Before we get under way with today’s chat, a little news….
A two-day RYL in Perth!
Hi Team. A little while ago I was approached by the very lovely Susie James and her team from Funny Farm Fitness in W.A. to run a two-day (live-in) RYL Program for her and her clients from July 31 – August 2. Susie has kindly agreed to open the program up to anyone from the West (or East for that matter) who might like to come along for two days of life-changing motivation, inspiration and education. The program will be identical to the one we’re running here in Victoria next month. Although I will be two months older. And wiser.
Okay, older.
If you would like to book a place or talk to Susie, she can be contacted during business hours on 0438 910 664 or you can email her at funnyfarmfitness@bigpond.com. The venue for the program is Club Capricorn, Two Rocks Road, Yanchep. I hope to see some of you there.
Vertically Challenged
Most of my long-time readers will know that as a teenager I was a somewhat… er.. voluptuous. Full-figured. Thick-set. Stocky. Big-boned. Solid. Sure the experts might have classified me as obese, but I preferred to see myself as… short for my weight. Vertically challenged for my mass. It was totally about my height and not my weight.
See, it’s a perspective thing.
Or a denial thing.
Okay, I was a whopper.
Buttons Being Pushed
Anyway, a few of the ex-fat kid’s buttons have been pushed lately because there has been talk here in the Land Down Under about weighing kids at school in a kind of annual physiological assessment; essentially a height measurement, some weighing and a B.M.I. calculation. I can hear the screams of protest starting before I even finish this sentence. But what if it’s done in a completely clinical manner and only the parent, the clinician and the child know the outcome of the test? Does the idea still suck then? Does the idea suck at all? Maybe you like it? Perhaps the only way to address childhood obesity is in a practical manner such as this? After all, it gives us a measurable, objective and scientific assessment of where the child is at and how they are tracking over time.
More Education?
Surely, if the answer to the obesity problem was to pump the kids and parents full of more information, then our kids would be shrinking by the day because we’ve got obesity-related information and education coming out of our ears… yet they ain’t gettin’ no smaller. Er, any smaller.
What do You Think?
Today’s instalment is more of a discussion than it is a lesson, so I look forward to seeing what the group consensus will be on this topic. I think the idea has some merit but I’m not totally sold. I would need to know a little more about how the overall concept would be implemented and developed over the long term before I could give it my tick of approval. And we all know how much the government values my opinion. As an ex-fatty, I think I would have appreciated a little short-term pain for some long-term gain. But then again, maybe the chocolate cake-eating, fat fourteen year-old ‘me’ would think that his older counterpart is a big tool.
Your thoughts?
About the weighing that is. Not whether or not I’m a tool.
If you’re not sure how to leave a comment, click here. Yep, even you chronic Lurkers. Also, let me know how you’re going with the abstaining from arguing thing (off the back of Tuesday’s post).
Ciao x
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{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
The argument supporting school weigh-ins seems to be that it would be no different from ear tests and eye tests etc. I am a school teacher and I firmly believe there is a huge difference. Children compare results all the time, they care very little between their hearing and sight tests compared to how much they would about weight. Please remember how competetive children are and how cruel they can be in their comparisons that would inevitably result from these weigh-ins.
If parents limited the time their child spends on low-activity such as television watching, DVDs, computer and other electronic games we wouldn’t need to weigh kids in school.
Ally
I remember two days in particular from my school days (err years – all 13 of them). The first was in Grade 5 or 6. We all got weighed and it was writen on a chart. For all to see. What purpose does that serve? I hated it. The second day was in Yr 7. First class of physical education for the year we were all lined up and got weighed by teacher. Kids all share their weight. Just like saying ‘what did you get [in the maths test].’ Then we did the dreaded ‘beep test’ (shuttle run it’s also called). I loved that as much as you loved Swimming Carnival day.
I’d maybe give it the heads up if I knew more about the process and what they would do, as a school to help improve it. Maybe Mr Rudd (Australian prime minister) could fund daily small group fitness sessions at your kids gym all year round? Open up Gecko centres around Australia. Then go global. AND, instead of having the parentals dropping kid off and returning an hour later, get them involved in the fitness class. Problems of childhood and adult obesity solved and kid and parent(s) all live to 130yo.
