WTH Plus size clothes for kids!?! vent

[chobie]

If I remember correctly Disneyrsh used to be a model, so she is probably really in touch with eating healthy and maintaining her weight. .

Oh yeah, models only maintain their bodies through healthy lifestyles.

 

[summerrluvv]

I'm so sick of all the excuses I've seen here for why people are fat. It's NOT in your genes, it's NOT your metabolism. Those are excuses!
Arrrgggghhh.

This makes me think of the show "The Biggest Loser." Those people were extremely overweight and look at them after some exercise and diet change. Granted, the exercise was extreme, however, they DID lose the weight

 

[chobie]

Ack. Because most people understood that this is a discussion about diet/exercise related obesity, not medically induced obesity.

No. most people understand this is an "I'm-a-better-parent-than-thou" thread. And yes, we know from previous threads you're a champ when it comes to playing that game. Congratulations.

 

[summerrluvv]

Oh yeah, models only maintain their bodies through healthy lifestyles.

Meaning? I don't think the majority of them are crack addict, laxative, diet pill taking girls. Do you?

 

[Marseeya]

I laugh about the judgemental attitude comment; anybody watch the episode of "My Name Is Earl" where Earl's ex mother in law does all sorts of terrible things to herself and others and then when they look at her she goes "Dontchoo judge me, Earl!"

Frankly, I'm getting tired of being told that "oh, you've got good genes that keep you slim," or "wow, you must have a high metabolism," usually by somebody that's overweight.

How nice of them to totally dismiss all the hard work I do for myself and my family to keep us eating right and at a healthy weight; they take one look at me and say, 'lucky', therefore taking THEMSELVES off the hook for any personal responsibility to take better care of their health.

I'm sick of it!

I work hard to stay healthy and at a healthy weight, and the next time someone with a double-wide fanny makes a snarky comment about MY weight, I'm not going to smile and say "yeah, lucky us" through gritted teeth. What should I say to her, "Oh, poor you, you're so unlucky because of your metabolism?" It's cruel, to say it to me, and it's cruel on the flip side.

I'm so sick of all the excuses I've seen here for why people are fat. It's NOT in your genes, it's NOT your metabolism. Those are excuses! Some people can eat a ton and not get fat. That was my dad. Well, guess what, you can't do that forever, and unless you adapt your eating habits, you WILL get fat, genes and metabolism notwithstanding. People who don't adapt their eating habits to their 'genes' or 'metabolism' and then blame those elements are making excuses. I used to have a very fast 'metabolism' (such a baloney term to begin with), and now it is slower, because EVERYONE'S metabolism gets slower as they age. So now, I eat less and exercise more. And somehow being able to maintain my weight has made me 'lucky'.

Arrrgggghhh.

You have some serious anger issues. Did a fat person sit on you when you were a child or steal your candy or something? Because I really can't understand where all this hostility is coming from otherwise. I honestly can't figure out how anybody else's weight problem could possibly concern you in the least. Are we a blight on your perfect little world?

Time for that walk yet?

 

[chobie]

Meaning? I don't think the majority of them are crack addict, laxative, diet pill taking girls. Do you?

I don't think being a model makes you an expert on health.

 

[kristen821]

I never said my mom let us run outside while she was working. Where on earth did you get that?

How can a singlemother work, help with homework, clean the house, cook dinner. etc. etc. and still be outside with thier kids? I work full time and I am not a single mother and it is still hard for me to find time to run around outside with my kids. So i know it is a whole lot harder for single parents. When did you get to run around outside then? I make as much time as I can for that but it isn't like it used to be when I was a kid and kids were able to run around on the block freely!

 

[summerrluvv]

No. most people understand this is an "I'm-a-better-parent-than-thou" thread. And yes, we know from previous threads you're a champ when it comes to playing that game. Congratulations.

Someone that allows their child to become overweight and sits back and accepts it then does nothing about it, it is a poor parent IMO.

 

[Christine]

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.

I am coming to her defense because in her first post I sensed that she was merely shocked at seeing the expansion of plus-sized clothing for kids. Yes, she made some generalities about how people feed their children. I also realize that this is a message board and you cannot, in one post, convey your specific thoughts. Many, many times I have used generalities in my first posts just to get my thoughts across. She went to Penney's she saw the "large" section of plus-sized clothes and she had a gut reaction to it. And it is true that Americans, for the most part (I can't speak for other countries) do not have the best diets and many parents, unwittingly, feed their kids the wrong foods because they don't know any better. Anyway, I felt that her words were immediately picked apart and more was read into them than she ever intended. But that is just my opinion as I never thought more into than that she was just shocked at how accepting we've become of the increasing obese population.

