WTH Plus size clothes for kids!?! vent

[ducklite]

first off I am not talking about myself I am talking about low income families. Second, trust me I can't always afford bulk and low income families definately can't. a lot of people already budget to buy stuff on sale as it is. If groundbeef is on sale we eat a lot of ground beef for the next 2 week. If chicken is on sale we eat a lot of chicken for the next 2 weeks and I would be considered middle class. Pre-packaged food is cheaper. I am not saying that is what I eat normally, but some families may only be able to afford things like that. $7 a meal may be too much for some people. You just don't know everyone's situation. Also, the closest Super Target to me is 45 minutes away. That would be a lot of gas. Also, a lot of low income families rely on public transportation. They have limited places to shop. They don't have the luxury of driving from sale to sale.

You're missing the point. ALL grocery stores have sales. It might not be exactly what you are looking for, but the sales are there. If you want peaches in January, expect to pay dearly for them. In May they are usually on sale or at least in season. You can prepare fresh meals for the same cost as prepackaged if you use a little common sense about it. And even if it's only an extra pound a week of meat at a greatly reduced cost, or a couple cans of tomato sauce when it's on sale, pick it up, I'm telling you, in time you will be able to cut your grocery bill in half buy being able to buy only what's on sale.

Anne

 

[kristen821]

I looked up the price on line and a major grocery store by me for the same things listed above in the sales add here are the prices


oranges- $4 a bag, but are buy one get on free which is a great deal
apples- weren't in the weekly add so I am assuming they aren't on sale
Chicken Breast-$4.99/lb
pork loin-$2.99/lb
Also, I don't usually cook prepackaged food, but I did get a bag of pot roast and chicken and dumplings for the slow cooker for $4.79 that is cheap and that is what some people have to go for. I only got it because I work third shift 2 times a week and that is sometimes just a lot easier for me.
I forgot to look up the price for salad, but as you can see prices aren't the same everywhere. I am not saying I don't go for the sales. Trust me I do. But if you are low income you can't even afford the sales let alone buying extra for bulk. It is very rare I have extra money to buy in bulk. Trust me I see my budget!
This tread isn't about what is on sale it is about obesity in children (kind of) All I was saying is that low income families can't alway afford the healthy food and that is why they are higher risk for being obese. I saw that on the news by the way. I am just saying that you can't alway judge a bigger child because you don't know the backround the child has.

 

[Disneyrsh]

GIVE ME A BREAK ! My daughter is NOT fat just because she wears plus size jeans. She has a slightly rounded tummy that doesn't fit right in average size pants. She DOES eat right and she IS physically active. You have no right to make this assumption. At her last checkup she was in the 85% for height and 95% for weight. The doctor saw no problem in her weight, so what is your problem? I am always aware of what & how much my family eats. She has gym at school every day, karate 2x a week, as well as just being a very active "tomboy".

Have you done a body mass index on her? What percent of her body weight is fat, and what percent is lean muscle. It is certainly possible for your kid to be in the 95% and be lean muscle. However, you should also know that carrying extra weight around your stomach increases your risk exponentially in adulthood of heart disease, diabetes, and other weight related illnesses. "Tummy fat" is THE most dangerous kind of fat to have.

And to the person who said "not necessarily", um, it's pretty simple: you get fat when you consume more calories than you burn. You either consume fewer calories, burn more of them, or you put on weight.

Society now has tried to complicate the whole weight issue, to add emotional baggage to it and make it an "illness".

It's not. You eat too much, you get fat. Any other explanation is bulls*t.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't think we have to lok any further than the title of this thread to see why so many of us are offended.

"WTH Plus size clothes for kids!?! vent" does not scream a warm and fuzzy "I'm so concerned about the health of the children of the world and lets all work together to help the little ones"

Rather, it screams of "I'm a better parent than you and you and your fat children should be ashamed of yourself!...I can look through walls and tell how pathetic your parenting skills are!"

BTW, I do think there's a growing weight problem in our country. God knows my whole family struggles with it continually (mind you, I said struggle, not give up and gorge). However, there has always been a need for plus size clothing. There just wasn't any available up until now. Children in the past were forced to buy ill fitting adult clothes or frumpy homemade clothes. Yes, there are more bigger children now, but not as many as the OP implies.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

You're exactly right about why the posts from the OP are so offensive. I certainly won't deny that there's a weight problem in this country -- I certainly suffer from it myself, and I've often commented that there are far more morbidly obese kids in school than there ever were when I was a child. I'm not talking chubby, I'm talking morbidly obese (which as far as I've seen, some of these poor kids wouldn't even be able to buy clothes from the plus size sections I've seen at Walmart). My DD is chubby -- she has a tummy on her that she could stand to lose, but otherwise she's fine. She doesn't wear the children's plus size clothes, but I'm getting this feeling from the OP and a couple of other posters that it's such a shameful thing. We should all be so ashamed if our kids wear plus size clothes, enjoy drinking sodas, like cookies, and want to eat at a fast food restaurant once in a while. Oh, and for the record, I'm extremely overweight and probably eat at McDonald's (or insert any other FF restaurant here) twice a year. My kids probably get a Happy Meal (or any other FF kid's meal) once a month or less.

