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Dr. Phil today featured obese children and it made me FURIOUS!
I just do not understand how a parent can have a 3 year old that weighs 88 pounds? Her family says she gets winded just walking up the stairs in her house.
Or a 5 year old that weighs 113 pounds? At one point she screamed so loudly for junk food, her neighbors called the police.
Or how about a 10 year old that weighs 190 pounds? Her parents say it’s tough to get her off the couch.
All of these kids have an overweight parent. They sat there on the stage and acted SURPRISED that their child has a weight problem. They claimed their kids just “cannot stop eating”?
What?! Am I missing something here?
I am far from perfect when it comes to feeding my kids, but I have learned that children are going to eat what you feed them. If you give them bacon, sausage, and biscuits for breakfast every morning they are not going to start asking for fruit and oatmeal!
Medical research is predicting a diabetes epidemic as a result of childhood obesity. These children need much more than Dr. Phil and they need it fast!
What do you think, do you know someone that has an overweight child?
Picture source: DrPhil.com
Written on Wednesday, November 19th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Filed under nutrition.
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November 19th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I missed the show (used to HEART the Phil until he went the way of Jerry Springer…and my FED EX :)).
and Im not sure I should comment…I do NOT judge but do wonder why people dont lead by example more.
I see how my Toddler emulates me (good and CANDYCORNLOVE bad) and do often think to myself how it can be as simple as that.
seizing the reigns in your own life and trying to be healthy and, amazingly to this mama, the kids do follow!
MizFits last blog post..Exercise, clean eating & workout motivation. (creative? no. descriptive? sure.)
November 19th, 2008 at 10:26 am
It is one of my biggest fears that my toddler be overweight. Since I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life I just don’t know what I would do if he had to do the same.
I try very hard to make sure that he is eating good, healthy food, but his daddy gives him JUNK and of course he’s a skinny little fart. It makes me crazy!
‘Lissas last blog post..Dressing A Toddler
November 19th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I do know several people with overweight children and its sad. I think its because we want everything “fast”, so instead of cooking at home we grab something from the drive thru. Instead of making a healthy snack, we open up a bag of chips….in this day and age convenience, in my opinion, has helped make us fat. :o(
November 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am
That is really awful. Parents DO have control over something like that and kids don’t know any better when they’re that young.
There are some diseases and such which cause these kinds of things, but for the majority of people its poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. We really need to focus on our health a little more.
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November 19th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I have struggled with weight my whole life and am very conscious about what I offer my child. He has multiple disabilities and is just learning to eat by mouth at nearly 5 y.o. It is hard to find the balance, for sure.
That being said, there is also tremendously widespread use of drugs such as Risperdal (for ADHD and many autistic kids) which can have horrific side effects. Many parents I know are distraught over the way their kid’s weight has skyrocketed or how their appetite for junk food seems out of control. One mom literally has to lock the fridge or her 8 y.o. will start eating things like a stick of butter. And he never ate like that before the meds. Docs are prescribing such strong meds (which affect the central nervous system and the body’s ability to regulate certain functions such as satiety) to younger and younger kids and don’t have any plan in place to help families manage their kids’ weight/eating except to throw more meds at the situation. I think this happens more than the public is aware; there’s still great stigma attached to telling someone your kid is on such meds.
Niksmoms last blog post..Why I haven’t been writing much lately
November 19th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I’ve seen overweight babies/children often with overweight parents, but I don’t actually know any. All the kids in the mom group I participate in are fairly healthy in regards to weight. It always makes me sad when I read about obese children or see them when I’m out and about. I have to believe that no parent wants their child to be overweight, that the issue often must stem from lack of education or the cost of good food.
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November 19th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I agree with Mizfit - I believe that kids mirror what you model. They do as you do, not as you say and that applies to activity level, nutritian, or behavior in general. I don’t discount that it’s hard in today’s world with most families having two working parents but I do believe its important to re-examine your priorites, how you are spending your time, and how you are “being” in front of your children. I think in order to change, the family as a whole has to change and be committed to that change.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I totally agree with you on this “If **you** give them bacon, sausage, and biscuits for breakfast every morning they are not going to start asking for fruit and oatmeal!”
I also think soda and juice (often double the sugar of soda) plays a huge role in childhood obesity!
November 19th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I’m with you, workout mommy, I just don’t get it either. And it makes me so sad. Childhood obesity is creating so many “adult” diseases in these kids. I have been reporting on this for years, and it just keeps getting worse. Last week, a study came out about how obese kids’ arteries are just as clogged as those of a 45-year-old! Sad.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I’m kind of glad that I missed this show, as I’m sure it would have made me upset. This is our future generation…how will they lead if they can’t get up a flight of stairs?
I don’t have kids yet, but I’m going to do everything I can do set a good healthy example for my children.
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November 19th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I do not know of anyone personally with an over weight child. I will say that you are so right that parents are in charge of what their children eat. We always need that reminder that children learn what they live. By the way I’m still with the oatmeal challenge and guess who is eating it with me? Yep, that little toddler that hangs out with me all day.
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November 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I find it heart-breaking that children this young are this obese. It’s hard enough being a little bigger than your friends on the playground when you’re not even really chubby … let alone if you outweigh them three times over!! I blame the parents 100% … I am not a mom yet (but planning on it, maybe in a year or two) but my gosh, I hope we’ll feed our children the same nutritious things we eat, including some treats, too — banning snacks and desserts only leads to deprivation when they’re older.