[My head too busy to argue with self and others. I'm prioritising sleep over fitness for next couple of days. I'm okay with that. Mostly.]
Jules
(Bayside Melbourne)
Good point GJ…
If only they would Ally..
Well it may surprise you but this already happens in many secondary schools in Victoria as part of a physical education class…..BMIs are worked out and then fitness tests are completed. Supposedly all in private and very sensitively done….BUT in my experience as a secondary teacher (no not phys ed)the teachers conducting these tests are already the fit and sporty ones…and hence have little concept of the pain caused to those who are not so fit or sporty…although it is private everyone knows who is fit/overweight etc and it does nothing except cause the unfit ones to manufacture excuses…forge notes or wag school to avoid these dreaded weighings….i ‘get’ that in theory it seems a good idea but in practise (to me) it only seems to cement the negative body image which these kids already have….it my mind we should do more to encourage even the ‘non sporty’ ones to enjoy sport rather than constantly rewarding those who are ‘good’ until the others give up……..very very few girls continue with sport after year 10….and no one makes a move to reverse this trend….well these are my thoughts anyway.
In theory I can see some merit in this, to help children become more educated about food and exercise. In practise however I think the psychological damage it may do some children would far outweigh the benefits of such a program.
The teasing and bullying that goes on already in schools isn’t completely able to be managed now, I feel this may give more negative feedback to children. Fat kids know they are fat, they don’t need to be weighed to be told that.
I have a friend whose son is fat, he knows it and has been bullied at school because of it. One day (after reading Craig’s book I had a better idea of how to approach her on the topic) I did talk to her about how she could help him, instead of managing the bullying problem through the school, look at giving her son the information he needs to start losing weight (she is unable to help him too much and he is 11 years old). She has lined him up with my PT (who is great and has kids of her own) and she’ll keep him moving in the right direction, and he’s also shown an interest in a couple of sports so hopefully he’ll start to see a change soon! He also loves the feedback he has been getting from our PT so it’s starting to work.
So after that rant, I can see the pluses but then I can see the problems too, I think it would be better to be run maybe through the school but not as a compulsory school thing (maybe talk to the parents of overweight children) so there isn’t such a stigma attached to it. School sucks, even when you aren’t a fat kid – why make it harder than it already is.
And I agree with Ally, way too much tv watching and game playing/dvds. Go outside and get some fresh air and play like we did in the olden days!
Is it just me or do a lot of full figured kids have full figured parents. Maybe a complete family weigh-in could be the answer!
Craig, My daughter said “that’s like the most stupid idea EVER! – whoever thought of that can go and get their head stuck on a toilet seat!”. I think her point was that she’s not a fan. Far more damage to be done than benefit. I went to school with a kid who had a weight problem in his early high school years and he didn’t need a school nurse looking over her glasses to know he had a problem. Even his friends, who loved him, called him Jumbo. He motivated himself without knowing what his BMI was and went from being called Jumbo to Muscles in 4 months. Let’s can the weighing and focus on fitness programs – kid’s self esteem is fragile enough.
Damo
Hi Craig,
As a paremt (and having my own weight issues) it wouldn’t bother me having my kids weighed. My kids have always been slightly underweight anyway. For a good few years my son hardly ate a thing….which was a great worry to me as he was all bones. He was on meds for adhd and they can act like an appetite suppressant. He was 38kg 3 years ago and he has now just turned 16. (I seemed to be the only one worried about it though. One paed we saw told me to feed him icecream…very useful!!! We don’t see him any more.) He now eats fairly well (although vegies are a huge challenge lol) and is up around the 62kg at about 5’9″ My daughter is also (slightly) underweight for her height but is very healthy. (she will eat her vegies) Both see a paediatrician and she is not worried about them.)
