Teen fends off obesity against the odds, for now
- Thread starter Jericho
- Start date
MustangSwtie69
New member
shes also a teenage girl who is 14 and isnt done growing. she can take the steps to fight being overweight BUT she is a growing teenager who doesnt need to lose weight per se, but to learn how to when she wants to. 12 lbs in 20 months isnt all that much in the long run. shes probably learned alot, but again, she is a 14yr old girl. she cant limit what she eats, she can cut bad things out, but she cant limit cause she'll lack nutriants and fuel
ChefChiTown
New member
What? No, that's not what the article says. It says...
It just took her 20 months instead of 12 to finish the program. That's all it's saying.
Jeanette401
New member
She could have done a lot worse - it's a shame that she ended up feeling like she 'failed' because of it. I think her fear of going back on the program because of all the weight she gained is a good example of the problems with rigid dieting... you think you failed, and then you keep on failing because you're already a failure...
ChefChiTown
New member
Sephora 0128
Banned
I'm sorry, but I fault the parents for allowing this to happen. I am overweight, just south of obese but my daughter has never been overweight and was made to stay active, eat right, and stay off the computer except at night. She's a runner now, cross country, and never had a weight problem of any kind (including anorexia / bulimia). She was taught to eat right and exercise. If I, an overweight single parent can keep my child's body in check, so can other parents. We need to learn to say NO when it comes to crappy snacks and sitting around all day. PERIOD!! Just say no and make them eat right and exercise.
MustangSwtie69
New member
So did your parents allow you to become obese? Do you blame everything on your parents now? Do you sit around saying "oh gee, my parents served high fat dinners and I ate every single thing on my plate! Now I'm fat, curse them!"
It's not ALWAYS the parents fault! Contrary to popular belief, teenagers, even young ones, can make their own choices.
If a parent obsessivly feeds their 3 or 4yr old and that child is obese, THAT is the parents fault.
If a parent sets 4,000calories infront of a 13yr old and that child CHOOSES to eat everything in front of them, that is the 13yr old's fault.
Tons of people dont think teenagers or preteens know how to think. Except they do! Look around at this site, we have some 13 and 14yr olds who come here seeking advice. They might be doing EVERYTHING wrong but they are teaching themselves and asking for help.
And I'm sorry but not every kid wants to be in a sport. I had interest in books and writing. I didnt wanna play sports, it wasnt "me" and my parents didnt make me. That didnt make me fat, over eating did. THEY didnt MAKE me over eat, I did it to myself.
Yes SOME parents dont bother to educate their children and some parents dont care, but its never 100% the parents fault.
UNLESS in the case of say...a 600lb 17yr old, who is bedridden, by their parents feeding them and not putting a stop to it, THAT is the parents fault AND the teens fault. The teen doesnt wanna change and the parent is enabling it.
ChefChiTown
New member
In all reality, you are both right and you are both wrong. It's not 100% the parents' fault if their child is obese and it's not 100% the child's fault either. They're both to blame.
PARENTS - It is a parent's job to raise their child; to teach them how to survive, how to act responsibly, how to behave, how to respect others, etc. Part of that job also includes teaching your child how to eat sensibly and maintain a healthy lifestyle. If a child doesn't understand that eating McDonald's and/or other fatty foods as a major source of nutrition is a terrible thing for themselves, then it is the parents' responsibility to teach them and correct their behavior.
With that being said...
CHILDREN - Children are stubborn idiots that are going to do what they want behind their parents' backs. So, no matter how good of a job that their parents might've done, children are still going to make mistakes.
And, to focus on this part for a moment...
How is that automatically the 13 year old's fault? What if their parent didn't teach them that eating 4,000 calories in one sitting is extremely unhealthy, causing that child to not know any better? What if their parent encouraged them to eat it? What if the parent had a strict "clean your plate" rule, in which unfinished food would warrant a punishment for the child? Is it the child's fault if they are intimidated into eating it? No, it's not.
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Sephora 0128
Banned
Damn skippy I do. I blame the full fat milk, the ding dongs, the high fat dinners and getting grounded if I didn't eat everything on my plate. I damn well blame my mother for me being a fat child and her never encouraging me to lose weight. I damn well blame them.
I was beat, not spanked, BEAT, as a child if I didn't finish everything on my plate. My mother was skinny and didn't understand that I took after my grandmother on my father's side. She had no concept of healthy foods, low fat milk, and fruits and vegetables that didn't come in a can. Hell yeah I blame my mother.
So as a mother I made sure not to make the mistakes my mother did. And you know what? I succeeded. My child is healthy, an athlete, and very popular. I learned from my mother and did the exact opposite of what she did.
""Reality shows like 'The Biggest Loser' definitely have not helped," she said. They've skewed the public's perception of what overweight looks like, featuring people who are dangerously obese. The show's 2010 cast — including a 526-pound Chicago-area DJ — is its heaviest ever.""
