Children with weight issues and parenting on TV

Kipperhell

I watched the 2nd episode of a TV series last night called Generation XXL. I really was just appalled by the parents. One mother was going on about how people must judge her and her daughter walking down the street thinking that we must eat badly. Earlier they show her and her daughter eating very badly. She also went on about how she does try and that the cheese was low fat but that was on top of a large plate of some pasta mince dish which was too much for an adult.

One mother basically said she liked her child cuddle and happy and that it wasn't a problem yet the tests showed the child was certainly obese.

If somebody is fat I can understand how they may progressively get that way but to let your child get that way is just wrong. One mother just couldn't say no to her child.

Last night 3 of the 4 kids were from single parent families and apparently it is more likely that obese children come from such homes.

The parents really didn't want to take responsibility blaming metabolism and one blaming a short dose of steroids for the problem. :eek:

Children are certainly fatter in Ireland now and it won't be long till they are adults. I can really see present day parents out living their children. There was one child shown eating a plate of food that was more than myself and my wife would eat together and we wouldn't even eat the food as it was so fattening. I am not some so fit myself but letting your child be like that is disgusting.

MagicMarker

*shakes fist*

Dr. Baltar

Fatties don't bother me one bit.
But severe obesity especially amongst children is sickening.
I don't understand how parents can let it get so far.

Fat = Laziness in the vast majority of cases.

ie, too lazy to cook a decent meal.

That_Guy

They're only fattening them up so they can bring in the money.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/McDonald%27s_made_me_fat_lawsuits

rockmongrel

Will somebody please think of the children!





.



Had to be done.

TouchingVirus

Up until I was 5 I ate what I was given and was practically underweight. Then I developed Asthma and was put on steroids (Slo-phinal or something, I don't remember). Nothing else changed in my eating habits, I ate the same food as I always did but suddenly I started putting on weight. Something changed in my biochemistry and my folks think it's a bit coincidental that it happened almost as soon as I was put onto those steroids.

Parents do find it easy to blame metabolism and other factors and sometimes they are right, more often though they need to look at what they are feeding their kids first.

I don't blame the steroids though, I got to work with what I've got. In that regard I blame myself, over the years I can see that while I wasn't eating all that bad my portion sizes were off and I was most likely overeating because of it. Almost all weight issues boil down to too much calorie intake when put against calorie expenditure.

Of course, this is AH so I don't expect a reasonable discussion on this topic. I expect "Fat people are lazy, fat people smell, I hate fatties" etc etc

Kipperhell

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Up until I was 5 I ate what I was given and was practically underweight. Then I developed Asthma and was put on steroids (Slo-phinal or something, I don't remember). Nothing else changed in my eating habits, I ate the same food as I always did but suddenly I started putting on weight. Something changed in my biochemistry and my folks think it's a bit coincidental that it happened almost as soon as I was put onto those steroids.

They will have an effect but he wasn't permanently on them just a short period.

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Parents do find it easy to blame metabolism and other factors and sometimes they are right, more often though they need to look at what they are feeding their kids first.

I think you should put in rarely does it turn out to be genetic or extra health issue. It is extremely rare for it to be anything other than more calories in than used

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Of course, this is AH so I don't expect a reasonable discussion on this topic. I expect "Fat people are lazy, fat people smell, I hate fatties" etc etc

Lots of fat people are lazy and due to their weight sweat a lot and can therefore smell. I am not slim enough myself but some things are the way they are. I think it would be worse to make it socially acceptable leading to an increase in a terrible problem.

The stranger danger thing is actually probably as big a contributor as fast food.

Mr Yellow

Maybe the kids are copying Our dear Minister McChubby for health & children, she is a real role fcuking model

There are medical conditions but fatness does not happen overnight, its a lazy life & bad diet choice. People need to take responsibility for their feeding habits, & encourage kids to stop eating crap.

Think i read somewhere that it was cheaper to eat crap food instead of fresh fruit n veg. Probably in the states...

TouchingVirus

Kipperhell wrote: »

They will have an effect but he wasn't permanently on them just a short period.

I was on steroids for a year. I don't have asthma anymore, yet it still gain weight rather easily. I seem to have lost whatever it was that kept me slim before I was put on the steroids. People might not be wrong when they say they think it was the steroids, permanent biochemistry changes are possible in some people. Just because parents are very quick to blame other external issues than the ones close to home doesn't mean they can be completely disregarded in all cases.

I think you should put in rarely does it turn out to be genetic or extra health issue. It is extremely rare for it to be anything other than more calories in than used

I don't think I should. I don't think it's as rare as you seem to suggest.

