From Debbie, Child's Age 13 - 08/15/05 - IP#: 70.110.176.xxx  Click here to reply  
The school year will be beginning soon and for those of us with overweight children it is a scary and worrisome time. I know that once again my son will be teased and harassed by knuckleheads who feel so bad about themselves that they need to put him down to make themselves feel better. Though my son is only 13 he is 6' 2" tall and weighs about 265. I do my best to support him in all his endeavors whether it is weight loss or some other thing he wants to accomplish. I adore him and let him know that he is great just as he is though he is aware that there are health issues with being to overweight.
We as parents must remember to give our children our full and UNCONDITIONAL love. Be a shoulder for your child to cry on, be the rock they can cling to when they feel like they are drowning be whatever they need you to be. Just losing weight is not the answer to their problems ... I know that because I lost over 100 pounds and I still have the same problems in life that I had before except now I can't blame them on being overweight. Now I really have to deal with them and stop blaming my weight. Make changes in your whole families lifestyle to support your child's needs, after all even non-overweight children and parents will benefit from healthy foods and exercise. Don't make all *bad* foods completely forbidden because that just teaches the child to hide food and binge whenever they can. Allow those foods in single serving proportions and only occasionally. My son has lost a good deal of weight and he has gained a good deal of muscle from all the activities he has done this summer. I have told him I am so proud of him but not because he lost weight but because he is a wonderful person and anyone who has the chance to know him is very lucky. I will be here for him if he wants to talk about what goes on at school but I won't push him because sometimes it is even more humiliating to live it all again when telling the story. I will step in when he needs(and wants) me to. I also will be working with the school and other parents to try to figure out how to deal with the teasing and harassing that goes on every single day.
Please be strong for your children and do not make them feel like they are less because they are overweight. We are the adults and like it or not our habits and lifestyles have helped our children become overweight. We are the ones that need to make the changes to help all our children with whatever issues they may be facing.