The doctors had decided to put the child on a very strict “diet” and, if he was still having weight issues in his teens, were looking at “stomach stapling” surgery to make his stomach smaller. Diet? Surgery? YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING. He’s eight years old! They also considered taking full custody of the boy and placing him in a hospital while he was dieting. I don’t understand what doctors are thinking when it comes to real- world fat loss. Why not investigate and see what’s causing him to binge and gain all this weight? It seems most doctors think surgery is the answer to everything.
Here’s a another solution, much less drastic than stomach stapling. This child is clearly not being raised in an environment that suits his health goals. Not that any eight-year-old should have health goals, but his parents should. Instead of removing him from the environment (his home), he needs a better environment where he will be able to manage his weight problem. The mother, who is also overweight and is the reason the boy is overweight, needs to realize that she’s slowly killing her son and herself, and that the time to change is now! As challenging as it will be for any child to avoid all the processed and high-sugar foods at school, at a friend’s house, etc., the parents need to set up a home base that’ll help their children manage their weight. This means cleaning out cupboards and refrigerators, getting rid of all the processed food that’s high in sugar and fat, and replacing it with delicious whole foods that are juicy, colorful and delicious. It’s all about the choices we make.
We need to take control of what we’re eating, what we buy and store as snacks and food. Make sure your cupboards and fridge always have fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. available to snack on. Get rid of all the pop and even juices, and get used to drinking water. If you have overweight children, they might complain for a while, but you’ll be doing what’s best for them in the long run.
2 comments:
Hi Ruslan, I really enjoyed reading this blog. You are bang on with everything you said. As a mother, no doubt I am responsible for the health and well-being of my child, and this includes the CHOICES I MAKE with the food she consumes. thanks for posting this one.
Good topic. I just read this morning that child obesity in Puerto Rico is on the rise (refer to CTV.ca for entire article).
The Canadian government is doing something in terms of providing incentives for parents who put their kids into sports (by reimbursing them through tax returns). At the end of the day though, it's up to the parents. Always was and always will be.
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