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Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, good mother, good looking, good tempered, well groomed and unaggressive. ~ Leslie McIntyre

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Mother ARRESTED because her son is obese...Right or Wrong?

I'm sure that not everyone is going to agree with me on this and I don't care, but here's the situation. A South Carolina mother was arrested for Child Neglect because her 15 year old son weighed 555lbs. I say...it's about time! As a parent it is my responsibility to provide my child with the tools to live a happy, healthy and successful life. That includes teaching them proper eating habits. If your child (or ANYONE for that matter) weighs 555lbs they ARE NOT practicing healthy eating habits. PERIOD!
Being a parent is hard work. I know that from first hand experience. Being a working parent is even harder sometimes because you've been away from the house all day and then have to come home and prepare a healthy and appealing meal to everyone in your family and kids can be some of the pickiest eaters. Believe me I know this...I HAVE ONE! But I don't play the game of 'we're having this, but I know you don't like it so I'm going to make this for you' etc, etc. I make dinner (there is ALWAYS a green vegetable of some kind) if you choose not to eat it because you 'don't like it' that is your choice, but I refuse to allow my children to develop poor eating habits.
After work sometimes I'm exhausted and mac n cheese is on the menu, but you can bet your ass there is a salad (NOT covered in ranch dressing) or green beans or broccoli right next to it. It's not that difficult and it's VERY inexpensive. If you make sure this is the rule in your house your children will eventually realize that it's not going to change and they may discover (GASP) they like broccoli!
As a parent it is our job to take care of our children. We are responsible for keeping them safe. Their diet is just as important as their education and for those who do not agree...YOU ARE WRONG! A child needs a well balnaced diet and excercise REGULARLY. If you aren't making sure this happens you might as well be giving them cigarettes or alcohol or drugs. The lasting effects health wise (not to mention socially and emotionally) are just as dangerous. Kids can be cruel and if your child is over weight (even just a little) don't think for one second they aren't being made fun of and this is something you can prevent 100%.
The next time you go shopping fill your cart up with items from the outer layers of your super market. That's where the freshest and healthiest items ALWAYS are. Avoid the inner most part of the store where all the prepackaged, preservative filled, high fat foods are kept. These things are fine once in a while, but when that becomes the substance of your everyday meals you are doing nothing but harm to yourself AND your children.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with you that no child should be allowed to get that big. As a person with a weight problem I would never want that for my son. I have seen third graders who get winded going from the cafeteria to the playground. They just sit on the benches and talk, no movement. With that said I do wonder if the parent is obese? If so could counseling have worked?

Courtney Reed said...

There has to be balance in our food! (not to mention the rest of our lives) I could understand a few pounds overweight maybe, as kids weight fluctuates before puberty and what not, but 555 LBS???? That is child abuse. If your child gains a few pains, then a few more, it's time to start getting proactive with your child and going to the doctor to see what's going on, and introduce different types of exercise. Aside from that, there are obviously other emotional and/or mental issues going on with this child that the parent is not addressing (neglect) because no emotionally healthy, content child would gorge themselves like that. And you would have to gorge yourself on a regular basis to weigh 555 lbs, even as an adult.

Unknown said...

I do think this is child abuse- more so to the fact that the child had probably not been going in for well check-ups at the Doctor's office. I'm assuming if this had been going on, things would not have gotten so far out of hand. This is sad, very sad. Can you imagine the emotional problems this teen must have?

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