Not all fat children are unhealthy

I know many people have responded to this but most dont understand how it is to have a child that is big and hope that they dont go through what you went through as a kid. i have been big all my life, have been made fun of and bullied all my grade school years. My daughter is in the 98% in all categories for weight and height. i wouldnt say she was fat but it worries me that she will have to go through what i did. She is a very happy loveing baby and i really dont want my child hood to be hers. Me and my girlfriend are aware of what people think and how kids are. We are raiseing her to have a great personality and to be respectful. At this point most of her weight is baby fat and we will not know how she will look in 10 years but no matter how she looks her parents will love her with our hearts and souls. I am hopefull that the love we show her will negate anything bad that anyone ever saids to her. she is my life. as long as she is healthy i dont give a darn what people say about her looks.

my son is 6'5 and weighs almost 300lbs. since he was a baby, he had big bones, the doctors insisted he was overweight and last year they sent him to a specialist to see if he had that giant diease. i kept telling them that his height is from his dad and his weight isn't due to fat but big boned. he is on varsity, swims, etc. so he is very active. now adays if you are 10/15 lbs overweight, the doctors say you are obesity. this is an outrage. especially to those who are born with problems. what will they come out with next? maybe they're trying to get us to cut back on eating so that the food could be scarce here like alot of things lately to send elsewhere...i see kids that eat alot like my grandson, yet he doesn't gain weight and people think my daughter doesn't feed him, its in the genes,etc. you know child isn't fat, etc. as i do mine, forget what the docs or anyone says, you know the truth and you are doing whats best for your child and noone can say different, especially if they don't live with you. go with your heart as a mother, continue doing what you feel is right. have a good day....

I agree totally,because I have a little 5 year old sister who is 88 pounds and she the doctor said is tall and big for her age. She is very active and loves running and playing and seems to always be on the go most times. But she is also advanced for her age they wanted to skip her from kindergarten to first grade but I told my m other to let her enjoy her first year atleast. I don't think that having overweight lazy parents are the cause of overweight kids most kids you see with overweight parents are skinny so it doesn't have to do with the parent. Maybe they have a thyroid or metabolism problem I have no clue all I know is to just love them the way they are and thats that.

Hi Sara! I have the same problem with people and their "views", well almost. I have three children, our oldest is reed thin- like her father, our middle girl is what would be considered "normal", and our youngest is on the heavy side- like me. He does not overeat; nor is he lazy, he plays football etc and is an active kid. Like myself he is just a big person. He was 9lb 6oz at birth, but I don't think that really has anything to do with it as my daughters were also large babys at 8lb 12oz and 8lb 13oz. It's just the way God makes us I suppose. I just wish people would mind their own business rather than assuming that since I am overweight (health issues and laziness) that I must do something that makes my son heavy. The way some people talk to and about me (moms groups are evil covens I'm begining to think), you would think I tie my son up and feed him crisco for 9 hours a day. It's ridiculous. One of these days when I get another comment, I'm going to discuss how physically unatractive their child is, and ask if they have done something to cause it; such as to much sun, or unhealthy genes or something. I just get so tired of other people sometimes.

After reading this post I found the other one you mentioned and had to post there. I had to tell them what I thought of this situation. I really am so sick and tired of people judgeing and assuming on others. My neice is a large girl. At 12 she's 5'8 and pushing 250. Now some of that weight was due to a medication she was on, she gained a 100 pounds with it but she's lost about 25 now and working on the rest. However even if she loses it and goes back to the 175 to 200lbs she'd still by many be considered fat. The thing is she's a very active kid. She plays basketball, is on the volleyball team, she walks and plays with the kids in the neighborhood. If she was a couch potato I might be worried but she's not. She's always been large for her age. We did finally have one doctor after running the tests look at us and state "Well you have a big kid. That's how she is meant to be." We were so happy to hear that after having so many tell us not to feed her certain things, like Mcdonalds which we weren't feeding her. Like you I'm so sick of the assumptions people make. Not everything is about food or activity levels. I've known people who are super active, eat healthy, and guess what? Still considered over weight. I've known others that do shove food in their mouths all the time and are couch potatos and they are skinny as a rail. Some of it is genetics. It's just how our bodies are built. Yes foods and activities can make a difference for some but for many of us it doesn't matter. It's how we are and always will be. I know for myself that when I have lost weight, yes I looked nice but by all those little charts they have I was still considered obese. The definition of obese is 20 percent above ideal body weight. Well ideal for my height is 120 at almost 5'9. So at 144 I'm considered obese and at 166 morbidly obese (30 percent above). Yet at 180 I looked very good. I happen to be very large boned and at 180 my bones were quite visible. I actually looked better at 190. Either way even though I looked very good at that weight the doctors still put me as overweight. One just has to go by what they feel is right for them.

I agree! My husband is 6' and over 270 lbs. Hes not fat but he is a big man! Our first son was born over 10 lbs. The doctors insisted i had to have had gestational Diabetes because my child was so big (despite the fact that i had been tested many times all with negative results). I just looked at them and asked, havent you seen his father? My son is now a very tall chunky boy. He is very healthy but obviously has his dads genes in his size. Not all kids that are big are unhealthy.

