Too Fat for 15

run21

Has anyone seen this show? It's on Style. I'm watching it this morning because I'm striking (unofficially) from work. I feel so bad for these kids. One girl is over 500 pounds! The youngest girl there is only 11 and is 75 pounds overweight. How sad. Most of them have overweight parents.

I know we can't ask the school systems to teach our children everything, but as a formerly fat kid, I wish they could teach more nutrition and healthy lifestyle classes. My health teacher was 150 pounds overweight. Even then I found it ironic.

And while I'm at it, they should teach basic finances. You know, don't spend more than you make? Hey actually it's the same concept: Calories earned, calories spent. Money earned, money spent. They need to balance or bad things happen.

I'm done - just a Friday thought. These kids are breaking my heart.

PaigeMcC

As a fat kid it makes me really sad to see other fat kids...especially so young.  I've always been a big girl and I know some people are just "bigger" but kids at the age of 11 shouldn't be 75lbs overweight.  It makes me horribly sad:(

tafft1

Ditto what Paige said..I haven't slept enough in the last 48 hours to form anything more coherent aside from I know what it can be like..just not to such an extreme

KatyRoseM

I don't think it would be effective to teach nutrition in schools.  Frankly at that age the kids eat what the parents eat, and if the parents are not taking care of them how much can the schools do?  Also do people not know that eating a lot leads to being fat?  I find that hard to believe, they know they just don't do anything about it for one reason or another. 

Of course I might think this because my school did teach nutrition, and everyone rolled their eyes. 

[Deleted User]

Not all of the blame can be just from eating too much.  My mom has been heavier most of her life.  She was a 14/16 after I was born and looked great, but then after my brother was born, the family curse hit (and my FI is already prepared that I could end up with the same problem) and her thyroid stopped functioning.  She went up to a size 22 until about 6 years ago.  She tried every diet known to man for most of my life.  I was also chubby until about 6 years ago.  Once she could afford Weight Watchers, she was finally able to lose the weight, but of course it's a daily struggle because it's not just eating for her.

My mom and I have talked for years that a lot of the blame also lies with the food manufacturers.  The healthier foods cost more.  When you're poor, you eat the "cheap" stuff because it's either that or you don't pay the rent/mortgage/whatever.  It's a sad cycle.  Luckily I'm pretty "smart" and I've figured out how to eat healthier (ok, so I do eat junk food, too, I'm human) on a low/no income budget.  It can be done, but it takes some effort and a little know-how...and some help with sales/coupons.

catemeg

That show makes me so sad, and angry at the parents.  I believe "moderation" is a concept not strong in American culture, neither in food nor spending, and that's a shame.  Education on both subjects could definitely help, but it's not everything.  As someone else mentioned, your parents really set the tone for what you're eating, but kids can educate parents, too.  My parents and grandparents didn't use to wear seatbelts, and after I heard a safety lesson in kindergarten, I refused to get in the car with anyone who wasn't wearing a seatbelt.  My grandparents still laugh about me telling them that they had to buckle up before turning on the car, but it kept everyone buckled!

I saw someone in the grocery store the other day with two kids and a carriage full of prepared foods (frozen dinners, cans of Spaghettio's, frozen waffles).  Not a single fruit or vegetable, and it made me sad.  Kids shouldn't think meals come out of a freezer.  My boyfriend talks all the time about how our kids will be involved in raising some of their own food, and will know where everything comes from originally. Not so much calories but prepared foods vs. fresh foods is important at a young age.  And reasonable portion sizes!

Hazel_B

I believe it was Jamie Oliver who interviewed kids and they didn't know their vegetables. For example, shown a cabbage and they think it is lettuce or something really bizarre like a carrot. And, these weren't really young kids either atleast 8 years old.

I think the education system and teachers are used as a scapegoat for a multitude of societal problems. The message needs to be reinforced at home. The education system can't be held responsible for everything.

Plus, businesses are a huge issue. I know Canada has ridiculous sodium rates in our food because the manufacturers have determined that we like salty foods - heart disease and high blood pressure here I come.

dwest2201

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_fat-15?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:7622eec6-57b5-4e01-ab4b-ee47f0247a65Post:53922480-6996-4c02-aec0-a04149f21e26">Re: Too Fat for 15</a>:
[QUOTE]I believe it was Jamie Oliver who interviewed kids and they didn't know their vegetables. <strong>For example, shown a cabbage and they think it is lettuce</strong> or something really bizarre like a carrot. And, these weren't really young kids either at least 8 years old. I think the education system and teachers are used as a scapegoat for a multitude of societal problems. The message needs to be reinforced at home. The education system can't be held responsible for everything. Plus, businesses are a huge issue. I know Canada has ridiculous sodium rates in our food because the manufacturers have determined that we like salty foods - heart disease and high blood pressure here I come.
Posted by Hazel_B[/QUOTE]

Those look similar... obviously neither cabbage nor lettuce look like carrots though!  What age group are we talking here?

My son LOVES almost every fruit and vegetable but I guarantee he doesn't know the name of a lot of the (he's 3 1/2).  Sure he eats chicken nuggets and fruit snacks and pizza sometimes, but not daily and not without eating a significant amount of healthy food before or along with them!  So far he doesn't like tomatoes and isn't crazy about cucumbers or lettuce... although he eats shredded lettuce on turkey tacos and calls it celery, I tried to tell him it was lettuce and he said "no mommy, I don't like lettuce... this celery is yummy in my tummy!"   Silly boy!


