Fat Kids

The other day I was reading a blog that I frequent, and in it the author was bemoaning the fate of her child, who was really upset from being taunted at school about being fat. Although of course I do not want her child to be made fun of, and if I ever found out that one of my own children was treating someone poorly or saying mean things because of their weight/appearance/whatever they would be in deep doo doo. BUT, it got me to thinking something that I guess might sound mean to say, but it seems not too many people are willing to say it.

When kids are fat, it is their parent's fault.

And usually where there are fat kids, there are fat parents.

I never can understand how when an adult who has suffered through the misery of being fat sees that their children are going down that same road, are not motivated to make serious changes. My husband's idea about this is that maybe they just don't know how. But, you know, I find that hard to believe.

As pathetic as the Food Pyramid is, it is downright Super Duper Healthy Eating compared to what most people do in this country. Kids are taught this stuff from preschool, and parents see these pyramids on the backs of cereal boxes and on posters at the doctor's office and so forth. The biggest intake of food is supposed to be fruits and vegetables. The smallest is supposed to be fats, oils, and sweets.

But what do so many people seem to do? They live it upside down! Never or rarely buy fresh fruits or veggies, but manage to offer up chips and soda every day! I have been amazed and horrified at how soda is pushed even on preschoolers and kindergarteners at school, both for special parties, as well as for behavior incentives. Parents often drink an entire 2 liter or more of soda in a day, a common staple beverage.

True, I don't want kids to be picked on in school. BUT parents, it is YOUR JOB to make sure your child does not get fat! It is not cute for a 3 year old to be 60 pounds! You should not give them soda for a job well done. When you see that your little one is getting on the chubby side once they are not babies any more, you need to make smart choices about what you bring into the house from the grocery store. You cannot buy ice cream and soda and candy and cookies and serve dessert regularly and give them tons of fried food! You have to give it up even for yourself until you get the situation under control.

You have to limit their computer time and their PS2 time and make them go out and play. You have to get them moving, give them a chore that requires some physical output like pushmowing the grass or weeding or walking back and forth in the yard helping you stack wood or rearrange the garage or shed or whatever. Those kids have to get off their butts and MOVE, and therefore, so do we!

Parents also need to stop making excuses for their children's weight. I am so sick of hearing crap like, "We have thyroid problems in our family" or "She is very big-boned." The last person I heard give me that thyroid line was chowing down on 5 different desserts at a potluck, saying that no matter what she did she never lost weight because of her faulty thyroid. Yes, a thyroid on the blink *can* cause difficulty with weight loss, but, uh, eating a bunch of desserts at one sitting doesn't exactly make me think you're working hard to do what you can to fix it. (oh, and there's medication and/or nutritional supplements for that thyroid as well)

As for big boned--tell me about it! I'm 6 feet tall and definitely on the bigger-boned side of things. Right now I am overweight by probably 25 pounds, which I attribute to 6 pregnancies and a lack of time or motivation to deal with it. If I would work out 4 times a week and eat more raw fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds, and stop eating all sugar, I believe I could get rid of that 25 pounds in 4 months or less. So, I take responsibility for where I'm at. (I'm feeling a challenge coming on)

What I want to say is this: I was never a size 2 kid. Or a 4. or a 6, 8, or 10. I was surrounded by mostly teeny little friends who were cheerleaders. But I was not fat, and I was not made fun of for being taller or bigger than the rest of them. So, although I realize tiny is in vogue and has been for some time, I don't think anybody gets called Fatty for being a normal, healthy weight for their body frame. Being a big gal doesn't mean you have to be a fat one.

One of the best things parents can do for their kids is to watch out that they don't set their kids up with bad eating and living habits. I don't mean that you have to be super athletic or go hiking every weekend. Just get up and move, go outside and breathe fresh air. Do stuff that is not a seated activity. Park your car toward the end of the mall parking lot and get some extra steps walking in and out. There are lots of free little ways to do a little more for your body in the course of regular life. And if you're already into a fat crisis, then yes it'll take more than a little weeding to fix it.

It's a whole lot easier to not let them get fat in the first place, than to deal with a crying little girl after school and trying to put a 9 year old on a diet.

Parents: If you won't change for your own sake, won't you do it for your kids?

More helpful free tips can usually be found through your local Cooperative Extension Office, Health Dept., or family physician.