Lots of fat people are lazy and due to their weight sweat a lot and can therefore smell. I am not slim enough myself but some things are the way they are. I think it would be worse to make it socially acceptable leading to an increase in a terrible problem.

Lots of skinny people are lazy and never wash, therefore they smell. Some people are smelly and don't keep good hygiene, that's just the way it is. Bad personal hygiene shouldn't be socially acceptable but terming smelly people a "terrible problem" is a bit much.

My point in saying what I said about the chosen discussion forum is that this topic will probably turn into a farce soon enough, I already see some constructive posts above that are just the type of posts I expect in AH

me-skywalker

Kids are generally fussy eaters its not until later say in their teens tahts when they need to be made aware of complications and health issues and also general well being.... that said.. it oculd be too late by then.


Obsesity is a a very serious issue, PPL that are obsese will consumer more food than an average person, their cars will consume more petrol and they will need more water. If obsesity increases in out population our demand and production levels will increase meaning less fossil fuels and less resources in a whole.

Lia_lia

Well I brought up mostly in a single parent family (if that even makes any difference). My brother and I were probably underweight for most of our childhood. We ate whatever the adults ate, being fussy just wasn't allowed. Up until the age of about 12 we were not allowed sweets/fizzy drinks, unless it was for a special occasion like Birthday parties etc. We were also brought up as vegetarians. Eep. But at the same time we ate a shitload. And even though we were skrawny little things I think it was mainly due to being so active and just the way we are built. We were very healthy. Never really got sick.

I babysat a lot and worked in kiddies clubs during my teen (HA!) years. And was shocked at the kinda food parents give their kids. Chips and burgers for dinner just made no sense to me. And sugar all over the place too!

I don't know. If I have kids I'll raise them to eat smaller portions of whatever I eat. Well I guess it's not really even just about food these days, many children are just not active anymore. They DO play videos games an awful lot of the time.

Whatever, if people can't feed their kids properly than they should learn how. Not fair on kids. PLEASE think of the children! :P

mcmoustache

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Fat people are lazy, fat people smell, I hate fatties

Very well put. I couldn't agree more.





I hope I didn't quote you out of context .

Hank_Jones

If I start to put on weight or begin to not like the way my body looks I just start running a few times a week and lift weights.

That generally does the trick.

I see these people dieting and they are complaining that they aren't losing weight, that's probably because if you sit on your ass all day then you aren't going to burn many calories.

It's easy not to exercise.

Ciaran500

Hank_Jones wrote: »

I see these people dieting and they are complaining that they aren't losing weight, that's probably because if you sit on your ass all day then you aren't going to burn many calories.

Diet is paramount to loosing weight and will easily work without any cardio. Cardio alone will give you limited results and you'll work your ass off to get the same results as a good diet running.

chocgirl

Overweight children are one of my pet peeves. Well not them, their parents, in the vast, vast majority of cases there is no need for it. I see so many parents tip toe around the issue too, getting offended when other people refer to their children even as 'big'.

I seriously think it's going to get to a stage where there is going to have to be an obesity tax. Money is the only thing a lot of people seem to respond to.

orourkeda

http://carolynncarreno.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/bigmac.jpg

Pedro K

Although it obviously isn't the biggest contributor. I've always said that the popularity of high energy drinks among children these days can't be good at all.

Drinks like lucozade are designed to be used by people who are active, while they are active abd after they are active, and you get kids drinking it whilst playing the xbox etc. just because Damien Duff is on the ad or something.

I'm no biologist, but surely this can't be good?

Kipperhell

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I was on steroids for a year. I don't have asthma anymore, yet it still gain weight rather easily. I seem to have lost whatever it was that kept me slim before I was put on the steroids. People might not be wrong when they say they think it was the steroids, permanent biochemistry changes are possible in some people. Just because parents are very quick to blame other external issues than the ones close to home doesn't mean they can be completely disregarded in all cases.

Sounds like you are unaware of body memory where once you put on weight the body tries to retain the weight. The calories in versus calories used is still the overriding factor. They show this stuff on telly all the time where somebody claims a slow metabolism ,genetics etc... and then when they actually observe the person they eat more calories than they claim. As you said yourself portion size is the issue that confuses many people. Doctors do not disregard claims but they do know the most likely cause out of 100 obese people how many do you think have other causes than eating too much?

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I don't think I should. I don't think it's as rare as you seem to suggest.

Name conditions that are common that leads to obesity. The old chestnut of metabolism is generally wrong as over weight people tend to actually have faster metabolism than thinner people.