I thought that was interesting..Before I started losing weight I was surprised to find out I was actually overweight, because everyone around me was basically my size..what people consider "normal" now, at least in the US, is fat.
I thought that was interesting..Before I started losing weight I was surprised to find out I was actually overweight, because everyone around me was basically my size..what people consider "normal" now, at least in the US, is fat.
MustangSwtie69
New member
So when you got into your teens you never made any choices for yourself? Or stood up for yourself? At the ages of 15, 16, 17, 18 (ADULT) you never bothered to say "gee, I'm not gonna eat all this" yeh sure you would have been grounded, but if you didnt wanna eat it, then being grounded wasnt that big of punishment.
and if they beat you for it, dont you think maaaaaybe you should have called attention to this? to some authory figure? Cause incase you arnt aware, that was child abuse.
You blame your Mom. It's all her fault. You were the perfect little angel. It doesnt work that way. At some point you become a LEGAL ADULT, which is still in the teens, but yet you still say it was her fault.
You could have joined a sport in school. Gone running. Exercised in your room even. If you were that worried.
I think you are making excuses.
Granted, as a KID you cant help it cause most kids do what their parents tell them. But at the teenager age, you had the full capibility to make your own choices, even if it meant counter acting high fat by exercising.
Sorry you went through that, but it isnt all her fault.
(and yes I am fully aware that getting help for abuse isnt just cut and dry)
but again, at some point you became a legal adult.
MustangSwtie69
New member
99% of schools have health classes. MOST of those health classes shove nutirian down your throat. I know my school did. I know alot of schools that do. Starting in elementary school.
I dont believe in this bullshit "clean your plate" rule. because like I said, at SOME POINT you are old enough to make your own choices. And if you dont wanna eat everything on your plate, don't. If your parents get mad, ooooh, scary. Take a smaller portion. ASK for a smaller portion. If you're being punished for not cleaning your plate, clearly something is drastically wrong with your parents and THEY need help.
Again, TONS of teenagers seek out nutritian at young ages. They are taught it in school. Health classes come with gym classes. health classes teach you "boys need 2500" (around there) "girls need 2000" (around there) to grow and be healthy.
4000 calories would be a lot of food in the traditional sit down sense. And by traditional I mean, meat, potatoes, etc. If someone set 4000 calories worth of that down in front me, I'd prolly be there for a few hours. thats a lot of food. If they set down a whole pizza and said "eat this", that kid can opt out of eating the ENTIRE THING.
Sorry to tell you, but I've met lots of pre teens and teens who know what TOO much food looks like.
But, not every kid is smart I guess.
Still not the parents fault if that kid eats all 4000 calories.
You simply cannot blame parents for EVERYTHING.
I DID state in my response that BOTH are to blame, but you cannot fully blame parents. Re-read it.
ChefChiTown
New member
Sex education is taught in almost every high school too, but look at how many teenage mothers there are. If you believe that what kids learn in school is going to benefit them out on the streets when they're participating in the real world, you're dead wrong.
Just because something is taught in school doesn't mean that the students sitting in those classes (even the ones earning good grades) are LEARNING anything. The only students who are truly learning anything are the ones that want to. And, most teenagers don't want to be in school. They'd rather be out somewhere else, getting high and fucking eachother. I don't know where you went to school, but my high school wasn't featured on Saved By The Bell. My high school was full of real teenagers with real teenage minds who participated in real teenage activities. Yes, they went to sex ed and yes, they went to nutrition, but most of them were fat idiots who had unprotected sex.
This is exactly why parents are needed. I'm glad you at least acknowledge that, but I think you need to realize that kids are kids. And, kids are stupid. And, stupid people do stupid things because they don't know any better.
MustangSwtie69
New member
I honestly hope you don't have kids anyday soon Rob. If you are of the mentality that kids are stupid. I'd love to see you sit your child down and go "I think you're stupid. I give you no trust in being a smart person despite your age." That's low.
Not every single kid is stupid. Not every kid has sex. Not every kid does drugs. You can put drugs in front of a group, some will do it, some wont. It's their choice. You can set a giant plate of food in front of a group of kids, some will eat some of it some will a lot of it.
Whether the kid wants to listen or not is their fault. the kids fault. THEIR fault. They had the ability to be educated, they didnt listen. If they dont want to listen, they wont. not even to their parents. So yes, if a kid who was educated in school about calories and exercise chooses to not listen and to not care, then it is their fault.
I'm talking any age. be it 13 or be it 18.
Again, its not all the parents fault.
And I'm not longer arguing this. Its pointless. You have your opinion. I have mine. never once did I ever say it was all the kids fault, blame only the kids. Not once. In both posts I clearly said both are at fault but kids have the ability to learn and teenagers have the mental capicity to think on their own.
Sephora 0128
Banned
Let me explain something to you ~ I grew up in the age of spare the rod, spoil the child. We didn't have CPS and if a child called the police, the police would ask to speak the parents. NO, in my day you didn't speak up to your parents or call "authority figures" and school was a place you went to learn and keep your mouth shut. Ever heard of nuns with rulers?
