Skip navigation

 Login or Register | Member Centre

Tough talk on a heavy issue

TRALEE PEARCE

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 12:23 AM EST 05/07/07

With childhood obesity reaching epidemic levels, doctors are being urged to speak frankly about kids' weight ...Read the full article

This conversation is closed

  1. Bryan Dunn from calgary, Canada writes: If we were telling kids they had cancer or another serious medical condition, would we be worrying about stigmatizing them?
  2. Jo King from Toronto, Canada writes: To Byan from Norcal- eww dude! we are talking about over weight CHILDREN.

    How many of the parents are overweight themselves? Maybe the problem is not childhood obesity, but a society of people who don't excercise regualrly or eat a balanced diet.

    I think the best bet is for parents to be strong role models for their kids by eating well and being active. Make a healthy dinner together and go for a walk. Spend an afternoon playing at the park with the whole family. Rather than make it just about the kid and his/her 'problem,' families should examine their over all lifestyle and try to make positive changes for all members.
  3. Henriette Heroux from Nouvelle-France, Canada writes: "With childhood obesity reaching epidemic levels in North America, doctors in the United States are being urged by the American Medical Association to talk to parents in stronger terms about their children's weight and to use the medical terms obese and overweight in more cases." *** How about, on our very own Canadian scale, from 1 to 5: 1. "fat", 2. "too fat", 3. "much too fat", 4. "dangerously fat" and 5. "critically fat" (i.e. bursting out of one's skin)? We can then leave "decadently fat" to sociologists.
  4. B. P. from Canada writes: I can see the political correctedness police moving in on this one. Doctors can't talk stright on porn use, sexual obsessions and complusions, casual sex and especially the dangers of same sex behaviors. And problems in our society in this area is at epidemic levels too.
  5. Biere Freud from Vienna, ON, Canada writes: "Rather than telling someone to stop eating something, we ask them to try something else." Like.... "Try a sundae -- without the poutine." When you see preteen waddling around the mall, eating something, you gotta think, somebody -- if not the kid's parents than a doctor, has to take the sugar (or Slenda) coating off the message and just tell the kid he's (she) is fat. We might hurt his feelings but save his life.
  6. Diogenes the Cynic from Fat Land reader, Greece writes: Isn't the issue a matter of using language everyone can understand, and unequivocally enough so people concerned do take appropriate action, at long last?
  7. John Silverman from Canada writes: Good - someone needs to tell the parents and children of the problems they are developing. I don't think alot of people realize just how unhealthy it is to be overweight, and if you don't try to do something when the person is a child, they are likely doomed to never fix their bad habits.

    "B. P. from Canada writes: I can see the political correctedness police moving in on this one. Doctors can't talk stright on porn use, sexual obsessions and complusions, casual sex and especially the dangers of same sex behaviors. And problems in our society in this area is at epidemic levels too. "

    BP I have no idea what this means. What do you think doctors should be telling people about these things that they don't? Porn, sexual obsessions/compulsions, etc., what health concerns are you referring to specifically? The dangers of casual sex is slammed down our throats everyday, and same-sex behaviours are generally no more harmful then opposite sex behaviours, in fact in some cases they are actually less harmful (eg: 2 women). So what's your deal? I'm confused.
  8. Vic Vegas from Vancouver, Canada writes: This will have to be handled carefully. I would assume that "hey kid, your mom's a fat slob and you're starting to look like her" is probably a bad idea. But I think doctors should speak the plain truth, with the parents in the room.
  9. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: I'm kind of with Bryan here; we are talking about the health of kids. Yes, we need to find some ways of talking about in more psychologically healthy ways, but neither is pretending there is no problem a good idea when this is something that has such enormous future health impacts on the child. I think parents could probably use more specific and concrete advice, rather than more vague and emotionally-based criticisms that probably just make them feel like someone's attacking their kid. And doctors are the best placed to provide help and information.
  10. Kass Arctic from Canada writes: I realize kids' feelings need to be considered (making someone feel bad doens't make them stop eating) but isn't bad news by doctors usually given to the parents anyway? How can it stigmatize the child telling their parents (by a medical professional) that they're obese, and that their eating and exercising habits need to be changed? Watch Honey, We're Killing the Kids on TLC and you'll see how really brutal truth said flat out can sometimes make people's eyes pop open.
  11. Big Silver from Canada writes: It's a family thing. If Little Bertha is fat, mom & dad stand a pretty good chance of being fat too. The doctor doesn't want to accuse the kid, and by extension, the parents, of being big fat slobbos. Even if that might be true, he'd have no patients left!
  12. Carleton Jones from Montreal, Canada writes: Hm, proper language to help aprents understand their children are obese and in danger...hm, how about "You child is FAT and you let him/her get that way. He/She is looking at health problems ranging from diabetes to respiratory illnesses to heart disease to high-blood pressure. If you do nothing as the legal guardian and creator of this child, he/she faces a very good chance of D-Y-I-N-G Y-O-U-N-G. Are you able to understand W-H-A-T-I-A-M-T-E-L-L-I-N-G-Y-O-U?"