Not too sure the weighing of kids in schools will change anything for them though as it is then up to the parents to do something about and will they??? Could we be starting a body image problem especially with the young girls. Will they be testing these kids every year and are we only talking primary?? (too many questions?? sorry)
OOh another day goes by and no arguments…wow. Although my son is at his dad’s and he is the one I most talk “loudly” with lol He will be home on Sunday. That is when the real challenge begins lol
Hugs
Chelle xxx
Hey Craig,
From being not a school fatty but to being a fatty mummy myself later in life, I say,yes to the school weighing and measuring, but the information needs to go to the parents. The parents are responsible for what the kids eat. I have recently lost 32kg’s and in the process my son, has gone from the school yard fatty to a very thinned out and sporty young man. The only adjustments to his diet and lifestyle were the ones I made myself. I started eating properly, so did he, I started excercising on the weekends, they had to come with me. But if you had of asked my 2 years ago, was my son fat, I would have said NO WAY, but to look back he really was. Get the parents more active and our kids wont be so fat. What do you think?
Hi Craig,
A new program has just been launched in New South Wales schools which allows students to register their physical activity, sports, dance etc over a certain period in order to receive a certificate (and perhaps prizes?) for themselves and their school. It’s a little like the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
I feel this is a far more positive approach than the big weigh-in. One should reward good efforts rather than humiliate children for poor performance.
I would be very reluctant to support a school-based fitness assessment. As a parent, I want to be responsible for my children’s health and wellbeing – not some clipboard weilding weight-Nazi.
As a teacher, I feel that we expect schools to solve all of society’s problems and relieve parents of their rights and responsibilities in terms of their children’s development.
The obesity epidemic needs to be solved in the kitchen, not the classroom.
Looking forward to hearing everyone else’s thoughts on this topic too.
Enjoy your Wednesday.
EG xxx
I think the education kids need to be given should be more than just what the food groups are and basic nutrition concepts, they need to be taught how to live healthily and what the right and wrong choices are, whether it be at school or at home.
I wish someone helped me when I was an extremely overweight kid and taught me portion control.
I think kids shoud be weighed and then there should be options for these kids to enrol in an after school program where they can be assisted to lose weight. Their weiht does not need to be put on a notice board but at least they need to know.
Thanks for your thoughts Jules – get some sleep ( )
And they are thoughts worth hearing CarolP – thanks.
Nice work Liz U.. ( )
Good luck with that Kimberly!
Cheers
Your friend sounds like a ripping Bloke Damo – thanks for dropping by and sharing your (and your daughters) thoughts.
Nice debut at me-dot-com.
Manhug
Good work with the non-arguing Chelle… ( )
Now… about Sunday..
You make some great points Patricia… thanks for stopping by and congrats on your (and your son’s) weight-loss.
Good for you
“The obesity epidemic needs to be solved in the kitchen, not the classroom.”
Nice work EG
Thanks for sharing your thoughts fellow ex-fat kid Asma…
Just don’t add “obesity ed” or whatever you want to call it to the list of what teachers “should” be teaching at school because we are already battling a crammed curriculum.
I’d be happy to have my boys weighed but as yet they don’t have issues. I’m worried that if I don’t lose weight they will
Is there really a childhood obesity crisis? I look around my kids’ primary school and hardly a fat kid in sight. Perhaps it’s more endemic in low socio economic areas.
At the end of the day parents are the ones who are in control and therefore responsible for their child’s health.
A kid can only eat the food the parent provides.
It would be more effective to run programs to educate the parents of obese kids how to live a healthy and active life.
Skinny Cool Hot Chick
XOXO
Geez.. Don’t think such a good idea, as a lot of kids big small short tall are already under extreme pressure at school without throwing this at them. I personally think that kids need more help focussing on posiitive things rather than what could be a very negative thing. A child who is happy, positive, enthusiastic etc probably wouldn’t be self medicating. Maybe the people who earn the money should invest in their children, rather than MuckDonalds, playstation etc.
Kids are little people who should be treated with the same respect as big people and I am sure I haven’t heard of compulsory weigh ins before work each day in either the public or private sector??!!
Maybe that is the answer
They did this at my high school and I think middle school (10 years ago). In the US – at least the State of Illinois (insert Blago joke here)physical education is a requirement and so once every semester we used to have to do the fitness assessment – how fast can you run the mile, how many pushups can you do, how many sit-ups, can you climb the rope, how many pull ups, how far can you sit and reach and yes they did weigh you and do a fat test (with calibers). Every thing was in front of your phys ed class except for the weight and fat test – those were done private.