In my day, spanking, hitting, et al, was NOT child abuse. It was raising your children with discipline. You were allowed to spank your child if they threw themselves down in the store and had a screaming fit, you didn't have walk away and "use your words." But you know what, when we were kids I could walk three miles to school without worrying about being kidnapped.
And do you know what being grounded meant back in the 70's? It's not like it is today. It was an actual punishment. There was no standing up to your parents regardless of your age and I was still in high school at 18 and living under their roof and when living under someone's roof, you went by their rules. We respected our elders unlike the generation of today.
And then there's this thing called shopping and food provided. We didn't have a million fast food places to run to if we didn't like what our parents provided for dinner. We had to eat what was bought and cooked by our mothers. Mothers who had no clue about nutrition and fat and salads.
So, regardless of your thought process based on today's society, YES, I do and can blame my mother. Even my aunt blames my mother as well as my father. And I don't find any part of my childhood "child abuse." Spare the rod, spoil the child. We should be adopting that thought process with today's children and maybe they wouldn't get away with the things they do and so many wouldn't end up in jail and on drugs and pregnant at 15.
And let's point out that your diatribe has nothing to do with my original statement. I blame parents for obese children. I still do and always will. Parents have the responsibility to teach their children to eat right and educate themselves so they are teaching their children proper nutrition. If your child is fat, take away their games, don't bring cookies in the house, and make them get out and walk.
Oh, and last note: in my day you didn't just "join a sport." You had to try out and we didn't have the "everybody plays and we don't keep score" BS organized sports have today. You were either good or you didn't get to join. We didn't know about running for exercise, we had bikes that we rode out front and around the block. We were active but you can only be so active when dinner is some form of potatoes and gravy every night and most of what is cooked is fried.
Jericho
New member
.....
The thing is..it ISN'T how it was when you was growing up. It isn't how it was when I was growing up. It is a different world.
It is a world where fast food and such are pushed at us in advertising all the time. It's easy for people to gain weight along with the fact that many jobs now are computer/tech based instead of manual labor. Instead of blowing up about spare the rod and spoil the child, we need to focus on education about nutrition and the right lifestyle choices. I'm not sure where 90% of your rant has to do with the topic but that's ok.
I think the NFL's Play 30 is a great idea. The goal is to get out and play for at least 30 minutes a day. We adults could use that playtime too
The thing is..it ISN'T how it was when you was growing up. It isn't how it was when I was growing up. It is a different world.
It is a world where fast food and such are pushed at us in advertising all the time. It's easy for people to gain weight along with the fact that many jobs now are computer/tech based instead of manual labor. Instead of blowing up about spare the rod and spoil the child, we need to focus on education about nutrition and the right lifestyle choices. I'm not sure where 90% of your rant has to do with the topic but that's ok.
I think the NFL's Play 30 is a great idea. The goal is to get out and play for at least 30 minutes a day. We adults could use that playtime too
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Sephora 0128
Banned
.....
The thing is..it ISN'T how it was when you was growing up. It isn't how it was when I was growing up. It is a different world.
It is a world where fast food and such are pushed at us in advertising all the time. It's easy for people to gain weight along with the fact that many jobs now are computer/tech based instead of manual labor. Instead of blowing up about spare the rod and spoil the child, we need to focus on education about nutrition and the right lifestyle choices. I'm not sure where 90% of your rant has to do with the topic but that's ok.
I think the NFL's Play 30 is a great idea. The goal is to get out and play for at least 30 minutes a day. We adults could use that playtime too
And once again, what I've said has gone completely over your head. I wasn't talking about today, I was talking about my childhood. Get a grip dude and don't comment until you actually read what is said. I was replying to a single poster's myopic view of what she thought my childhood was. Clearly you missed that point and concept.
You also missed the point that I raised my own child to do sports and eat better than my mother raised me. She doesn't do fast food because it's too expensive in her thought process. She was encouraged but not forced to do sports and she loves them. She's thin and healthy and if my mother hadn't fucked up with me, she might not be thin. So, again, I blame the parents for obese children. Nothing YOU or a 20 year old child says is going to change that, especially not YOU.
Jericho
New member
Not sure where you believe that I think you need to change how YOU raise your children, nor should you assume I didn't read or understand what you are saying. I was applying what you said about YOUR childhood to modern day, the same as you did when you complained about the state of schools and child raising.
I do believe that you are being hostile for no reason. No one is putting you down here nor are we doing anything but having a discussion about the article..least I'm not. I am stating about the now and reasons the people of this generation are more overweight.
but it's ok, it's not like you are being combative or nasty
I do believe that you are being hostile for no reason. No one is putting you down here nor are we doing anything but having a discussion about the article..least I'm not. I am stating about the now and reasons the people of this generation are more overweight.
but it's ok, it's not like you are being combative or nasty