Fat children

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http://www.herald.ie/national-news/rush-for-big-communion-outfits-to-fit-fat-children-2567263.html

FIRST Communion outfits are getting bigger to cater for the expanding waistlines of young Irish children.
Retailers are reporting that they have had to stock hundreds of extra made-to-order oversized dresses and trousers.
Some girls now require dresses with a 48-inch chest-size, and increasing numbers of boys are wearing trousers with waists of up to 38 inches.
Doris Healy, who runs Communion costume retailers The Sisters in Tallaght, said oversized outfits accounted for 20pc of her sales.
"Certainly 10 years ago, everyone could fit into regular-sized outfits and it was very rare to see a child who was obese. But things have changed dramatically since then.
"A few years ago I started to notice we were having problems, because girls were coming in and we just didn't have dresses big enough for them to fit into.
"The same was the case for boys. We didn't have big enough trousers for them.
"Every year, we have to order bigger sizes and more of them to accommodate the customers."
She said that she began noticing the trend during the boom years. Her recent customers have included an eight-year-old who weighed 12 stone.
"She was swigging from a bottle of coke and her mother promised to take her to McDonald's if she was good," she added.
It is thought that almost one in four boys (23pc) on the island is either overweight or obese. And the rates are higher in girls, with 28pc said to be overweight or obese. The problem is more severe in the Republic than in Northern Ireland.

Experts say that the reality is that, for all but a minority who have medical conditions, the pounds are piling on because of their diet and exercise levels.
The advice is that children and teenagers should be encouraged to taste everything on their plate, but they also need to be allowed to decide when they have had enough.
Last year, it emerged that one of the country's biggest chain stores was now selling plus-sized school uniforms, in response to demand from parents desperate to find a uniform to fit.
Meanwhile, it was revealed last week that that cash-strapped mothers are being forced to sell off their children's Communion outfits to make ends meet.

I think this getting sad tbh,are we going to have children keeling over next of a heart attack

Blatter

Parents need to take more responsibility for their childrens weight. The crap they let their children eat is ridiculous.

Shryke

It's down to the parent. That's where the majority of a child's diet comes from. Stuff them full of crap food in huge servings and wonder why they're so big. It is sad and the kids are going to have poorer lives unless they sort themselves out.

Fukuyama

I was discussing this with my girlfriend last night - find it shocking.

It's not the kid's fault either yet they're the ones who get all the negative effects. Can't imagine teen years will be great

Might be helped by a larger number of fat kids though - they could form their own private security firm or something to thwart the pokes, belly slaps and 'mounting'

Chaotic_Forces

Dean0088 wrote: »

I was discussing this with my girlfriend last night - find it shocking.

It's not the kid's fault either yet they're the ones who get all the negative effects. Can't imagine teen years will be great

Might be helped by a larger number of fat kids though - they could form their own private security firm or something

Actually there are still a lot of fat kids in their teens so it's not that bad.

On the bright side, we can race them and bet!

phasers

It's crappy convenience food combined with parents not letting their kids out to play anymore.

Throw them out in the garden with a carrot once in a while and it'll all be grand.

IvySlayer

Letting your children get overweight = child abuse.

NeedaNewName

IBTD!

whiteboy

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Parents need to take more responsibility for their childrens weight. The crap they let their children eat is ridiculous.

They're too lazy to cook so they feed them take-outs twice a week

Mint Sauce

Kids fed the wrong types of food and to much of it, sit in front of their playstations/xboxes all day, parents won't send them out side or are to scared to let them out side.

I dont remember one overweight kid growing up, during school holidays and weekends, unless there was a storm blowing outdoors we were sent out to play, even if you came in for a drink or go to the loo, it was, 'get back out side!'

mikemac

Kids eat what they're given

I blame the parents in this case

38 inch waist for a boy :eek:
I'm not exactly fighting fit but never came close to a 38 inch waist as a man
In a case like this, the public health nurse needs to come in and give a lecture. Not sure if it'd work but better then nothing

gsxr1

I wish I could get mine to eat!! Its a fight every night to eat the veg.

pragmatic1

I was a fat little bastard when I was a kid. I grew up in the country though and was feed good food. No junk or fizzy drinks. Some people are naturally big boned.

mikemac

gsxr1 wrote: »

I wish I could get mine to eat!! Its a fight every night to eat the veg.

Get out the wooden spoon to encourage them :eek:

rossie1977

38 inch waist for a child of communion age is insane, when you think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime on stage at 240lb during mr olympia had a 34 inch waist

Mrmoe

Survival of the fittest. When the zombies come, and they will, they will be gotten first. Their short stubby legs will easily be outpaced by the most sluggish zombie hoards.

orourkeda

Starve the little f*ckers

sunflower27

That makes for depressing reading, I've read that overweight children often stay overweight adults.