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Lots of skinny people are lazy and never wash, therefore they smell. Some people are smelly and don't keep good hygiene, that's just the way it is. Bad personal hygiene shouldn't be socially acceptable but terming smelly people a "terrible problem" is a bit much.

I don't know if you are be sarcastic here or not. Firstly being lazy doesn't cause people to be skinny and not washing isn't why fat people smell. Being overweight puts more strain on the body causing sweat which will cause them to have personal hygiene problems. As for "skinny" people smelling how do you know it isn't a medical problem?:rolleyes: Bad hygiene is not the "terrible problem" I was referring to but being obese as socially acceptable. It seems the western world is actively try to make smoking socially unacceptable but at the same time equality thinking is trying to make being fat socially acceptable.

raptorman

Ciaran500 wrote: »

Diet is paramount to loosing weight and will easily work without any cardio. Cardio alone will give you limited results and you'll work your ass off to get the same results as a good diet running.

+1

You cant out train a bad diet.

CreepingDeath

rarnes1 wrote: »

Fat = Laziness in the vast majority of cases.

ie, too lazy to cook a decent meal.

No.

It's not just the meal, it's also portion control.
You could create a perfect nutritionally balanced meal, but make the portions too big.

dub_skav

raptorman wrote: »

+1

You cant out train a bad diet.

See Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt.

I know they are extreme examples, but you most certainly can have a bad diet and remain a healthy weight by training. However, you need a mix of cardio and weights so that you continue to burn more calories even when not training.

There is no secret to losing weight. Less and healthier foods combined with more exercise. Trying to do only one of those 2 is foolhardy

Ciaran500

Pedro K wrote: »

Although it obviously isn't the biggest contributor. I've always said that the popularity of high energy drinks among children these days can't be good at all.

Drinks like lucozade are designed to be used by people who are active, while they are active abd after they are active, and you get kids drinking it whilst playing the xbox etc. just because Damien Duff is on the ad or something.

I'm no biologist, but surely this can't be good?

Its just a sugary drink, it has less simple carbs in it compared to Coke.

Buford T Justice

Parents are lazy. Kids these days are lazy. Simples. (I'm generalising here. I know some parents aren't)

When I was growing up, it was cooked dinner every night and you ate what you were given. None of this 'I don't like this' nonsense or 'Can I have chips'. If you didn't like it, you went hungry

These days there is too many instant dinners high on calories and fat, more highly processed food being used, and too much playstation and not enough exercise. Its that simple for the majority of people

Metabolism my arse!

[/rant]

bonerm

On the one hand I do think it good (and also relatively easy!) for people to stay within the normal weight range, but on the other hand I like chubby chicks.

Abi

Its very easy just to say 'laziness' right across the board, and it covers most of the problem if you ask me. But times have changed where two parents have to be out working in order to pay for over-priced houses, and the thoughts of having to come home and cook something from scratch probably doesn't appeal to some. Then when you have processed food and pre-packaged meals sitting there on shelves and fridges in shops, its all to easy to make some bad choices.

If you look at your child and can honestly say hand on heart that he/she is a healthy weight, then keep doing what your doing. But for those who can't, if kids grow up with an unhealthy view on food, its likely to stay with them, and the parents are at fault here. Also, the same worn out parents don't realise that taking the kids to the playground on the week-end doesn't cut it as exercise. And if this and the above is the normal routine of things, its time for change.

Shop around the perimeter of the supermarket. The processed crap is mostly found in the middle aisles. Fresh fruit and veg, nuts and seeds, meats, and dairy are found along the perimeter. Using the weekend to pre-prepare meals for the week is a good idea, freeze them, then use as needed. Its not just the kids that need exercise either, why not do it as a family? Walk, cycle, swim etc together and not only is everyone getting the exercise they need, but they are spending time together as a family.

If I could have it my own way, I'd have most of the shit in those middle aisles reefed off the shelves and banned.

Buford T Justice

Abigayle wrote: »

its all to easy to make some bad choices.

Thats exactly it - Its bad choices, nothing more.

Kipperhell

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Thats exactly it - Its bad choices, nothing more.

That may apply for things like getting hooked on drugs but once you notice there is a problem to continually make the choice not to do something it becomes different.

One of the parents on knowing her child was morbidly obese just didn't bother correcting matters. She also fought with the school over healthy lunch programs. The child really doesn't have much chance if at 6 their parents don't do anything.

That child doesn't really have a choice as they don't have any control in any real sense. The previous show had the likely path of these children as it showed 12-13 olds.