As for disneyrsh--she also made some good points and I don't think they were offensive unless of course you are in some kind of denial. It is true that everyone is an individual. Some people can have a steady diet of Ring Dings and ice cream. Some can't. It doesn't make one person healthier than the other. It doesn't make the parent of the thin child "better." But if you are the parent of a child who is getting heavy off of the typical foods that kids eat, then it is your responsibility to step in and do something--even if one child is really thin and one is not. I'm sure that people might look in my grocery basket and roll their eyes. I always buy 2 gallons of Turkey Hill Partycake ice cream, a box of Hostess cupcakes, Tostitos, 3 different kinds of sodas, full-fat yogurt, Pop Tarts (I could go on). But, my kids, so far, are doing okay with this. Are they really healthy--probably not. I try to balance it out. Now, if I had even one of my children start to get heavy you can bet I would stop it at once. So, I do have to agree with disneyrsh that there are probably few children who are eating perfectly that have a weight problem. But that doesn't mean anyone is "bad." It is incredibly difficult, in our society, to eat properly.

I know that I work full-time, have a long commute, and very little time to shop and cook. Add to that, that I live in an area that has very poor produce selections. The fruit tastes the wax, the vegetables aren't fully "grown", it is terrible. It is much easier for me to stick with things like potatoes (which always taste good) and pastas.

 

[ducklite]

Disneyrsh--

With the obvious loathing you have of overweight people, and your absolute ignorance of the causes of obesity, I hope your children never develop a metabolic disorder or have to take medication which causes weight gain, because your attitude will do wonders for their self-esteem.

I'd be surprised if you could even look at them because they would become so hideous to you.

Anne

 

[grlpwrd]

A generation ago in Japan a fat kid was unheard of. Now they've got obese teenagers all over the place. Why? Because a generation ago they didn't have mc donalds and KFC.

Kids don't just mysteriously 'get fat'; they get fat because they eat crap. Garbage In, Garbage Out (sorry, geek term).

I'm sorry, but the moms with overweight kids that claim they're feeding them right are just wrong. How can I say that? Well, if you fed your kid 'right' and made sure he/she got enough exercise he/she wouldn't be fat.

I did some research on obesity rates in Japan a few years ago.

It's not just American food that they are eating. They love rich French food so that is a major culprit, too.

Actually, too, the rate for boys ages 9 to 11 over the past decade has the biggest rate in increasing obesity yet boys are the most active compared to girls. Plus, the segment of the population which displays more of an increase in obesity are those who live in metropolitan areas versus those who live in small towns or cities. Also, BMI plays a role in all of this, too.

More specifically, they don't have as huge an obesity problem as here in the US:

The prevalence of obesity in the earliest study period (1976 to 1980) was 6.1% (boys) and 7.1% (girls). These figures have gradually increased and, in the most recent period of 1996 to 2000, 11.1% and 10.2% of boys and girls, respectively, were found to be obese.

Most importantly, the biggest difference between the Japanese and Americans is they are actually doing something about it. They have a national plan in place for health promotion and disease prevention called Health Japan 21.

I agree with summer - diet plays a factor in the obesity issue, but more so if one lives in more sedentary, technogical-oriented, industrialized society.

Just wanted to add that without "hating" on overweight people ... and now this thread has spiraled into "hating" on busy single moms? Whoa.

Disneyrsh, we need to see your pics! ...ETA: Just curious, that's all.

 

[Disneyrsh]

If I remember correctly Disneyrsh used to be a model, so she is probably really in touch with eating healthy and maintaining her weight.

.

Actually, watching those girls destroy themselves with bulimia and anorexia has made me the real bulldog I am today about healthy eating. It is HORRIBLE what those girls do to themselves. I was never thin enough to do the really super skinny runway stuff, but I was okay with what I could do and I enjoyed getting to see the world.

You are absolutey right about me being really in touch about healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight, because I SAW the disastrous results of starvation, anorexia and bulimia. I had a roommate have a heart attack at 19 in NYC because of deliberately starving herself on apples and dry popcorn and liters and liters of water. It's awful, Summerrluvv, and I hope you never see it.

Summerrluvv, you see your friend waste away in front of you so she can get a job doing the Ralph Lauren runway that fall, you learn really fast what's important in life, and it's not being skinny, or being fat. It's being healthy, and being alive.

 

[chobie]

Someone that allows their child to become overweight and sits back and accepts it then does nothing about it, it is a poor parent IMO.

The problem is, for the most part, you don't know which parents have done this and which ones did not. Either way, unless you're 100% sure you are doing everything perfect as a parent you should maybe not be so quick to judge.

 

[summerrluvv]

How can a singlemother work, help with homework, clean the house, cook dinner. etc. etc. and still be outside with thier kids? I work full time and I am not a single mother and it is still hard for me to find time to run around outside with my kids. I make as much time as I can for that but it isn't like it used to be when I was a kid and kids were able to run around on the block freely!

I am a single mother that works full time and does homework with my child, cooks dinner and plays outside with him. Imagine that Of course the playing outside time is limited these days since it's dark at 5pm. There is more to being active though than just playing outside.

