Sensitive Subject: Overweight Kids at Disney and in USA in General

[raidermatt]

Generalizations can be useful, and can be true. It is true that Americans are more overweight than they used to be. (That includes me, though I'm working on it and making progress... sorry, have to toot my own horn once in awhile... )

For most, it is at least somewhat controllable.

That leads to the generalizations some make when seeing overweight people, assuming they are simply choosing not to do anything about it.

In most cases, they're probably right, but in a significant number, its not that simple.

We should probably be a little more careful when we make those generalizations, and at the same time, take things a bit less personally when they don't apply to us anyway.

 

[shortbun]

Yesterday, my DS's school lunch was: tater tots, goldfish, chicken nuggets, milk and orange juice. Recipe for a stomach ache and
childhood obesity. The tater tots are considered veggies, the
chicken nuggets maybe some protein, full fat milk and watered
down juice with goldfish crackers(I don't know what food group
these satisfy, really) No fiber, no vegetables, poor protein.
Lucky for him, his mom insists on real food for the other two meals
he gets. To answer those of you wondering why his lunch is
not packed-he can't sit by his friends then because the enlightened lunch people can't figure out how to put packers and
buyers at the same tables. geesh.
BTW, my son the very active 8yo with a body that is all muscle,
rode a stroller at WDW this past December because he had just
had influenza A the week before and was very weak. I really hate
it when folks rush to judgement no knowing what they are talking about. It's simply mean.

 

[Mermaid02]

My name is Mermaid and I'm overweight- please go easy on the flogging. Seriously, it's my fault that I'm fat. I eat too much and don't exercise enough. I have a condition in my hip called, "Avascular necrosis" Essentially it is a dead spot on the bone of the hip and it hurts- ALL THE TIME but worse with a lot of walking. It's a double edged sword- if I lost weight, it would feel better, but I need to walk to lose the weight.

We have 2 children one of which is overweight and the other obviously has my MIL's metabolism and is quite slender- they are fed the SAME meals and snacks.

As far as letting them play outside, I am very protective. We live in a nice neighborhood (upper middle class to upperclass- we bought the worst house in the best neighborhood we could afford) but a friend one street over came home yesterday to a notice that a "violent sexual offender of a 5 year old girl" live 5 houses up from him. A lot of people here do let their 6 and 7 year olds run "free" I am not willing to take that chance.

 

[legs22]

Just because someone is thin on the outside does not mean they are heart healthy on the inside. I've always been thin but I found out a couple years ago that my percent body fat was way too high and I brought it down with exercise. And I remember seeing the inside of blood vessels of a young boy and there were already streaks of plaque inside!

Mermaid- There are other options to exercise besides walking. Maybe you might be able to do a NONweightbearing exercise like cycling or swimming?

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by shortbun
Yesterday, my DS's school lunch was: tater tots, goldfish, chicken nuggets, milk and orange juice. Recipe for a stomach ache and
childhood obesity.

I agree completely. School lunches tend to be high fat, esp chicken nuggets and pizza. What we started doing was at middle school age, mine brought their lunch, usually a turkey sandwich and Juice. That was the lunch they ate daily.

Another trend I see in my neighborhood is none of the kids ride a friggin bike anymore. There are electric scooters, electric motorbikes, four wheelers, etc. The kids are out in my area ...and riding motorized vehicles!No physical exertion at all.

 

[aprilgail2]

Not many kids ride bikes here either...my daughter rides on the sidewalks which is actually against the law here but kids can't ride in the streets like we used to because cars come down the blocks here like they are on a major highway and its deadly for them to ride in the streets. We also used to play kickball in the street and baseball....neither of which you can do naymore and you just can't let your 7 year old go 1/2 mile away on their own to the school field and play.

 

[Hillbeans]

My only comment here is that you don't have to send your kids outside alone for 2 hours to the park....go with them.

I find i'm one of the only parents at the park with a handful of kids who are alone, young kids too. I don't plan on ever sending my kid outside alone to the park...ok, maybe when he's 21...

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Hillbeans
My only comment here is that you don't have to send your kids outside alone for 2 hours to the park....go with them.
:

That may be easy for some but when you are a single working parent you don't always have 2 hours a day to spend at the park! The one thing we do every day is take a walk together around the block...its not 2 hours at the park but it is our time together.

 

[Hillbeans]

Aprilgale2, I was in no way directing this to you, and I too am a working mom who gets home late. There were alot of comments on this thread, which got very OT, about how people don't feel comfortable sending their kids outside for hours to the park unsupervised.

I'm not a big advocate of sending kids anywhere alone (park, bus-stop, etc) and i'd much rather take a 20 minute walk with my DS then send him out for hours by himself.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Originally posted by Pixie_Dust
We have lived in the northern California Bay Area for many years, and I am sorry to report that pnelson's shallow, rude, mean personality is very common. Look on the bright side, at least most of you don't have to deal with people like that every single day. It *will* just roll off her back; that is part of the typical arrogance, so I suggest ignoring her. In regards to my earlier post, heh heh, if you get dissed by someone like her on Main Street, maybe you can use the "stroller attack," lol

I have joked with DH that I'd never want to live in California, because the people who live there seem to be no fun. From what you see on television, in magazines, etc., it seems like an image-obsessed culture with all the food fads and plastic surgery. The great competition to see who can be most beautiful and outwit the aging process. I guess this is mostly due to Hollywood. And as long as we keep worshipping the Jennifer Anistons and Ryan Seacrests of the world, that culture will continue.