The old saying "There is no excuse for fat children or pets" really does come into play. Excuse those with medical reasons and it is really true, although I obviously think the medical reasons are exaggerated.

antodeco

My daughter has a great appetite. She will literally eat anything, but I dont force large portions on her. She's always playing and running around, so she gets moderate excercise. She doesnt really get fizzy drinks or sweets (again unless its a special occasion). She has a balanced diet as she always eats her veg and fruit. Only drinks she generally has is water or milk. Being honest though, I can literally eat whatever I want, and as much as I want, and I dont put on a thing. I do have a decent metabolism, so I think she may have inherited it to a certain extent too.

I hate the way parents let their children get obese. In a lot of cases its like mother like daughter (father like son). Whats worse is when they are about 10 or 11 and rather large, walking around with a t-shirt that was bought for a "normal" 10 or 11 year old, and it only covers half their stomach. The issue is that alot of their parents are simply dillusional.

Canard

Doesnt excercise = faster matabolism?

"Oh, it's my matabolism."
"Oh, I'm too lazy to excercise, so my being lazy leads to my staying fat."

Kipperhell

Patchy~ wrote: »

Doesnt excercise = faster matabolism?

Basically yes. So being overweight tends to mean you have a faster metabolism as it takes more energy for an elephant to walk than a mouse.

I swear I remember one fat kid in my class in primary school and now I see groups of kids fatter than him at the same age.

Buford T Justice

Kipperhell wrote: »

That may apply for things like getting hooked on drugs but once you notice there is a problem to continually make the choice not to do something it becomes different.

One of the parents on knowing her child was morbidly obese just didn't bother correcting matters. She also fought with the school over healthy lunch programs. The child really doesn't have much chance if at 6 their parents don't do anything.

That child doesn't really have a choice as they don't have any control in any real sense. The previous show had the likely path of these children as it showed 12-13 olds.

The old saying "There is no excuse for fat children or pets" really does come into play. Excuse those with medical reasons and it is really true, although I obviously think the medical reasons are exaggerated.

I'm talking about bad choices on behalf of the parents Kipper, not the child

Kipperhell

Fingers McGee wrote: »

I'm talking about bad choices on behalf of the parents Kipper, not the child

As was I. It is not a choice thing as they are actively ignoring the actual reality when confronted with it and refuse to take advice. That isn't a matter of choice but rather an unwillingness to accept reality.

Thirty Thirty

Kipperhell wrote: »

Basically yes. So being overweight tends to mean you have a faster metabolism as it takes more energy for an elephant to walk than a mouse.

I swear I remember one fat kid in my class in primary school and now I see groups of kids fatter than him at the same age.

Yeah, there used to be one, maybe two ridiculed boys in my class, now you see humungous young fatties everywhere. But look at adults too: I am 6ft and well built (around 13.5 stone) yet when I go to Dunnes or Penneys for a t-shirt or underwear, I take a small (or the odd time a medium) in size. No way am I a small or medium man, but the sizes seem to have gotten massive due to people getting fatter. I'd love to see the change in average waist sizes from 1940s and up.

Kipperhell

Thirty Thirty wrote: »

No way am I a small or medium man, but the sizes seem to have gotten massive due to people getting fatter.

Mass clothing sizes are really weird. I normally have to get a large as the shoulders are too small. A real pain as at 5 foot 8 the rest of the fit can be awful. Trying on coats is the worst as the waist is bellowing so I tend to get one with adjustable belts at the back which tend to go in and out of fashion.

Can never wear skinny jeans as my thighs and calves just aren't that skinny. Think Popeye and you have a real idea of my legs. It is my natural shape rather than some body building thing. Overweight is a separate issue to varying body shape

Bandit12

rarnes1 wrote: »

Fat = Laziness in the vast majority of cases.

ie, too lazy to cook a decent meal.

I'm afraid this is the correct answer. There is one woman on our estate and she never walks her (two fat) kids down the road to school. Half a mile at most. I've actually never seen her even walk up the road with her kids or play on the green area in front of our house with her kids. In fact the only one time i've seen her and the kids together is in the car. Feel sorry for the childern actually because they have a mother like that. She must actually be domino pizza's best customer in the whole of Ireland. At least 3 evenings a week you'll see the bike pull into her driveway.

poisonated

I was reading an article yesterday which was saying that if people keep eating the way they do,in 40 years everyone will be obese.It was saying that we have progressively gained more and more weight each year(as a nation).That is a little off topic but somewhat interesting none the less.
I think these shows on tv are really cruel.There is another one called "embaressing bodies".I do not understand how people would want to either watch it or be on it.It is particuraly cruel that these children are being presented in such a way on tv.It wouldn't be the best for their confidence.