 

[ducklite]

Meaning? I don't think the majority of them are crack addict, laxative, diet pill taking girls. Do you?

I would say that a substantial number of them have unhealthy living habits of one type or another. My guess is that very few can claim to be non-smokers, non-drug takers, non-purgers, and healthy eaters.

Anne

 

[FSUGrad97]

I am coming to her defense because in her first post I sensed that she was merely shocked at seeing the expansion of plus-sized clothing for kids. Yes, she made some generalities about how people feed their children. I also realize that this is a message board and you cannot, in one post, convey your specific thoughts. Many, many times I have used generalities in my first posts just to get my thoughts across. She went to Penney's she saw the "large" section of plus-sized clothes and she had a gut reaction to it. And it is true that Americans, for the most part (I can't speak for other countries) do not have the best diets and many parents, unwittingly, feed their kids the wrong foods because they don't know any better. Anyway, I felt that her words were immediately picked apart and more was read into them than she ever intended. But that is just my opinion as I never thought more into than that she was just shocked at how accepting we've become of the increasing obese population.

As for disneyrsh--she also made some good points and I don't think they were offensive unless of course you are in some kind of denial. It is true that everyone is an individual. Some people can have a steady diet of Ring Dings and ice cream. Some can't. It doesn't make one person healthier than the other. It doesn't make the parent of the thin child "better." But if you are the parent of a child who is getting heavy off of the typical foods that kids eat, then it is your responsibility to step in and do something--even if one child is really thin and one is not. I'm sure that people might look in my grocery basket and roll their eyes. I always buy 2 gallons of Turkey Hill Partycake ice cream, a box of Hostess cupcakes, Tostitos, 3 different kinds of sodas, full-fat yogurt, Pop Tarts (I could go on). But, my kids, so far, are doing okay with this. Are they really healthy--probably not. I try to balance it out. Now, if I had even one of my children start to get heavy you can bet I would stop it at once. So, I do have to agree with disneyrsh that there are probably few children who are eating perfectly that have a weight problem. But that doesn't mean anyone is "bad." It is incredibly difficult, in our society, to eat properly.

I don't have a weight problem so I am not "in denial," but both the OP and Disneyrsh's posts were completely judgemental and downright rude. I'm not sure which is worse, their posts or the posters supporting their rudeness.

 

[ducklite]

Someone that allows their child to become overweight and sits back and accepts it then does nothing about it, it is a poor parent IMO.

I agree with this statement. I have two acquaintences from my old neighborhood. Four years ago they both had sons in the 12 year old range who were overweight. One mom talked to her ped about it, and changed her sons diet. He's a big framed kid, so never going to be "slim" but his weight and height are now proportionate, and the mom also lost a few pounds (Dad was a twig to begin with)

The other family, the mom is morbidly obese herself, and dad is just overwhelemd with life--and probably 20 pounds overweight. Their son's weight has ballooned up, he is now morbidly obese at 16. Their younger son who was a healthy weight, is now becoming overweight at age seven. This family has a steady diet of fast food, I do'nt think their kitchen has been cooked in in three years.

Now on a personal basis, I like the overweight family a lot more. But which one do you think I have more respect for?

Anne

 

[phillybeth]

You have some serious anger issues. Did a fat person sit on you when you were a child or steal your candy or something? Because I really can't understand where all this hostility is coming from otherwise. I honestly can't figure out how anybody else's weight problem could possibly concern you in the least. Are we a blight on your perfect little world?

Clap clap clap! You've hit the nail on the head!

 

[chobie]

I don't have a weight problem so I am not "in denial," but both the OP and Disneyrsh's posts were completely judgemental and downright rude. I'm not sure which is worse, their posts or the posters supporting their rudeness.

Well there seems to be a mutual admiration club going on between some people based on their self-proclaimed perfect parenting skills and apparently their physical attributes as well.

 

[kristen821]

If I remember correctly Disneyrsh used to be a model, so she is probably really in touch with eating healthy and maintaining her weight.

Growing up we used to eat a lot of junky food. Not soo much chips and snacks, but frozen pot pies, fish sticks, tater tots, nuggets, kool aid, etc. My mom was a single mother so these options were the most economical to feed three girls. My sisters and I have never had a weight problem. My mom made us play outside when it was nice so we were all active for the most part. I think the children these days are overweight due to the sedentary lifestyles they lead. Too much TV, Video Games, Computer, etc. Not enough activity.

I quoted what you originally said. You said your mom made you play outside. Yes that was easier at the time. You need to realize that mothers in general if they aren't home the minute thier kids get home from school do not have the time to be outside with thier kids. When we were kids we could play outside by ourselves while mom was cooking dinner or cleaning up, but now parents need to be outside with thier children and that is where these sedentary lifestyles come in at times. All I am saying is not to be so quick to judge people on why they are overweight especially kids!