But of course I'm just generalizing, and I wouldn't turn down an all-expense paid vacation to the California wine country.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My only hope is that this thread doesn't discourage someone from going to Disney World due to their weight. I won't be looking at you because you're overweight, I will be smiling at you because you are having fun with your family at the happiest place on earth.

Lori

 

[JoNo]

I wasn't going to touch this thread with a 10 foot pole, but now I feel obliged.

I consider myself overweight by about 30-40 lbs. As a teenager I was skinny. Now, and I don't know why, I am overweight. medically I am fine. food wise I don't eat junkfood, almost everything in my house is low or no fat & I get plenty of exercise. I walk 3.5 miles a day. EVERYDAY. Don't ask me why I'm overweight, I just am. I don't know why. I think everyone has the right to be the way they WANT to be and no one should punish them for it. Being a big person, I torment myself every time I look in a mirror or see my full-body reflection in a window. I don't need someone else to tell me i'm fat, I already knew that. I don't need someone preaching to me about being skinny (again) because it wasn't very long ago and I remember how I was then. I don't want anyone's pity either. I get looked at & called ugly sometimes. I've gotten used to it. I try and change to fit society's mental image of the way I should be, but nothing I do works. Don't blame fast food, don't blame anyone or anything. Just blame yourself for saying "if you're not skinny, I don't want to know you." Why not support us and try to help? Some of the best people in the world are a little big, or chunky, or fat. Sometimes it's not just the body, it's the spirit, soul, and inside that counts.

Now that I've raged and ranted, i'm done here

 

[Microcell]

I guess I just plow through life and don't pay attention to how people look at me or what they say. People are so nice here in the midwest, I don't see even severely overweight people being taunted here, or believe me, I would say something. If my kids stare, I encourage them to say hi and if they don't I usually will say it for them. In the words of Rodney King "Can't we all just get along?"

 

[C.Ann]

I am stick-rail-thin and always have been.. Right now I weigh about 97 lbs.. I'm sure part of it is my metabolism - but the bigger part is that I have a very stressful life and can literally go for 3 full days without eating one bite of food.. NOTHING.. Now tell me that's a "healthier" lifestyle.. It's not..

It's not fair to judge people by their size if you don't know their circumstances.. My DH is very overweight right now - a combination of medications, health problems, steroids and being able to do nothing but sit in a recliner with his oxygen 24/7.. He was not like this prior to being diagnosed with cancer and a host of other health problems.. If someone were to make fun of him - or ask how he can "look at himself in the mirror" - I'm afraid I would have to seriously hurt that person..

As for people allowing their children to ride in strollers in Disney World? Forcing a small child to walk miles and miles - in the heat and humidity - for 7 days straight - borders on child abuse in my book.. I don't care how active or physically fit a child is - a Disney vacation is not the "norm" and would (and does) tire out even the most physically fit adults..

If seeing overweight people - and children in strollers - in the parks is so upsetting, then I think someone needs to stay home!

 

[barbeml]

VERY well said.

 

[Cruise04]

I will say one thing because the focus of this topic pisses me off tremendously and the absolute focus that people can't accept people for who they are - they have to accept them for the size they are and are always very judgmental that it is because they are lazy, eat badly, and get no exercise!!!!

Just because someone is overweight <b>DOES NOT </b> always mean they are out of shape. I know many overweight people that are very in shape, eat very healthy, exercise, and have been told by their physicians that they are healthy, but their size and appearance does not prove that. And right off the bat people automatically assume they are lazy, fat people.

And yes, before anyone asks, I am overweight and have struggled with this my whole entire life. We did not get to sit in front of the television when I was little, did not have junk food in my house and we were forced outside as much as possible. I had a point in my life that, now I've been told, I was on the verge of an eating disorder because of the way people judged me in school because I was heavy. How do you think eating disorders get started - by topics and focuses like this!!!

 

[momof2inPA]

Overweight people at WDW don't bother me a bit, because they do not have any effect on my life or my vacation.

The only unhealthy habit that bothers me on vacation is smoking-- yuk. And so many people use this extremely unhealthy habit to try to stay thin or lose weight. I would much rather see someone who is overweight than smell someone smoking.

 

[Blondie]

Originally posted by JoNo
Sometimes it's not just the body, it's the spirit, soul, and inside that counts.

Words of wisdom, my friend. Words of wisdom!

 

[Deb in IA]

You know, "Shallow Hal" was a pretty good movie . . .

 

[FINFAN]

and people say KIDS are cruel......as many have expressed, there are a million explanations for a persons appearance, (not that anyone should feel obligated to have to explain) but at this moment my DD is playing a familiar tune on the piano..."when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are" I think that pretty much sums things up in a beautiful way.

people are people...at the parks or anywhere..


Life is good....y'know?

Pam