Childhood obesity

[Chalalan]

.....

[sushee]

and the number of parents around with fat children was unbelievable! It makes me soooo mad to see people feeding their kids rubbish and not teaching them about nutrition and healthy eating.

I dont care about the the parents, they are adults and responsible for themselves, but little kiddies dont have a chance if they are fed junk from a young age. They are set up for a life of health issues.

Actually, feeding children junk food isn't the sole domain of overweight parents. Thin parents are just as guilty of feeding their children junk. I know because I see it all the time.

I also know that just because you're overweight does not mean your children are fed junk. My children are all thin, despite the fact that I am overweight.

So justed wanted to make absolutely clear: overweight parents do not necessarily equal overweight children. ANY parent, weight notwithstanding, can be resposnsible for their kids' bad diets. I am not comfortablle with any insinuation that because a parent is fat, that they must feed their kids junk.

[Arimeh]

I agree 110% with Sushee on this one.

[maddysmummy]

im overweight and my child is not "fat" far from it, i think its very niave of you to just put the blame on "fat parents"!!!


sushee has some great points!!!!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I have seen fat parents AND thin parents give their little VERY chubby toddlers junk food. I feel VERY sorry for these fat babies because they don't have much of a chance with parents like that (including being "OK" with the au pair girl giving a 6-month-old Pringles!). I have also seen parents of all weights really care for the diet of their children.

I also know fat children who eat healthy foods, just too much, and their parents don't stop the snacking because "carrot sticks are healthy".

It's a minefield of problems not least is that everyone needs different amounts. DS eats more than some adults I know in a meal but is really slim because he runs it all off. Other children would eat the same as him and pile on the weight (I am trying to fatten DS up a bit to no effect.)

What can we do to stop child obesity? I think it would involve too much nannying and monitoring, so that's not a good idea. There are ranges of "child junk food" here in the UK; they are biscuits with grape juice instead of sugar, they are little corn "crisps" (look and feel like like chipstiks) with loads of veggies in them (they upset DS's tum so we don't use them often, but have). They are low-fat and "healthy" (for a given value of "healthy"). That's not a bad idea, so long as it's not abused. TBH I don't mind giving DS a packet of raisins or biscuits from my handbag when we're out and about; they have WAY less sugar than my home-made biscuits. But if he were a bit bigger I'd be frowned on for him having biscuits.

Maybe ban McD's from having happy meals? That would really upset the kids who eat there every night (and then their mothers medicate them for AHDH - I've seen this too). Maybe teach home economics properly at school? That would only work if you actually bothered with that as an adult.

I don't think you can do anything, tbh, unless you think that forcing a family to go to a "food camp" or something would be the answer: you will ALWAYS have people who over-eat and who over-feed their children.

[Lulu]

Yes, there will always be people that overfeed their kids, but the amount of crap available that is quick, easy and full of FAT and salt it too much for some people. Pathetic.

It's an all too familiar sight to see an entire, heavyset family, some of the kids are so large its just heartbreaking.

[Trillian]

I don't think you have the right to make that judgement call.

[sushee]

Two wrongs do not make a right. Please do not flame other members in your posts. If you cannot post without a cool enough head to NOT make it personal, please go away until you're calmer before posting, or don't post at all. Any further flaming will be edited without further discussion.

Feel free to contact me privately by email or PM if you wish to discuss this.

[mummy of many]

I also agree with what you have said Sushee & Gudism,I?m overweight and all my children are well within the normal weight range,just because you see fat parents does`nt mean we all stuff ourselves or our kids with junk food every day,some people can actually have medical conditions that make then gain weight, I have a liver condition!

[Heaven]

I didn't read anything in Chalalan's post about fat parents?? I think she was saying she doesn't mind if the parents want to put whatever they want in their bodies (whether they're fat or thin) but they should be more responsible for what they feed their children. Of course there are some kids with medical problems, everyone knows that, obviously she wasn't referring to them.

I agree, parents of all shapes and sizes should be responsible for what their kids eat (as they are responsible for the other areas of their life) and childhood obesity is a problem sadly I think we just need more education about what is a good diet.

[PamyK]

I have a question - why do you assume that what they are eating out in public, is what they are being feed at home, and why do you assume that all "fat" children are being overfeed and eating the wrong foods?

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe their parents are allowing them a treat while they are out? Or maybe they should deny their children the right to experience a treat in a public place just to satisfy your visual judgements.

Next time you're out and you see a "fat" child with a "fat" parent, why don't you go up and talk to them..... Maybe that child has a thyroid problem, or an advanced growth issue - like my own daughter who I am constantly have to defend - because she happens to have a genetically passed down advanced growth where she is 2 years ahead of her age. Until you know the people and they way they truly live, you cannot make judgements and put everyone into the same basket, it is not only irresponsible of you, but it is also extremely rude to post such a knee jerk response before you actually have all the facts..children her own age - I am apparently over feeding her and feeding her nothing but junk food - which is on the contrary! However I do know that to teach your children good eating habits you need to allow them to experience every facet of food, because if you completely deny them "junk" food when they are older and the parent is no longer in control of their eating habits - they are going to gorge themselves on what they have missed out on.

Signed - Mother of a "fat" child