Fat does not equal unhealthy. It can not be assumed that someone lives an unhealthy lifestyle just by looking at them, and that includes children. We need to pull the focus back from obesity, and turn it towards health. I have seen many skinny kids drinking coke and eating junk in front of the TV.
My own children are obese, which is not surprising considering that my ex-husband and I are both obese as well. What surprises people is when they find out that we have an extremely healthy diet and we are all active. I am having a hard time trying to insulate my children from the societal norm that fat is bad and that they are at fault for their genetics. Dieting will only hurt them, and they need to accept and love themselves. It is a complex issue, and there are a lot of complex factors involved, but the first thing people can do is stop assuming they can tell a person's lifestyle and health just by looking at them. There is too much body hate in our country already.
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Fat does not equal unhealthy. It can not be assumed that someone lives an unhealthy lifestyle just by looking at them, and that includes children. We need to pull the focus back from obesity, and turn it towards health. I have seen many skinny kids drinking coke and eating junk in front of the TV.
March 23, 2008 - 4:12pmMy own children are obese, which is not surprising considering that my ex-husband and I are both obese as well. What surprises people is when they find out that we have an extremely healthy diet and we are all active. I am having a hard time trying to insulate my children from the societal norm that fat is bad and that they are at fault for their genetics. Dieting will only hurt them, and they need to accept and love themselves. It is a complex issue, and there are a lot of complex factors involved, but the first thing people can do is stop assuming they can tell a person's lifestyle and health just by looking at them. There is too much body hate in our country already.
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