As a kid that was not in the greatest shape I never looked forward to these days, but it was never a surprise where people finished – you can tell who the fit kids are and who they aren’t. You pretty much already know who is going to come in last on the mile run and who is going to be done in less than 7 minutes (the track people, of course!).
Kids already know if they are fat or not fit so I don’t see the harm either way. As long as you aren’t weighed in front of others and those numbers don’t become public – it is a good way to keep track. I had a very nice phys ed teacher who wanted to work with the overweight kids and try to help them get more active – but I suppose this is easier to do in a small school such as mine – maybe larger schools are different. All in all though – not a bad idea.
~Cyn
i do not think children should be subjected to being weighed in school as this can start bullying, and what good would it do? we really have to re-educate everyone into to realising we are only killing ourselves and our children.Here in Scotland we have a massive problem too as i see children every day being given cakes and sweets before 8am, why ? I was a “fat” child and my life at school was hell and have recently lost over 13stones and it makes me angry when i see people feeding “crap” yo their kids , the problem is in the home not at school
I have a child with a high body mass because he is medicated for another condition. (Interestingly, he has 16% body fat, but is 44kg and 138cm tall, so theoretically, his BMI is way too high). I think he would be really embarrassed to be weighed at school as people might ask why, and his medication is private. If he got left out of the weighing, people might also ask why. I think a lot of children’s psyches are as important as their physical bodies.
Hi teachingmum1970 – thanks for your thoughts..
I totally support this idea if there is a plan to also provide further education to both the students and parents about appropriate nutrition and exercise. A weigh in by itself is pointless, without a sound means of helping students combat less than desirable results.
Last year I lost over 25 kilograms at weight watchers mainly by learning about portion size. As a child I was active and ate reasonably healthy meals and snacks, however I look back now and realise being overweight was mainly to do with the fact I was eating twice as much as I should have been. If I had been armed with this information 15 – 20 years ago, potentially I wouldn’t have been overweight for half of my life.
Hello Hot Cool Skinny Chick
“A kid can only eat the food the parent provides”
Don’t under estimate how resourceful us fat kids can be when it comes to securing and consuming unauthorized food! As a ten year-old, I could have run workshops on it!
But you’re right; parents are the biggest influence. Thanks for your thoughts
I think I’m with the above teacher’s comments on this one – a program that boosts kids self image and self esteem (no matter what their weight) would possibly do more good than a height/weight/bmi assessment. Perhaps if the initial assessment (offered as non-compulsory) was followed up with some self development (kids style) and a fitness program they (the government) might be on the right track.
As parents and teachers we should be about empowering our kids (and not just academnically) so that they can realise their potential physically and psychologically. A bmi/height/weight assessment would only compound what they probably already believe about themselves – ie that they’re not good enough. They might be kids – but let’s get them ‘thinking right’ (about themselves) first – everyone always comments that kids are ‘like sponges’ and can learn anything – so I say let’s fill them up with some positive thoughts about themselves. A weight/height/bmi assessment is really useless unless it is followed or preceded by some life skills and self empowering beliefs (once again kid style).
Our school is pretty good with all that kind of thing, so perhaps it would all come down to how individual schools (and principals) handled and introduced the program.
Anyhow, that’s my thoughts….oh and I’m all for increased physical activity during their day…we have a walking/wheeling day in our school week where all the kids are encouraged to walk or ride. They get stickers and merit points each week for doing so…no one even notices their getting exercise..they’re just having fun.
Okay, I’m off….I feel I could go on, but I’d better stop there !
cheers,
Mon ( )
PS Well I’ll just say one more thing – it’s the parents not school communities who are responsible for their kids health. Perhaps…we should have ‘parent information’ nights to encourage people to undetake that role more responsibly.
Hi Narnie
Compulsory weigh-ins at work! There’s a scary – but amusing – thought ( )
Thanks for sharing from your very relevant experience Cyn.
Interesting
Hi Elaine
You’ve lost over 13 stone (that is – 182lbs, 83gks)!!!
Well done you’re an absolute champion…
You must feel amazing.
You make some good points Natalie.
Thanks!
Hi Craig
A thought from up here in Iceland. Here we have weighed and measured height for 9 year old children since about 1930 I think, these data has provided the nation a valuable tool to see the development. And we have, as so many other contries seen that the numbers are going up.