I responded in what I am assuming is the disucssion you're talking about and basically what I tried to point out is that having a child that is overweight does not necessarily mean the parents overfeed him or her or let them sit around inside all day - there are many factors. I did point out that I have twin girls - one of who is rather skinny yet eats a lot and doesn't do anywhere near as much exercise or sports as her twin sister, yet her sister would be considered by some to be overweight - though she would be by far the fittest of my three kids - she does a sport of one form of the other 7 days of the week and she eats much better than my other two children.

I love this! My daughter is tall and has a chunky belly. She is very active.. Sure we watch tv every day-- I let her sit down for 30 minutes prior to bed.. But she plays basketball, we walk, do tae-bo tapes, cycle in the nicer weather..etc. We are an active family-- We eat healthy most times-- Sure there are days when we'll order pizza for dinner.. But for the most part we eat healthy-- Some kids are just born being sticks-- and some not! I would hate to hear someone tell me I'm the reason that my daughter is a bit chuncky--- People that group all people together drive me crazy!

You also have to consider a few things. Just because a kid HAS fat doesn't mean they ARE fat. According to the "statistics", Mel Gibson is considered obese because of his height-to-weight ratio, and the %age of fat in his system. We have a really messed up visage of fat and skinny. Girls think that if they can pull the skin, they're fat, guys just usually dont care.

I do agree with you here. I have one daughter who is skinny and one who is 'normal' and I often get told that it is the vegan diet that we all follow that is the reason why she is underweight (she isn't underweight). I am at the maximum I could be before being called overweight and I have the same vegan diet as them. I think some kids just eat more, can burn it off easier etc and that is why they come in different shapes and sizes.

you are so right aunty..even im quite big ..hhehehe..well isay im fat...i go to the gym..work out..and go cycling to school and tutions so it is definetly not the parents fault..at all..whoever said that has a misunderstoof idea...i belive people should be who they are and nothin wrong with being fat or skinny ...after all it takes all kinds to make the world..:D.....

I guess if we are truly living healthy, then we don't have to listen to other's comment. I was very skinny like 98 lbs, people thinks that I was weak. Honestly, I ate a lot and I love meat, veggie, fruit and all kinds of food and I didn't even see my doctor once a year. After I had my daughter, I gained a lot of weight, and people would tell me that I was fat, thank you!!! I think the great lesson for us is know that what words really offense people and never will I say these mean things to others.

I guess if we are truly living healthy, then we don't have to listen to other's comment. I was very skinny like 98 lbs, people thinks that I was weak. Honestly, I ate a lot and I love meat, veggie, fruit and all kinds of food and I didn't even see my doctor once a year. After I had my daughter, I gained a lot of weight, and people would tell me that I was fat, thank you!!! I think the great lesson for us is know that what words really offense people and never will I say these mean things to others.

Well i think that it's prolly and blood/body system problem.. I've seen some cases also that the boy/girl didn't eat anything like chocolate or fast food and make exercises and is athletic but just doesn't get skinny or a bit less fat... But i don't think at all the cases it's parents fault so i don't blame them at all... I think in some that's their fault and also at skinny child cases too... Well but i think that people blame too much the child himself or fathers, since they don't even know what's going on..

I'd have to agree. Imagine this. I was fat when I was a kid and up until grade 11, I lost weight and my face thinned out. Here's the thing, I played volleyball and soccer in Junior High and ws probably one of the best athletes in the school. I remember trying out for basketball and when we did sprints, I was always one of the first to finish. So yes, not all kids who are fat are unhealthy.

I totally agree with you. Some children also suffer from several disorders which makes them gain weight. You must never judge a child or their parents when it's overweight. The son of one my friends has a genetic disorder which caused him to grow taller and heavier than his peers. And I know how much his parents watched his diet and took care of his lifestyle but I also know of thier pain when someone said something about their son again. People must learn to shut up before they speak.

I have the opposite, see my health went down hill just before my daughter was born, I gained a lot of weight in her first year. Because of my problems and quite frankly a little lazy attitude I haven't taken the weight off. Anyway the point is on a continual basis from family mainly and a few friends. People say oh you want to be careful you don't want your daughter to inherit your weight problem. Even though at this time she is perfectly healthy and not a bit overweight. People can just be so rude and for some reason they feel that when it comes to wiehgt it is an open topic and they can just voice their opinions freely.

You must not be offended by that since you know how you take care of your child. As you said your child had run tests to check if he has problems and then there's no problem. You know that your child has no problem so let them think what they want as long as you know how to be a good mother and that matters. As long as your child grow with good manners and conduct, being big is not a problem. That is an advantage for him and may he use it best.Because if you are not a good parent you are now problematic about the health of your child and that will show, but you don't have any problem about it. just be happy and don't mind them saying that.

what u say is absolutely correct. If a child is born fat there is no problem except in cases where there is hormonal problem. if a child is born and at growing stages if it becomes fatter then there will be problem which may affects its organs

I was a very chunky toddler and yet in adulthood I have always been naturally slim. My brother is the opposite - a skinny child, he's now quite a big lad. We were brought up on the same foods and with the same lifestyles, so it's very hard to see why we should be so different. I think if a child has a varried, mainly healthy diet and enjoys active play as well as TV and computer games, and doctors can find nothing whorn with the child's health, there is nothing more you can do - you are setting a good example and giving him a good start in life.