Borneo Fnctn

"It's just so hard to find healthy food at an affordable price," I believe is a common excuse. And to be fair, it's not cheap to eat healthy food by the wheelbarrow.

Abi

Borneo Fnctn wrote: »

"It's just so hard to find healthy food at an affordable price," I believe is a common excuse. And to be fair, it's not cheap to eat healthy food by the wheelbarrow.

How so?

genericguy

fatness in the vast majority of its forms can be beaten by hard work and excercise. it is very rarely the result of genetics - people see fat parents with a fat kid, and accept genetics as an explanation, but maybe, just maybe, the fat parent eats rubbish and feeds her child rubbish too.

Borneo Fnctn

Abigayle wrote: »

How so?

Y'know... if you're eating cheap fast food by the wheelbarrow, it's going to cost more to fill the wheelbarrow with supposedly more expensive healthy food.

Kipperhell

Borneo Fnctn wrote: »

Y'know... if you're eating cheap fast food by the wheelbarrow, it's going to cost more to fill the wheelbarrow with supposedly more expensive healthy food.

Well you shouldn't eat a wheelbarrow amount of food to start with. You certainly won't feel as full or satisfied with healthy food. The TV show was not about affordability but mostly ignorance. Fresh veg and the like can be more expensive than frozen odds and ends mushed into the shape of a teddy bear or dinosaur.

The actual show is more like the 7-up shows than the exploitative shows that are normally about fatness. They plan to revisit the children in a few years and have given the straight forward advice and full medical assessments as opposed to examining their poo.

az2wp0sye65487

I saw the documentary myself, and I saw last week's installment of it also.

With kids that age, it really is the parents that you have to blame. The kids rely on their parents to feed them, and in most cases the parents are over-feeding them, as well as feeding them the wrong types of food.

As for the ones blaming the child's metabolism, or that Geordie bird saying she thinks her kids look more healthy being 'big'.... what a moron.

There was a part during the documentary where the kids are brought and tested; weighed, heart rate & breathing checked while on a treadmill, and a kind of MRI scan / x-ray thing done.

She was asked if she thought her child was overweight - she answered "no"
They then showed her the scan which showed the skeleton, the lean mass, and the fat on top of that, and they told her the child's BMI - basically told her how obese the child is; and asked her if she was shocked by this - she answered "no" again....

So you think your child is a normal healthy weight, but at the same time are not shocked when informed that the child is obese..... That doesn't add up.

She gave off a vibe of 'these are my kids and nobody knows how to be a mother better than I do' - what a geebag!

JuliusCaesar

Remember Jamie Oliver trying to get kids to eat healthily at school?

"At one school in Rotherham, mothers were photographed pushing burgers and fish and chips from local takeaways through the railings to make sure that their children ate. '

Borneo Fnctn

Kipperhell wrote: »

Well you shouldn't eat a wheelbarrow amount of food to start with.

I totally agree, that was my point.

The TV show was not about affordability but mostly ignorance

I wasn't referring to this particular show but I've heard the argument elsewhere.

Kipperhell

Amiyah Young Cabinet wrote: »

So you think your child is a normal healthy weight, but at the same time are not shocked when informed that the child is obese..... That doesn't add up.

She just really seemed to have a problem with authority. I would guess she has spent time in prison based on her attitude and tattoos. Her husband seemed to be bothered but when they came back to them he seemed to have changed his mind. She actively told her child that the teachers were wrong about healthy eating too:eek:

She also referred to herself as slim but her clothes were bulging all over the place.

syklops

If you ask me the reason for childhood obesity is the recession. Parents are fattening up the kids so they can have a cheap alternative to turkey at christmas.

Dublin141

The mother that a couple of people have referred to was completely in denial at how unhealthy her child's diet was. She was on the defensive about it constantly it seemed and did not like being told what to do. I don't know how she could sit there and seem totally unconcerned that her kid was obese.

Judging by the portion sizes and types of meals most of the families were eating, people have no idea what kind of portions to serve and more importantly what kinds of food are filling versus fattening. People order takeaways out of laziness mostly and probably to avoid the battle with their kids to eat something they've cooked. One of the little girls on that program ate decent food at her childminder's home but not for her own mother. That hints to parents being too soft and giving in too easily which was pretty obvious in that show too. None of the parents were in good shape themselves which means that if they don't have a healthy lifestyle then they are unlikely to provide one for their children. I don't think some people realise how bad things are until they become serious.

After watching that I'm really concerned about my own children. None of them are overweight but who knows what kind of an attitude they will have towards food when they are teenagers. Judging by that show, I can only lead by example.