I personally think it is good for both the child and the parent to get this information on a regularly basis. Children need to be educated about health – and I think it is good for them to talk about the results and see that similar children can have different numbers simply because off different bone structure and body mass.
Off course it is always difficult for the fat one – but so is gym, swimming and so many other things… Unfortunately..
With regards,
Bryndis
You’re right Ange – the weigh-in by itself does nothing. That’s why I’m interested to see how they intend implement the overall program – what’s their big-picutre plan… How does it work practically over the long-term?
Thanks for your considerable(!) thoughts Mon – your comment was longer than my post! Too funny.
Don’t stop though – we love them
Hi Bryndis
You know what freaks me out? When I’m sitting at my computer replying to comments and a reader from ICELAND sends me their thoughts on today’s post. How cool is the Internet and how small is the world?
Thanks for sharing about what happens in your country Bryndis.
Take care
I think the general idea is a good one however I could see healthy 14 year old girls using this as an excuse to diet more excessivly.Kids can be a little hyper competitve at times
I don’t know about anyone else’s experiences, but my issues with weight made me believe that I was not just fat, but also that there was nothing redeemable about me. I hated myself and my appearance so much growing up, and it was entirely because of my weight. I already knew I was fat, but until Grade 5 (school weigh in), I didn’t care about it, because I was happy. And it wasn’t until Grade 12 that I was confident enough in who I was, and unhappy enough with what I looked like, that I could commit myself to losing weight.
If a child is fat, they know it.
Unless a child wants to change, you can’t make them. Full stop. And saying to a 14 year-old girl, “We need to do something about your weight”, is a soul-destroying action, particularly if they aren’t ‘ready’ for the change.
I think it’s much, much more important that schools focus on nutrition and fitness — health! — instead. If I’d been given the opportunity to ‘explore new foods’ or ‘let’s go…(insert interesting activity)’, I would have been much more likely to get involved…rather than take the suggestion that I need to lose weight as a confirmation that I had no redeeming value.
Why not get kids to count calories for a week as part of a PE class? We all know KFC is bad for you, but there’s a distinct difference in ‘knowing’ (e.g. I ‘know’ how to pick a lock! Can I do it in real life? Pfft, no.) and thinking ‘actually, if I’m allowed x number per day and it takes up that many, it’s actually a lot. This way, you’re not just reinforcing that kids are overweight, you’re empowering them by giving them the practical tools to change it.
[Sorry for length!]
Cheers Brent..
You’re making sense Katali… cheers ( )
I won’t. Must be those excellent hugs that keep me commenting here. Is this a non hug day (hope not) – here’s mine ((( )))…
Mon
How negligent of me Mon… here’s a Craig hug for you ( )
Craig, I was a fat kid too. My favourite trick was eating all the cakes and biscuits while Mum was at work. You’re right when you say us fat kids are experts at getting the food we want!
But I knew I was fat – and the other kids let me know too. Looking back, I think weighing me would have made their day. More ammunition!
I’ve written a few children’s books about the issue now – “The Too-Tight Tutu” (which uses the word FAT, by the way!) has been a steady seller for years. My new one coming out soon is “Tracey Binns is Lost” and is all about childhood obesity, perceptions of it by adults and what happens when one adult, an over-the-top PE teacher, decides he’s going to “fix” all these wussy fat kids.
I’ll be very interested to see the reactions to it.
Hi Craig
At my son’s school (he’s in Year 9), they do beep tests, weigh and measure kids twice a year. I don’t have a problem with it. The results are fo the individual only to try and show improvement throughout the year. I don’t have a problem with it – it’s a reality of life to be compared and deal with it.
I think we need to teach more about nutrition in schools – not just the food hierarchy thing but realy nutrition. There’s not much point targeting parents – most of us have instilled in us what we learnt and so few are willing to change.
As for yesterday, I snapped someones head off and then felt like crap. Did no good – in fact made things worse. My own uncontrolled frustration. Will perservere today (and contact John).
J9 ()
I am a PDHPE teacher at a school in Sydney. We do fitness testing every year on the students. We have noticed an increase in the average body mass of students from 12 – 16 yrs old has increased by 5kg in the last 20 years. I feel this is totally unacceptable. We need more activity.
