We all know obesity is an epidemic. We all know our children our getting bigger earlier and facing serious health complications. And those of us in health professions such as mine have made fighting this trend a major priority.
But in our ferver to change the world and improve the lives of our kids, we can't forget that this epidemic has faces and names. It is composed of people, many of them little people who don't understand why they are singled out, punished, and picked on (by adults and other kids).
It is NOT easy to lose weight, especially once you are overweight or obese. It is not a matter of will power or self-control. It is extremely hard, even more so for some than others. And for kids, it can be even harder. Their bodies are not like that of an adult and they often don't understand why they are the way they are. Even if they do understand and want to/can try to make a change, they might not be able to due to their home life or social situation.
And yet we chastise them.
Think of a children's movie, book or tv show with a mean/bully character. Is he/she fat? When I was first asked this question I immediately thought of Harry Potter but I can think of dozens of others. We are teaching our kids not only that fat is funny and that it's ok for fat kids to be the butt of jokes, but that they are "bad guys" in general.
In several studies, young kids were shown pictures of other kids. These pictures included a disabled kid who couldn't walk, a kid with an abnormal scar, and various other kids that wouldn't be considered "normal" and might be made fun of or deemed an outcast. They were also shown a picture of an overweight kid. Then, researchers asked which kid the test subject wanted to be friends with. The overweight kid was never chosen.
As a kid I was always overweight. I was picked on and I often felt like an outsider. Even those who were "concerned" about me or who wanted to help only made me feel insecure and uncertain in my own body. It left a scar that still hasn't healed.
What is my point? I'm not really sure but I thought this was worth mentioning out in the open. Here are some final thoughts:
But in our ferver to change the world and improve the lives of our kids, we can't forget that this epidemic has faces and names. It is composed of people, many of them little people who don't understand why they are singled out, punished, and picked on (by adults and other kids).
It is NOT easy to lose weight, especially once you are overweight or obese. It is not a matter of will power or self-control. It is extremely hard, even more so for some than others. And for kids, it can be even harder. Their bodies are not like that of an adult and they often don't understand why they are the way they are. Even if they do understand and want to/can try to make a change, they might not be able to due to their home life or social situation.
And yet we chastise them.
Think of a children's movie, book or tv show with a mean/bully character. Is he/she fat? When I was first asked this question I immediately thought of Harry Potter but I can think of dozens of others. We are teaching our kids not only that fat is funny and that it's ok for fat kids to be the butt of jokes, but that they are "bad guys" in general.
In several studies, young kids were shown pictures of other kids. These pictures included a disabled kid who couldn't walk, a kid with an abnormal scar, and various other kids that wouldn't be considered "normal" and might be made fun of or deemed an outcast. They were also shown a picture of an overweight kid. Then, researchers asked which kid the test subject wanted to be friends with. The overweight kid was never chosen.
As a kid I was always overweight. I was picked on and I often felt like an outsider. Even those who were "concerned" about me or who wanted to help only made me feel insecure and uncertain in my own body. It left a scar that still hasn't healed.
What is my point? I'm not really sure but I thought this was worth mentioning out in the open. Here are some final thoughts:
- I can't change society. And I still giggle at some fat jokes. But I'm going to try to be a little more sensitive, especially around children (of all sizes). I encourage you to do the same.
- If you make derisive comments about overweight people (young or old) around me, I'm going to call you on it or leave the room.
- As a health professional I'm going to be careful how I work with/approach overweight children. I don't want my attempts to help to cause emotional issues or further internal confusion.
- I would like to re-iterate that losing weight is extremely hard. Be careful in assigning blame or pointing fingers.
We do need to be concerned about the obesity epidemic and the toll it is taking on our individual, societal, and economic health. But let's try to fight it the right way, without unneccessary rudeness, personal attacks, finger pointing, etc. A little understanding can go a long way....
Sidenote: I thought about adding a picture or a comment to this post. But as I perused the internet, all I found were picture after picture of fat jokes and rude comments, many aimed at kids. UGH! So this time you will have to go without a visual.
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