter (by her own admission in the article). Instead of fostering healthy habits and encouraging exercise, she gave mixed signals about food and belittled her for eating.
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
    This is American liberalism at its worst. They want to control every aspect of your diet, and how you raise your children now. They teach that whole nutritious foods that you should be eating (meats, veggies, some fruits, nuts) are on equal footing with grains and other junk.

    Government and media need to be forced to take a step back and stay out of our business for one, and for two stop pushing and peddling grains and processed foods that ARE making kids fat and let people get back to eating whole real foods.

    The USDA is nothing but a front to sell agricultural products.
  • andigurl513
    andigurl513 Posts: 19
    I just read the article regarding this segment, and for the one mom imparticular that used pubilc embarassment to 'encourage" her 7 year old daughter to get skinny - she should be ashamed of herself. And now that the daughter is 2 inches taller, and 16 lbs lighter, the mom wants to basically forget that the shorter, heavier girl even existed? It makes me cry for that poor girl. Can you even imagine how caught up on appearance this mom will be as this young girl reaches her teen years? here's a link....

    http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/27/10884819-putting-7-year-old-on-a-diet-responsible-or-reprehensible

    Anyway - there is a fine line to walk. As a child, I was obese. By 7th grade I was wearing a size 24 woman's pant. As an adult, I am active, I am fit, and I am healthy. As a new mom, I've already contemplated what to do if my children start to tetter onto the side of obesity - and I'll tell you what, it starts and ends with me and my husband, as parents. Lead by example. If you don't keep junk in the house, the kids won't eat it. If you are outside at the parking playing with your kids - they are going to be active. Parents that use degradation, and negetive remarks to try and change their child are just taking the lazy way out, and they will end up doing so much more damage to their children then they ever imagined.
  • mstawnya
    mstawnya Posts: 450 Member
    I try to focus on what the actual foods can do for our bodies when I talk nutrition with my girls-carbs will give you energy, protein will help you stay strong, fruits and vegetables will keep you well and help you have nice hair, dairy will keep your bones strong, etc. They play outside most days, but they would love it if I fed them chicken nuggets and pizza every day and let them watch tv to their hearts' content. But I don't. They know that treats are a once in awhile thing and that we aren't going to have dessert every night. They know they can choose hot lunch at school once in awhile, but that we generally eat at home. Of course, like any human they make crazy choices when they're away from home or at a restaurant, but that's life. I try to teach them that eating well is a good thing, but eating junk food is okay sometimes too.

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