Personally I've never seen the show and I will probably never watch it.  I think that it is horrible that parents can let their children get that obese at such a young age.  Chubby is one thing, but obese?!  Come on... you are not only setting your child up to be ridiculed in school (kids are cruel) but more importantly to be prone to diabetes, heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure etc.  I am not one who loves the government to control the things that we do, but I honestly think that there needs to be some type of accountability for parents that raise these children so unhealthily. 

Parents are not the only culprit of course... school lunches are not healthy (some schools are getting better now), most prepared foods, snacks etc that are being sold are far from good for you.  It's just sad. 


I completely agree with Cate's point about moderation... I eat junk in moderation on a regular basis, but I also eat mostly healthy foods and in the correct portions.

desertsun

Many kids eat at least one meal a day at school, and schools should be held responsible for providing healthy meals. Watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution if you can -- I believe it's available on Hulu. It's eye opening.

Are schools no longer required to teach Phys Ed or Health classes? Because nutrition should be an important part of both, IMO.

I do agree however that nutrition starts at home.

catemeg

Dwest, don't get me wrong, I'm not an extremist who says my future children will eat only organic hormone-free homemade food every day.  That's unrealistic, and honestly, I've got friends whose parents only let them eat healthy food.  You better believe they became junk food addicts as soon as they were able to get their hands on them!  It's also impossible to control what your children eat when they're not in your home, but I think it's important that kids eat balanced meals, exercise regularly, learn to stop when they're full (no "finish your plate" - maybe "two more bites of carrots" though), and appreciate what is healthy and what isn't.  The school AND the parents play a big part in this.

And exercise!  These kids who play videogames all day instead of riding bikes and climbing trees - well, no kidding they're larger!  A videogame and the television is not a babysitter!  My Mom used to kick us outside on sunny summer days and wouldn't let us back in until dark.

My hypothetical children will probably eat chicken nuggets and certainly pizza and ice cream, all homemade as often as possible, but I won't be the one to introduce them to McDonalds!

dwest2201

Cate, I'm with you mostly... I agree that parents and schools should be responsible and that exercise is a huge part of it.  We cook a lot and we have mostly healthy food in our house.  Snacks in our house are usually a piece of fruit, one of those mini boxes of raisins, a yogurt cup (kids size) or a piece of whole wheat bread with reduced sugar strawberry preserves.  Veggies like carrots, brocolli or cauliflower are included in almost every single dinner... ocassionaly he'll have a fruit instead. 

My son eats McD's or even Burger King rarely and he gets 4 nuggets and apple dippers and apple juice.  He likes the box and the toy more than the food, but when your out and need something decent it works.  We have ice cream occasionaly and the "popsicles" we have at home are the real fruit kind not just frozen kool aid.

[Deleted User]

I make my own chicken nuggets and fries now, it's one of our favorite foods and FI always comments that it would be good "kid" food.  I just cut up a boneless/skinless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, dip in an egg/milk mixture (egg substitute is even better when I can afford it) and then in a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan and italian seasoning - then bake them (12-15 min at 400) - no fried and they turn out so incredibly juicy. 

The fries I make - I cut up a potato in half, then into wedges.  I use about 1/4-1/2 tsp oil per potato and then sprinkle on whatever Mrs. Dash flavor we're hungry for that night and bake them at 400 for about 30 min (stir halfway) - they come out a little crispy on the sides and like mashed potatoes on the inside (and they reheat in the microwave the next day, so I always make extras).

jemmini6

These always make me so sad.  I think a lot of the problems start at home though.  What good would a nutrition class in school do if the parents feed their kids fast food for dinner every night? Of course I know that genetics can play a big part in this too, but just in general...a lot of these problems start at home and it's really sad that some parents just don't get it.

One of the saddest stories was a family in my old neighborhood.  They were all obese, but their oldest son, who was 17, weighed over 800 lbs and ended up in the hospital.  The doctors told him that his weight had put such a strain on his heart, that he would need a transplant, or he would die.  They couldn't even put him on the transplant list until he was under 400 lbs.  Knowing this, his parents would sneak him in McDonalds and pizza while he was in the hospital because they had him on an extreme diet.  I know they were doing it because they loved him and wanted to make him happy, but they didn't realize that they were actually killing him.  Less than a month in the hospital (and even 250lbs lighter), his heart gave out on him and he passed away.  They were furious that they put "morbid obesity" as the cause of death on his death certificate because they refused to believe that it was his weight that killed him.

After going through all of this and dealing with the death of one son, they didn't change their lifestyle at all.  Not a single one of their children weighs less than 200 lbs.  Their youngest, who is now 10, aready weighed over 100 lbs at 4 years old.  Their (now) oldest, is currently upwards of 500lbs.  It's so sad to see, but this is definitely a case where it is 100% the parent's responsibility. 

Bec20

Jemmini, that is so sad.  I mean... wow.  I can't believe they haven't changed their ways after losing a son already.

Some of these numbers shock me.  I was at the other end of the spectrum, being quite skinny my entire life, but the youngest child in Jemmini's story weighed a similar amount at 4 that I did when I was 14.  And in the original post, I was 75 pounds when I was 11, I can't imagine being 75 pounds overweight.