“The Too-Tight Tutu”
Lovin’ that name Sherryl.
Good luck with your new book ( )
“I snapped someones head off and then felt like crap.”
Deep breaths J9…
Oh my goodness!! You've just sent me straight back to school & in grade 3 (I think) I was always waaaaaay taller than the other kids, stocky in a half polynesian, dutch kid kinda way & I would weigh the heaviest! AND to top it all off, we had a graph chart & I was the lone star at the top of it. It was most embarrassing to see that & to be thought of as fat & heavy. I look back at my school pics & I really wasnt even that fat… just a head above the rest.
By the way, I was never even teased for being fat, so I guess I was just big…. amazon girl…..must have scared the little boys. hee hee
Oh the memories….
So ummmm….. perhaps a note to all parents about obesity in kids & they can weight them themselves. If the chubby cherubs are still fatty boombahs in 6 months time, perhaps a word to the parents & a secret weigh in? I dunno. I'm not a parent & my nephews (3 of them under 10) are great with their health & exercise.
Might go eat a donut now…. mmmm…. donut!! ha ha Just kidding.
;-p
Pet
xoxo
PS YIPPEE!! A RYL in Perth. How freaky that on the weekend I drove past Club Capricorn & said how I'd never been there & thought there was a golf course attached. Roll on July. Cheesecake on its way!! Go ya halves!!
Hi Craig,
First of all no, your not a tool lol.
I was a plump kid at school and i felt it and i know if it was me being weighed I would die of embarrasement and shame.
with all the takeaway food being shoved in their faces by television and games like the xboxes and nintendos its no wonder kids dont venture outside for fun .
And lets face it when your on a budget fresh healthy food isnt cheap, and sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation.
Maybe weighing the kids is the solution but what are they going to do with the information once they have it? Are we opening the way for more to have bulimia and anorexia as well as image problems?
Life can be hard for kids, would we be making it easier or harder still for them?
ok – not lurkin today
this made me think about a past post of yrs where the mother insisted her son was ‘big boned’ and not overweight as you suggested. i think alot of parents are in denial and school might be the only place you can access them to inform and educat e and beat them around the head with cold hard facts. im always amazed at shopping centre foodcourts at whole families who are ENORMOUS including the school age kids. i think political correctness is holding this issue back. Slightly ash-tinted Hellen (failed miserably at arguement thing – moved out on boyfriend yesterday hehe doh!)
See you at RYL Perth Pet! ( )
Hi Gail
Not a tool – thanks. I might get that on a shirt. ( )
Hi Hellen
Are you okay?
( )
Hi Craig
Gail, I agree with you 100%. In these hard economic times, and for those who are really feeling it, the budget only goes so far and when it comes to food, it is what is filling, rather than what is nutritious, which becomes important.
I think a ‘weigh in’ at school would only be detrimental in the long run, wrongly encouraging kids to focus on their body image (they have enough outside pressure as it is without having it dictated to them through a weigh in at school).
As others have stated, let’s focus on physical activities that encourage kids to get up off their bums and get interested in something other than the TV.
I have a daughter (now 26) who was anorexic in her early teens, due to bullying, depression and bad body image. I can’t begin to imagine how a ‘weigh in’ would have affected her.
So hopefully common sense will prevail and someone will come up with a way to get kids involved in physical activity without focussing on weight, but rather on having fun at the same time.
Dianne
Hi Craig,
A very interesting article! I too was an overweight teenager.I piled on all the weight after I stopped all my sport when entering highschool due to my bad habits of consuming junk food after exercising, the cravings didn’t stop just because I stopped sport!! My mother who was naturally slim her whole life used to try and tell me not to eat too much or the wrong foods but in the end we all find ways to sneak it!! As an adult I have managed to get my weight into submission through proper eating and exercise – some of my friends would argue that I’m a little too obssessive but hey you turn your back for a short time and boy can some damage be done!! ( By the way I loved your book Fattitude !)
