I was on my way to work this morning and I was listening to a group therapy thing on the radio. This mom had called in and wanted advice on if she should put her 10 year old son who weighs 138 punds on a diet pill called healthy trim (over the counter). She stated that she has tried weight watchers and the atkins diet and neither seemed to work. I was floored. Really? A 10 year old doing weight watchers, Atkins and now you want to put him on a quick fix diet pill?
How about you take him outside and play some ball, go for a walk, sign him up for some sports. Take the video games away? Start making healthy food available.
The majority of the callers agreed with my thoughts. There was no medical reason on why this boy was overwieght. His mom stated that she worked two jobs which made it hard for her to cook at home which results in eating out a lot. Her two jobs also keeps her from being able to be very active with him, and that he would rather sit inside anyways. I find this to be a form of neglect. What are your thoughts on it?
My feelings are that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. We, as parents, can't do better until we know better. I think that the Mom is doing the best she can with what she has. This doesn't negate her responsibility to do better. The question I would have for this Mom is what is her child's pediatrician saying? What is his dietrician offering? Also I would do a poll of the number of parents who've seen the video "The truth about our food."
Quoting Ewadun:
My feelings are that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. We, as parents, can't do better until we know better. I think that the Mom is doing the best she can with what she has. This doesn't negate her responsibility to do better. The question I would have for this Mom is what is her child's pediatrician saying? What is his dietrician offering? Also I would do a poll of the number of parents who've seen the video "The truth about our food."
I don't know that I would say she is doing the BEST she can with what she has. A quick fix diet pill or low carb diet is not the answer, not to mention the needed nutrients that child was not getting while on the Atkins diet. I don't get why people automatically want to jump to the quick fix rather than putting some work into changing your life habits. And believe me.....I have did my share of trying out quick fixes on myself. They do not work.
As a mother of a 10 year old it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that child is being cared for properly. When he is obese and all you are doing is looking to fix it with the newest diet pill, I do not view that as doing the best you can.
What he needs most is activity. She should sign him up for a sport like you said. He would get more fit, as well as make friends. I also think fast food should be a rare treat. Her having two jobs is no excuse for him to eat fast food all the time. My mother had 3 jobs and I could probably count on one hand the amount of times I had fast food as a kid. I did eat whatever I wanted at home though. I ate candy and chips all the time, and drank pop like it was water. So did my siblings. We were still small. We were always outside running around as kids should be, so our weight was never an issue. For an over weight child to get healthy, and stay healthy there needs to be a lifestyle change for the entire family, not a diet. He needs to eat healthy meals, and stay active. I would say that once he got to a healthy weight he could indulge in candy, or chips like a normal child, while staying active.
seeing super heavy children makes me sad :( and if their parents are huge, i think most of the time they have poor eating and exercise habits. it is sad all around.
my older son went through a chunky awkward stage, but it wasnt obesity or anything. lol hes 6 feet and weights 154 now. beanpole.
As mom of heavy 17 year old who was extremely thin at one point and a student who did a research on children with eating disorders, I can't believe a parent would put a child on some diet program like weight watchers. What about changing eating habits in the house? I have to reprogram because my former partner had different eating habits. She bought things that prior to meeting her, I wouldn't have bought. When I bought certain foods, it was treat, because I got paid. I always took the kids out. Aside from that, I didn't buy certain foods. I have to reprogram the last 7 years of bad eating habits. Which is something that I have already started doing. I don't buy processed foods anymore. I pretty much make everything and during the day they have to make it. Depending on the age of some of us, obesity wasnt something that most heard of it. I saw very few heavy kids in my school and i was underweight which would be considered normal now. Kids I knew that wanted to play video games in the early 80s went to the mall. The mall was considered, when I was a teen, to be a cool place to hang out. My oldest sister and I would ask to walk around the neighborhood. Plus we were always told to go outside and play unless it was snowing outside. I think the problem is that there are too many conveinances out there for us and our children.
I think its just crazy when parents pass down their bad eating habbits to their children!!! My DD is only 2 and half but I am instilling in her good eating habbits, I want her to have better habbits than I did growing up. I believe if you start them on good eating habbits from the start then thats all they know and it doesnt seem weird of gross to them. And you can making eating healthy really fun for kids to .
I think its rediculous the thought of a 10 yr old on diet pills and major dieting plans! I agree get you kids out of the house ! go play ball , go for a walk , join a local gym go swimming there are tons of activites out there!
I remember when i used to go to the gym, I saw 8-10 year olds there with their parents.
I don't know. I wouldn't put my kid on a special diet or a pill, but she is bigger then what her doctors say she should be. She doesn't over eat and she gets healthy snacks for the most part. She rarely ever gets soda. I limit her junk food. She plays outside all the time when it's nice, and we go for walks a lot, but it's just hard for her to lose some of the weight.
I don't know that I would put my kids on special diets etc. I want them to be healthy - but also realize that what they see on tv and in magazines is not reality. Airbrushing is rampant.
That being said, it is extremely different these days for kids. As someone else said - we were told to go outside and play 99% of the time growning up. Now - I couldn't pay my kids to go outside and play. They are getting chunky - so I feel it is my responsibility to bring healthy food into my house and to make sure we do active family activities.
survival tips for a new mom to be on her frist day as a single mom.
- jeepingirrl
on Mar. 16, 2010 at 12:32 PM