Following are links to some online articles and health-related web sites. These
links generally counter the media/diet industry hyped hysteria about
childhood obesity and the demands that "something must be
done." By listing these articles, we are not condoning everything
said, merely presenting them as considerations. If we are missing
items you feel should be listed here, please let us know.
Read and keep yourself educated about raising healthy children, no matter what their size. Most fat adults spent a good deal of their young lives on diets - getting fatter every year. Strive for good health, don't just focus on size. We must make rational decisions about what is best for our kids. Unfortunately, "rational" doesn't always enter into the weightloss mentality.
Esteem and the Large Child More than
anything, be proud of your child for who he is, champion him in
every area fat kids are just as normal as anyone else. And
remember, it has been known for at least 40 years that over 98% of
diet methods fail."
Child
obesity fears 'over-hyped' The
Social Issues Research Council, which is funded by food companies as
well as the government, said average child weights have only risen
slightly.
Health at Every Size / Hungry Children & the "War on Obesity" - Radio program from March 8, 2010.
Love Your Fat Child, Don't Shame Them -
"Unfortunately, even with all the loving intention in the world, there are some things parents do that just make life harder for fat kids. I can't cross space and time (curse these limitations) to pass these things on to my own parents, but hopefully these three basic messages might help some fat kids now."
Radiance Magazine's Kids Project -
". . . as women of size are feeling better and stronger within themselves, we find ourselves naturally turning to look at the younger generation and examining their sense of well-being. What we see is that we need to extend support to young girls and boys around issues of body size, acceptance, and self-esteem."
Suethsayings - The reality of obesity, weight loss surgery and other things . Excellent resource for all information relating to body size. Sue is a medical researcher who uncovers the truth about size related health matters, especially bariatric surgery.
Working with Fat Children in Schools -
"The literature on prejudice reveals that fat children are the target of ridicule and disgust both by their peers and by the adults in their lives, such as teachers, counselors, and parents. This is no small problem in schools: according to the Centers for Disease Control (1994), 21 percent of people ages twelve to nineteen are overweight. As early as preschool age, children have accepted the stereotypes about and developed prejudice against fat people. Given the opportunity to play with fat or thin dolls, all children, even those who could correctly identify that the fat dolls looked more like them, preferred to play with thin dolls (Dyrenforth, Freeman & Wooley, 1978; Rothblum, 1992). Given pictures of children who were in a wheelchair, missing a limb, on crutches, facially disfigured, or obese, most children said they would least like to play with the fat child (Rothblum, 1993)."