I am a parent to a gorgeous girl who just turned 11, and and a boy nearly 10, and try to set a good example for eating right and exercise and have to admit that I fight an uphill battle everyday! The biggest influence over our kids I find are their friends, my daughter hangs out with two girls who are both overweight and have no interest in exercise ( one she played netball with last year that could barely last one quarter of slow running around the court!) and as such through their constant bagging of my daughters’ diet and love of sport, have noticed that she is constantly trying to get out of sport and constantly questions me about why I make her eat what I do, such as can you believe it SALAD!!!?? My son hangs out with boys that just run around all day and just burn energy at an insane rate – they don’t have time to eat!! And just wolfs down what ever I put down in front of him.
My point is, in a long winded manner is , that I don’t think weighing and measuring would accomplish much without a lot of effort going into educating the parents about nutrition first, and then in turn teaching kids about nutrition. I look in absolute horror at some of the things parents give their kids to eat with out even realising the damage! Just go to your local pool / rec centre after a swinmming lesson and look at all those hot chips walking out the door!! At the junior footy/ soccer/ netball what is everyone eating ?? Pies, sausage rolls, lollies at half time because oranges are too expensive now …. what are we thinking!!
Finally I think exercise should be done everyday whether as a family, walk on the beach, walk in the park, etc. Or take up a sport that you can do with your kids, you are already going there and waiting so why not join in?? My husband and I have taken up taekwondo with our kids and we love it, we really aren’t that good but the kids love seeing us there with them, and I notice even the teens with their parents just love the common ground they share! It’s not that hard!
Actually Craig Im doing surprisingly well – its weird – so much has happened but im still here – must admit adreneline wore off big time last few weeks and it hasn’t been easy but nothing seems to phase me – I mean come on what else can happen!! and the break up with the bf thing was a long time coming just not great timing – perhaps we can schedule that catch up. lots to tell xx Hellen the sooty lurker
can I just say too that everyone’s support here made me feel SO awesome that first week. the long haul’s a bit daunting but there are some amazing people out there.
Hey Craig ! I have a beautiful 14 yr old granddaughter who is… fat. She plays more sport than my skinny grandkids (which is a lot) and is extremely good at it. In fact, two years in a row, she’s won a sports scholarship at high school. She’s immensely popular and well respected, she’s form captain, she has more friends than I’ve had in a lifetime, she has a wonderful personality and is an all round great kid. She is a big girl, as in tall, and she knows she is overweight, but it doesn’t seem to worry her. She eats good food… but too much of it. With the amount of activity in her life though, it still surprises me that she is so big. Her Mum (my daughter) has never been fat, and her little sister doesn’t have weight problems. Her father’s side of the family aren’t skinny, but they’re not obese either. I wish I had an answer…..
{{HUG}} Tina
Hi Craig..
Goood post.
I havent read any other comments as yet so i hope i dont repeat anything or upset anyone with my humble opinion.
I have 3 kids… all raised in the same house by the same parent (me) eating the same thing. 2 of my kids look like praying mantis – all arms and legs, stick figures and 1 is, was …. fat!!
I can tell you first hand the effect of weighing children has had in my house.
That fat kid who is now a healthy weight now eats very little and I have to watch closely that she’s not off spewing or spitting her meals up.
Her grandmother (a fat woman) use to weigh the kids without my knowledge and she also taught my eldest (not so fat anymore) kid to just chew her food for the flavour and then spit it out.
Can we say Dickhead, much?
I am completely opposed to weighing kids in schools.
Even as adults we know we shouldnt be caught in the numbers game. Kids (and some uneducated grandmothers) can be cruel and judgemental. We can tell by looking at each other if we’re over weight, we dont need to know the number.
If I found out this was happening, I would fail horribly at that whole ‘lets not argue for 28 days’ thing!! I would not be happy.
Oh and on that note…
I havent argued with a soul since I last posted, not even the snooty,hair flickin, food spittin’ 16 year old. Yay me!.
Cheers
Sorry, its epic.
x
Cheers Dianne ( )
Hi Anon Taekwondo Mum – thanks for stopping by and keep up the good work…
Just Email me when you’re ready Hellen and we’ll organise that catch up
( )
You mean you don’t Tina? I was relying on you
( )
That’s okay Friday; we love your epic… ness!
( )
How about we just teach kids about the benefits of eating cleanly and the side effects of eating junk food instead?
I’m not sure I see the benefits of this test for a child – children can’t eat crap if it isn’t purchased for them.
