Published on January 18, 2024
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The number of fat children who take meds for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically. There are greater increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and hypertension, and children and teens with fatty liver disease are on the rise.
And remember when Type 2 diabetes was known as “adult-onset?” Well, no longer. Kids as young as 5 are being treated with diabetes drugs and most of those increases has been seen in obese girls—a contributing factor to having erratic menstrual cycles, leading to hormonal disturbances, more diagnoses of PCOS, which itself leads to a whole slew of medical issues, including infertility problems.
Also when it comes to girls, there’s the mental ramifications of being obese—an increase in prescription drugs for depression.
So why do so many parents refuse to acknowledge their child is fat?
Because if they don’t see it, they don’t have to work to change it.
They also don’t acknowledge how their child’s body affects them emotionally and psychologically. Rejection because of body size is real . . . it hurts . . . and it lasts a lifetime. The stigma of rejection that your child feels never goes away.
And there’s another victim of your overweight or obese child: you!
No matter how cruel, unfair, or misplaced blame may be, parents of fat children are judged harshly (albeit in quiet whispers) by friends, neighbors, and relatives. Your child’s obesity is seen as evidence of your inattention to your child’s dietary needs and health. You are blamed for feeding your child too much, for condoning an inactive lifestyle, for letting your child sit in front of electronics for too long, for having never-ending bags of chips in the house, etc.
If you are a parent of a fat child, you must face and deal with that reality.
If you are obese, you must also deal with that reality and face the challenge of a healthy lifestyle change for yourself and, more importantly, for your children.
It is YOUR responsibility to give them the best opportunity to grow into mentally and physically healthy, socially acceptable, happy, secure. and confident adults.