Yet to hear the OP tell it, as soon as she sees us in the store (as we're one of "those families"), she knows that this is the way we live our lives. I'm sure she knows all about ASSumptions, though, right?

This is a problem with society in general, not just parents. Sit down and take a look at your school's lunch menu and see what's being offered. I don't feed my kids that kind of crap at home (every day there're hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza, chicken patties, french fries). Everywhere you look, we're inundated with images of fast food restaurants and quick, easy meals. Several people on here have covered the cost of buying healthy meals for their families -- and I agree with Ducklite that it is possible to eat healthy on a budget, but when you've got single moms & dads working 2-3 jobs just to put a roof over their heads, isn't it easier just to come home and open up a box of Hamburger Helper? Regardless, they're doing the best they can with the tools and information they've got.

The funny thing about shame -- you can never really cause people to change by using shame against them. OP, if you're truly concerned about causing change in this world, you might want to change your tactics just a wee bit and shoot for a more positive attitude. If judgmental is what you're going for, then you've got it down pat.

 

[Marseeya]

Society now has tried to complicate the whole weight issue, to add emotional baggage to it and make it an "illness".

It's not. You eat too much, you get fat. Any other explanation is bulls*t.

And here we have it. Straight from the horse's ***... er, I mean mouth.

 

[Disneyrsh]

And you would know this because you have what sort of expertise in it? Give me a break!

I lived in Japan, honey.

 

[Marseeya]

I am a bit heavier than most girls my age (14) ...But just so you know, it is really hard for kids to be heavier; And I thought adults were mature enough to believe in the morals that "you can't judge a book by it's cover" but in this case, I guess I was wrong. Reading what the OP posted made me realize, not only do I have to watch out for criticism from the people I know and meet, but from full grown adults who may see me in a store or something.

Trust me, honey, adults can be every bit as shallow and immature as the next guy. But we're not all like that. You just have to learn to ignore their ignorance and rest easy knowing you have the higher moral ground.

 

[kristen821]

Have you done a body mass index on her? What percent of her body weight is fat, and what percent is lean muscle. It is certainly possible for your kid to be in the 95% and be lean muscle. However, you should also know that carrying extra weight around your stomach increases your risk exponentially in adulthood of heart disease, diabetes, and other weight related illnesses. "Tummy fat" is THE most dangerous kind of fat to have.

And to the person who said "not necessarily", um, it's pretty simple: you get fat when you consume more calories than you burn. You either consume fewer calories, burn more of them, or you put on weight.

Society now has tried to complicate the whole weight issue, to add emotional baggage to it and make it an "illness".

It's not. You eat too much, you get fat. Any other explanation is bulls*t.

I'm sorry but this is extremely rude there are more reasons for being overweight then that.

 

[Marseeya]

I lived in Japan, honey.

You certainly didn't learn anything about politeness while you were there, did you? Most of my Japanese friends would be appalled by your statements.

 

[dismom9761]

I don't deny that there is a problem where childhood obesity is concerned.I work at a daycare and see it every day.And yes I do see that alot of the parents contribute to this by feeding them junk for breakfast each morning and treats each afternoon.What I don't agree with is that every child who wears plus sized clothes should be lumped into one category.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

WhaT I think is sad how the OP has repeatly stated her opinions on the "terrible parents" throughout these pages.

As as people stated before it's definetly a case of "I'm better than you" attitude.

The living/food expenses is higher in Chicago, New York than Florida. I'm sure there are other cities too.

 

[Disneyrsh]

You certainly didn't learn anything about politeness while you were there, did you? Most of my Japanese friends would be appalled by your statements.

I'm sure. Domo.

 

[Disneyrsh]

I'm sorry but this is extremely rude there are more reasons for being overweight then that.

I find it hilarious that people get so angry when presented with any sort of truth that they're not interested in hearing.

What's rude about doing a BMI on your kid so you know, hey, that's lean muscle mass, she's doing great, or hey, her BMI is high, the way I'm feeding her is exposing her to adult illnesses, I need to work on changing how we eat so we're leaner and healthier.

Yeah, that's *so* rude.

And let me tell you, it's hard as hell to stay at a healthy weight without resorting to bad eating habits, not eating at all, or being hungry all the time.

That's what people are getting so angry at, because most of us fail to consistently eat healthy and feed our families well on a regular basis because there is *so much* bad food out there!

 

[kristen821]

I find it hilarious that people get so angry when presented with any sort of truth that they're not interested in hearing.

What's rude about doing a BMI on your kid so you know, hey, that's lean muscle mass, she's doing great, or hey, her BMI is high, the way I'm feeding her is exposing her to adult illnesses, I need to work on changing how we eat so we're leaner and healthier.

Yeah, that's *so* rude.

And let me tell you, it's hard as hell to stay at a healthy weight without resorting to bad eating habits, not eating at all, or being hungry all the time.