I think the schools should teach healthy eating and copy the info for the parents who continue to fill their children’s lunch boxes with junk. Let’s create healthy eating habits now for our kids.
cheers
Bernadette
Thanks for dropping in Bernadette…
Hey Craig Gail again,
When are we going to get another RYL in Queensland I missed the last one.
If its soon I promise to bring cheesecake.
P.S
Jo who won your comp told me to bribe you with cheesecake.
I “knew” my whole life I was fat, this had more to do with how my parents thought about themselves than my own actual weight. This had it’s biggest impact in that I didn’t want to join in activities and sport because I felt like I’d be letting everyone else in the team down. This went right through high school as well.
I am obese now but losing it (painfully slowly but losing it) and my whole focus with my health is how to set the best possible example for my daughter.
Being active, eating right and demonstrating those basic healthy living skills to her is my job as parent and that’s what i do.
As for weighing in schools, I feel that it’s better to have a system in place where every child has to go and see their GP at regular intervals that continues after the age of 4, where they can get weighed and measured and if there is any concern the child, the parent and their GP can work together to resolve any issues there may be.
This is what I will do with my daughter regardless as i feel that’s the best way to get help with any problems and the only way to keep it clinical, personal and the least traumatic.
Having a better balance of activity and education in school is beneficial to everyone, kids find it easier to concentrate and teachers have better focused kids so having wider ranging not only fitness but activity programs in school would have to be a good thing, some kids don’t do well with the team thing, some don’t do well with sport, but there is so much more to healthy activity than just these things.
Someone mentioned an activity challenge (like the premiers reading challenge) and that would be perfect for kids like I was, being able to make more of an individual effort earlier on may have meant that as a healthier teenager team sport wouldn’t have been such a daunting thing.
To sum up-
Activity- home and school thing.
Health and weight- home and doctors thing.
CJ
PS Society is bombarded enough by WEIGHT, I know this because my husbands 8yo nephew the other day came to the dining table saying he would like a FAT BLASTER (or some new fad in exercise machines, can’t remember the name) for his next birthday, when asked why he replied because he was fat.
The kids a toothpick, but he religiously watches biggest loser with his mum every night and hears constantly about his mum and nan’s most recent diet fad.
The kid is not healthy (too much technology, not enough activity), but there is no way he should be thinking he’s fat.
His mum laughing and thinking it was cute is another matter.
sorry, just had to get that out.
Hi Gail.
Cheesecake!
Is tomorrow okay?
Thanks for your thoughts CJ… ( )
WOW Craig! The RYL in Yanchep sounds very cool! Will let ya know about this very soon!!!
I remember getting weighed in school once, – in form one as they call it in NZ. I had just turned 12 then. At that stage I remember feeling quite proud of myself, – 7 and a half stone whatever that is in kilos, (about 48kg I think) and 157cm tall. I was relatively slim and tall then for my age. I felt for the heavier kids though!
Be great to see you there Pip.. ( )
First time I’ve left a comment only because of what happened to me. I too was a younger porker. First day of year 7 at an all girls school we were all lined up and put on the scales and they then lined us up from heaviest (me) to lightest. It started a 20 year problem with anorexia.
I remember being weighed and measured most years in high school, and doing a fitness test. We never got tosee the results. The weighing and measuring didn’t really bother me as they did it one at a time, and didn’t tell us the results.The fitness test we didas a group and I didn’t do too well.
In general I think it is a good idea. If health indicators are getting worse, maybe schools will put more emphasis on sport and helathy food in the tuckshop.
Kay:)
My daughter just started high school and told me she had the weigh in and BMI test. As yet no results have been forthcoming. I think it is humiliating for the kids to be put through this. For what purpose? If the school would offer some sort of help in exercise and nutrition for those that need it then fair enough.
The only thing I have noted about PE at her high school so far is :
1) The swimming carnival – only the fastest got to the compete while the other fatties and not so fit got to sit all day in the sun and watch the beautiful kids.
2) Sports Day – only the best were to compete – the rest had to follow a group of kids around all day and cheer!
How is this helping those that need exercise? The kids were even threatened that if they didn’t attend and “cheer” their classmates on that they would be excluded from other excursions. This made my blood boil! Who are these people??
No wonder obesity and depression are rife in our community.
Paula.