I remember growing up it was all bmx bikes and running around till dinner time, and then out again if there was sunlight. I didn't grow up in Ireland so it is obviously different in a country where warm weather is the norm, but still, it is worrying for these kids

wild_cat

I can only remember one over weight child in my primary school, has the ratio risen over the years?


(I was going to say fattie but im pretty sure it was in her nature to be big so over weight will have to do).

pragmatic1

sunflower27 wrote: »

That makes for depressing reading, I've read that overweight children often stay overweight adults.

I remember growing up it was all bmx bikes and running around till dinner time, and then out again if there was sunlight. I didn't grow up in Ireland so it is obviously different in a country where warm weather is the norm, but still, it is worrying for these kids

Nah it was the same here when I was a kid. Staying outside all day playing. Kids today are nowhere near as active.

Mint Sauce

rossie1977 wrote: »

38 inch waist for a child of communion age is insane, when you think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime on stage at 240lb during mr olympia had a 34 inch waist

As is 12 stone for a kid. I'm not the fittest, and have never been either (big/heavy). 32 waist is as big as I have been.

Wolfe Tone

Little fat bastards inside all day, parents wont let them out for fear of pedos

mikemac

sunflower27 wrote: »

I remember growing up it was all bmx bikes and running around till dinner time, and then out again if there was sunlight. I didn't grow up in Ireland so it is obviously different in a country where warm weather is the norm, but still, it is worrying for these kids

Much the same in Ireland, in the eighties at least.
Put out until it got dark. Cycling your BMX or mountain bike or playing football/hurling/whatever.
Getting run off the GAA pitch if you're weren't supposed to be there. :pac:

There were computer games but not everyone had a Commodore 64 or NES or Master System

I'd say sunflower27, Ireland wasn't that different from your country

PrincessLola

When it comes to their own children, many parents will refuse to believe that they're overweight, they might look at other fat kids and think 'that child needs to go on a diet' but they're too blinded by emotion to see it in their own kids.

Cookie_Monster

its a wide combination of factors, many of which have been mentioned.

But I think also the rise of the both parents working family has a large responsibility for this also. Not so common a generation ago so there was time to prepare good food and throw the kids outa the house cos you were sick of looking at them all day...

Rather than just coming home from work late and getting a take away or similar

starviewadams

I was a pretty heavy kid up until my early teens,all I basically did for a few years was guzzle cola and junk food and play my PS1,I cringe when I see old photo's of just how heavy I was,joined basketball and football teams in secondary school and the weight melted off.38 inch waist on a kid is plain mad though,like I'm a 34 waist now but I'm 6'3!

Maybe more PE and healthy eating initiatives in school would help things a bit.

Blatter

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Little fat bastards inside all day, parents wont let them out for fear of pedos

While this is part of the problem (Kids not getting enough exercise), it's a misconception that it is the major problem.

85% of the problem is diet.

mikemac

What's this driving right to the school gate in your SUV and mount the footpath messing?
God forbid your children walk or cycle to school, the big bad world with paedos everywhere :eek:
And I even accept parents have to go straight to work but do you have to stress yourself to get within five metres of the school gate and then block the footpath?

How did we manage twenty years ago when few enough households had a second car?
You could walk or cycle or some ancient yellow Bus Éireann

On a positive note, our local national school banned fizzy drinks and sweets during sos and lón.
A bottle of coke is a occasional treat, it's nothing something to drink every day, sugary poison imo

Censorsh!t

Even though it was a pain in the ass back then, I'm glad my parents didn't let me out too much crap!

craggles

pragmatic1 wrote: »

I was a fat little bastard when I was a kid. I grew up in the country though and was feed good food. No junk or fizzy drinks. Some people are naturally big boned.

No, you were just fat and unhealthy. No excuse.

sunflower27

feelingstressed wrote: »

Much the same in Ireland, in the eighties at least.
Put out until it got dark. Cycling your BMX or mountain bike or playing football/hurling/whatever.
Getting run off the GAA pitch if you're weren't supposed to be there. :pac:

There were computer games but not everyone had a Commodore 64 or NES or Master System

I'd say sunflower27, Ireland wasn't that different from your country

I still feel the cold here after 11 years so I suppose i can see why kids would want to stay in

We used to play Bullrush (a variation of British Bulldog) and handball... we were out till as late as possible. We were all fit as fiddles. I didn't know many kids that had computers in the 80s though...

gcgirl

I have 3 kids first 2 are skinny 3rd is a little chubbier,I feed them the same food, The eldest i have had trouble trying to get clothes because her waist is thin and usually have to get it taking in,I was a skinny kid, I defiantly think that if the parent has been fat as a kid their kid is going to be fat too, i know of a few girls in the eldest class who are like their fathers who are fat.

mikemac

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

While this is part of the problem (Kids not getting enough exercise), it's a misconception that it is the major problem.