    But then I forget we live in a country where strong words are a source of stress for people. Every word has to be couched to avoid the possibility of mental anguish...
  13. Diogenes the Cynic from Fat Land Annex, Greece writes: Carleton Jones from Montreal --- Delightful! As far as I am concerned, you win first prize, Carleton...
  14. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: A lot of comments often seem to assume that fat people want to be that way, that few of them want to change their weight or are trying to do so, and that all that's needed is a healthy dose of ridicule and shame to make them 'see the light' and stop their evil ways. And yet, a large percentage of kids (esp girls) say they are fat and ugly and badly planned crash diets are extremely common among teenagers. I've never heard any real evidence to suggest that shame and ridicule 'work', they just make the shamer feel superiour. Good detailed training and support on keeping a healthy lifestyle would probably be snapped up by many if it were widely available in high schools and to parents. Designing communities that make it natural for kids to safely play outside and bike to school is part of it too.
  15. Carleton Jones from Montreal, Canada writes: Yes it is true ridicule doesn't work but neither does self pity nor the words "it's not my fault...I am built this way I am genetically predisposed to gaining weight, etc..." or whatever other excuse people use when they encounter a difficult challenge. I was once heavy (40 pounds overweight) and dropped that weight over the course of 2 years. Secret? Consult my doctor, listen to what he said, get regular exercise and make serious dietary changes. Listening to reports on CBC 1 recently I heard a woman complain that the government wasn't moving fast enough to get her surgery to deal with her obeisity and her condition wasn't her fault "What am I supposed to do? Starve myself?" she asked. Well, if the downside is amputation, blindness or worse, death, I dunno, I'd be looking at some pretty radical options. Hers and other people's behaviour and lack of personal responsibility smacks of the archetypal of the "oh woe is me" victim mentality rampant in today's society. Plenty of people can and do change without the requisite hand holding and coddling. I've strayed off topic. The real tragedy in this story is how parents think they're shielding their children when in fact they're crippling them. We're horrified by seeing 10-year olds smoke at the playground but our revolution and outrage doesn't translate over to childhood obeisity and the parents who let it happen. They find every execuse in the book not to encourage what was once healthy behaviour; They want safe neighbourhoods and parks for the kids to play in - guess what? Most nieighbourhoods are safer than they were 20 years ago as a lot of climbing bars and swings have been taken away lest "a child be hurt". Yet we'll let our supermarkets and convenience stores stack the shelves with chemically-laced, fatty treats. Parents; You are responsible for the care of this person during the most crucial formative years of his or her life; start taking this responsibility seriously.
  16. michele martin from Canada writes: Have you look at your doctor's? eat right! what do they know about healthy food, most do not know what organic means, ( when pertains to food) we also have more harmful toxic substance's in the bloody air, water, and food, it IS playing a role, as are the medical conditions they are causing,,, diabetes , thyroid disorders in children,
    Last year it was do not tell a child they are overweight, harmful to them( eating disorders) NO gym at school, many are using it as a reward, 6 hours a day, then to a tutor to really teach them something, homework, dinner, and what time is it Mr Wolf,,,

    All the ritalin use? and other drugs on children, parents are being blamed from everything from child's LD. to weight, take them into state care is the call of the day,, that has always worked so well.
    This is a problem, no doubt, and I do not have a fat kid, but know many that do, and most of them cannot go out and run around, they have asthma from age 2, in go the med's up goes the weight, and no THEY are NOT that safe playing a game of hide and seek, when we cannot even see the sky. Air Quality ! This is more complex then simple blame mom and dad. There are a host of problems with children today, the more PC police, the worse it has become.
  17. Orest Zarowsky from Toronto, Canada writes: Reality sucks. Political correctness - a new health hazard. As for the self-esteem "issue", see the consequences of "Social Promotion" in schools to protect self-esteem. Self esteem is, like respect, earned, not given. Deal with reality. Ignore it at your peril.

Comments are closed

Thanks for your interest in commenting on this article, however we are no longer accepting submissions. If you would like, you may send a letter to the editor.

Report an abusive comment to our editorial staff

close

Alert us about this comment

Please let us know if this reader’s comment breaks the editor's rules and is obscene, abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, defamatory, profane or racially offensive by selecting the appropriate option to describe the problem.

Do not use this to complain about comments that don’t break the rules, for example those comments that you disagree with or contain spelling errors or multiple postings.

Back to top