That's what people are getting so angry at, because most of us fail to consistently eat healthy and feed our families well on a regular basis because there is *so much* bad food out there!

Read the rest of your post. I am not talking about the bmi

 

[ducklite]

It's not. You eat too much, you get fat. Any other explanation is bulls*t.

And how do you explain the example I gave of my son who was put on a medication that caused him to gain 20 pounds in two months without any change to his diet or activity level? He was a 28 waist at 6' tall. He ballooned to a 33 waist. After being weaned off the medication he lost the 5" he had gained, again with no change in diet or activity level. So until you know everyone's medical history, you should learn to keep your mouth shut instead of making broad statements that have no merit and as you put it so eloquently "is bullsh*t."

Anne

 

[Christine]

You certainly didn't learn anything about politeness while you were there, did you? Most of my Japanese friends would be appalled by your statements.

Actually, I'm not the poster of the "Japanese" statements, but I lived in Japan too and, the Japanese were awfully cruel towards overweight people (and some others too). I had a job where I worked with several Japanese nationals and you wouldn't believe how unaccepting they were when they saw some overweight Americans.

 

[Christine]

And how do you explain the example I gave of my son who was put on a medication that caused him to gain 20 pounds in two months without any change to his diet or activity level? He was a 28 waist at 6' tall. He ballooned to a 33 waist. After being weaned off the medication he lost the 5" he had gained, again with no change in diet or activity level. So until you know everyone's medical history, you should learn to keep your mouth shut instead of making broad statements that have no merit and as you put it so eloquently "is bullsh*t."

Anne

Anne, I don't think anyone is refuting the fact that there are people who have special circumstances. But there aren't SO many of them that the marketers have decided to expand their clothing lines. Your son's case is the exception, not the norm--and yes, it would be a shame that he would be judged poorly because of his condition. It still doesn't explain the childhood obesity epidemic. They aren't all on medication. When my son was 6, he had a terrible asthma attack and was hospitalized for a week. He was put on high doses of prednisone for that week and then took it for the next two months. His face ended up looking like a "moonface" and none of his clothes fit. A few people (my friends) remarked to me that he had picked up some weight. I knew it was the medication and wasn't bothered by it all. When the medication was stopped, he lost the weight in a few months. These are all isolated incidents that don't drive the clothing market.

 

[Disneyrsh]

And how do you explain the example I gave of my son who was put on a medication that caused him to gain 20 pounds in two months without any change to his diet or activity level? He was a 28 waist at 6' tall. He ballooned to a 33 waist. After being weaned off the medication he lost the 5" he had gained, again with no change in diet or activity level. So until you know everyone's medical history, you should learn to keep your mouth shut instead of making broad statements that have no merit and as you put it so eloquently "is bullsh*t."

Anne

Oh, God, for crying out loud. Medication will of course affect your body, in ways that are not even fully understood yet. We're just discovering the damage good ol' Tylenol can do to us, and that's been around for years.

There are of course exceptions, there are to any rule, as any sane person understands. But for the vast, vast, vast majority of overweight people it is the fact that they just eat too much and they don't get enough exercise. There are of COURSE medical exceptions like your son, but he's a vanishingly small minority, and therefore shouldn't be included in a discussion regarding diet/exercise-related obesity.

And uh, to the people who say " I feed both my kids the same way and one is heavy and one isn't". Well, they're not identical, they have different dietary needs and activity level needs. If one has a high BMI, then you're not meeting the needs of the heavy one by feeding him/her the same as the thin one.

And I would like to point out that the nasty personal attacks you have been aiming at me do nothing for the validity of your arguments.

 

[thelionqueen]

Just another chime in. When we are at Disney or any other place other than home (mall included) I will splurge and let my kids have a soda, an orange julius, lemonade, etc. That does not mean I give them an IV of it. They drink mainly water and milk and juice, don't assume a child with a soda is all they drink.

Also, after being in total disbelief at some of these posts, I had to chime in one last time.

I honestly think the OP is one of "those people" we warn our children about. Someone who has an "I'm better than you" philosophy and has to put down others (in this case other people's children) to put herself, her parenting "skills", or her children above others.

I always tell my children if someone is being mean or thoughtless to ignore them, they have low self esteem and are using you to try to build it up. Sounds like good advice in this situation. I sincerely hope the OP learns a lesson from this post as well. You are an example to your children, be a good one.

 

[Marseeya]

Actually, I'm not the poster of the "Japanese" statements, but I lived in Japan too and, the Japanese were awfully cruel towards overweight people (and some others too). I had a job where I worked with several Japanese nationals and you wouldn't believe how unaccepting they were when they saw some overweight Americans.

The friends I had must have been the exceptions in kindness then. They would have never said an unkind word about anybody.

If we want examples of cruelty, we need look no farther than our own backyards. Or the Disboards.

Frankly, I'm surprised that you've been coming to the defense of the OP! For the most part, I've agreed with your point of view throughout, but you've been far more respectful about it. It's one thing to be concerned about a problem, but quite another to be hateful about it, which is what I've been seing since her first post, and then later Disneyrsh's posts.