But there’s no excuse for a 5-yr old — who cannot buy his/her own food - to weigh that much.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I find it heart-breaking that children this young are this obese. It’s hard enough being a little bigger than your friends on the playground when you’re not even really chubby … let alone if you outweigh them three times over!! I blame the parents 100% … I am not a mom yet (but planning on it, maybe in a year or two) but my gosh, I hope we’ll feed our children the same nutritious things we eat, including some treats, too — banning snacks and desserts only leads to deprivation when they’re older.
But there’s no excuse for a 5-yr old — who cannot buy his/her own food - to weigh that much.
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November 19th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
niksmom: i had no idea about the side effects of those drugs. that is very scary, especially for the parents who are trying to make the best decision for their child. my heart goes out to them.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Jolene: great point about the soda and juice. I was never offered that as a kid, were you?
November 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Jen: very good point, the whole family has to be willing to change. (and thanks for not calling me out on watching Dr. Phil!)
November 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Pamela: hooray for the oatmeal challenge!
November 19th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
FBG: it was completely depressing, but hopefully will encourage many people to change their habits.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Lisa,
When I was a kid my mom kept soda out of the house. My sister and I only had it on special occasions…not to say I haven’t gone on and off soda kicks as an adult
However, one visual that I use when I teach wellness classes is I hold up a zip lock bag filled with 7 CUPS of white sugar. I ask the audience what they would have to ingest every day for 30 days to get 7 cups of sugar into their blood stream over the period of one month?
The answer is, one can of regular soda every day for 30 days. (not 2-3 cans or even the bottle size, just one regular can). People don’t realize how quickly the sugar adds up - especially in those little kid bodies!
November 19th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I agree parents going for short-term happy kids (eating sugary, high-fat foods) is partly responsible, but I have to say it’s also the ‘drive everywhere’ culture that we live in today.
I remember walking to school each day. (Yes, uphill both ways… through a snowstorm … in the Bay Area… okay maybe not an /actual/ snow storm…)
Merrys last blog post..Diabetic? Who cares?
November 19th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
my 7 yr old is overweight and has been since about 3 1/2. Since I lived in denial about myself for so long, I did the same for him……yet it bothered me more that he was overweight than I was. Since changing our eating habits he has lost 8 lbs but has more to lose. Our doc said to focus more on maintaining as he grows. We are incorporating more exercise and really watching sugar and portions while adding more fruits and veggies.
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November 19th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
First off, I despise Dr Phil. “Get real!” oh wait, all my psychological hang ups are gone now, with those two words alone!!! Also, what kind of freak show is this to show off obese kids as in a circus? Grrrrr…. and he is no medical Dr, what kind of god given advise is he going to dispense? Okay, done now.
I am with you, total parental fault. Kids are a challenge when it comes to food, especially with the amount of advertisement for junk, but still, you have to keep trying. I have the opposite problem, my oldest eats really well and of everything and look extremely thin… visible ribs in the back thin….
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November 19th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
I was an overweight child, and had to relearn how to take care of myself as an adult. Now, as a parent, I am very conscious of what my child eats. I don’t mind the occasional french fry, but I’m not afraid to tell her no and make sure she is an oatmeal and fruit eater! Soy beans and apples are snacks, not chips and cookies (even if they’re animal cookies, I try to avoid them). I hope she learns better habits than I did. I can’t imagine being an overweight parent and perpetuating the same behaviors in my child. Maybe it’s guilt that keeps them from saying no. After all, they (we, because this is me sometimes) haven’t learned how to say no to themselves. Regardless, we have to do better for our children.
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November 19th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Some parents are in denial when it comes to their child’s weight. I have a few friends who have overweight kids and the parents are normal size.
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November 19th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
That show was something else…
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November 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
It is so sad to see children of any age overweight especially when the parents are not aware that providing soda, juice and junk food combined with no exercise is a major reason why the kids are overweight. My son went through a chubby phase and I was very concerned as my husband had struggled with weight issues. I kept my son involved in sports year round and worked to educate him about how companies try to trick you. He learned how to read food labels and find the trick and make better choices. I am proud to say that at age 15 he is now over 6 feet tall, in great shape without any weight issues and loves freshman football.
November 20th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
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November 20th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
i caught a few minutes of the show and it made me want to cry. I weighed 186 lbs in the 5th grade! My parents were not overweight but were much more active than i was. My wake up call for my weight was that I had a little girl and DID NOT want to be a “fat family”…you know, fat mom with fat kids. Anyway, I joined WW and learned about nutrition for the first time in my life. I am now back to my 5th grade weight and still going down!
I hope those parents get some help and change their lives so that their children will have healthy examples and support!
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November 21st, 2008 at 8:16 am
Lisa,
I watched the show as well and if I had the time that day I would have written a similar blog. I was hoping there was going to be a problem with the kids because I could not understand how a parent could watch their child’s life get shorter and shorter with each meal. People need to educate themselves and as others said, work on their own self esteem and body image. It’s not about being super skinny,it’s about being healthy. A three years old should not be a pre-diabetic with only a few meals away from having type 2 Diabetis. Grrr… OK there goes my rant. Thanks for writing about this growing subject.
November 27th, 2008 at 1:22 am
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