85% of the problem is diet.

+1

Activity is a big factor in fat children

But the main issue is diet. Could be over 400 calories in a burger and that's a hell of a lot of exercise and a sweat to work that off.

It's possible to outtrain a bad diet but it might take hours of activity.

Parents fault. Feed them junk and you just get them addicted to sugar.

orourkeda

Dean0088 wrote: »

I was discussing this with my girlfriend last night - find it shocking.

It's not the kid's fault either yet they're the ones who get all the negative effects. Can't imagine teen years will be great

Might be helped by a larger number of fat kids though - they could form their own private security firm or something to thwart the pokes, belly slaps and 'mounting'

At least they'll be able to **** at that age.

Chaotic_Forces

orourkeda wrote: »

At least they'll be able to **** at that age.

Will they even see it from the fat folds? :P

Swampy

Dust anyone? Dust?

Jake Rugby Walrus666

Weight

--LOS--

I feel sorry for them, it's not their fault, up to their parents to deny them access to crappy food. I never had lunch money or there was rarely nice things in the house and I'm glad for it.

pragmatic1

craggles wrote: »

No, you were just fat and unhealthy. No excuse.

No I actually won medals for athletics and karate. Better than you anyway.

admiralofthefleet

if a fat kid falls in the forest do the trees laugh?

KungPao

I was never fat and I loved playing Mega Drive, SNES and PS1 back when I was a kid/early teen...but usually, video games were played at night time. During the day it was mammoth games of football and cycling off on crazy rambles...eating was an inconvenience, interrupting outside time.

It seems parents don't want their kids out and about because they are afraid something will happen to them, and then feel guilty about it and then give them whatever they want to eat, to ease the guilt.

AnonoBoy

If you're being chased by rabid hounds from hell it's handy to have fat children with you. They slow down fast and it takes the hounds longer to chew through the blubber allowing you to make good your escape.




This post has been another in the 'AnonoBoy's nightmares turned into practical advice' series.

Noodleworm

I'd blame parents mostly.
Kids know there big, and probably don't want to be be but try to ignore it cos when they go home mammy is assuring them their just big boned.
not to mention lack of basic nutritional knowledge.
is it that hard to give your kids healthier food? take them out for a walk every so often. If they complain just tell them your helping them get fit and healthy, compliment them when they put the effort in, etc..

padi89

rossie1977 wrote: »

38 inch waist for a child of communion age is insane, when you think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime on stage at 240lb during mr olympia had a 34 inch waist

Maybe im wrong but i would be inclined to believe that an elite athlete at contest is going to be extremely lean so the comparison just doesn't make sense. Better off comparing to a child of similar age.

kerash

rossie1977 wrote: »

38 inch waist for a child of communion age is insane, when you think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime on stage at 240lb during mr olympia had a 34 inch waist

and pumped full steroids hardly a role model!

TheUsual

I wonder if giving kids loads of pocket money takes away a lot of the control of the parents over what the young nippers eat.

Go into any McDonalds, Supermacs or BurgerKing and it's full of teenagers eating whatever they want (not salad).
Maybe they are being fed 3 good healthy meals a day by their parents but the teenagers have cash now to buy as much other stuff outside of that themselves with no parents around to see.

And as for kids being active, I used to cycle everywhere years ago but I do think that average speeds by ALL drivers on Irish roads are way fast to allow kids to cycle along - ye are too aggressive to safely brake if there is a bicycle on a bend in the road.

Hank_Jones

Obviously kids are getting bigger, but seemingly they spoke to a woman who runs a shop in Tallaght about the subject.

Whole article seems very lazily written to me.

chocgirl

I think we need to stop tip-toeing around this issue as a society. It's not enough to say it's sad and produce statistics on how these children are likely to be fat for the rest of their lives. Parents need to be held responsible, fat tax may be the way to go.

nomh

Fat does add flavour but I generally find it off putting and chewing it makes me nauseous. Lean meat is healthier in any case.

poppyvalley

feelingstressed wrote: »

You could walk or cycle

Ah yes but look at the huge increase in traffic, not to mention paedos and bullying. They're the reasons I would'nt let my young child walk to school or anywhere. It's sad but true

LETHAL LADY

I think this obesity issue is being exaggerated. I have two children one is a picky eater the other loves his food neither are obese. When I bring my older child to school I do not see a schoolyard full of obese children yes there are one or two but in general most kids are what I would consider healthy. I also know a mother who never gives her children any so called bad foods all healthy stuff and the children are f**king miserable.