From Jarod, Child's Age 13 - 11/29/20 - IP#: 104.200.132.xxx  Click here to reply  
Hello everyone,
I'm an overweight single parent and I need help. I have 2 boys 13 and 11 who are both dangerously overweight. I've mainly ignored my boys' weight and assumed it would get better. I know I'm not a good role model being obese myself at 265 lbs and pretty short. This year has been hard on everyone and I didn't really notice that we were eating more at first. After about a month into lockdown we were pretty relaxed about things. Wasn't getting them to get dressed. Pj bottoms and no tops was pretty common, even I wasn't bothering with getting dressed. We were using skip the dishes or door dash most days. Going through a few boxes of soda a week. Again I was doing a great job at ignoring the issue. I could see the stretch marks but I figured they were old or just signs of growing up, not out. We were eating dessert every day. Ice cream, cakes, things I usually didn't buy because I knew my weakness for them. Still things were tough and we could all use some cheering up. Well cut to a week ago and my younger boy is complaining about feeling dizzy again. He's got up to pee for what feels like the millionth time since we started the episode of the Mandalorian. I decide to call the doctor. During the video call the doctor makes him lift up his arms and notes the rash in his armpit, the same one as he has on his neck. He makes him weigh and I'm shocked to see he has gained 68 lbs since March. He tells us to go and get some tests. They come back and the doctors suspicions are confirmed, diabetes. My older boy has prediabetes and is also carrying significant poundage. I don't know what to do. I have the meal plans from the doctor and the insulin and the instructions but it's been a fight with them. The insulin is fine, the change in diet is not. Help. I feel so lost.
Reply from Jesse, Child's Age 12 - 01/01/21  - IP#: 174.239.5.xxx
How are your boys doing, Jarod? Is the one with diabetes on medication? My best friend has been a diabetic since age 7 and takes insulin. 30 years later he's doing fine. He belongs to a group for juvenile diabetics. Maybe your doctor can tell you if there's a group for kids in your area?		 
Reply from Seongwha, Child's Age 18 - 12/02/20  - IP#: 173.79.71.xxx
My son started to sneak food around age that your kids are. It is really tiring and can feel like youre saying same things over and over with no change. My son is older and understands the health problems more but it's also harder to monitor what he eats and how much than when he was little. Do they know what diabetes mean? I don't know what you tried but maybe talking with them about it and saying this is something you all have to do together will help them understand. If you would like we can chat more in email or on here, I know how it feels to be alone in this issue. It's really hard on yourself, but you are doing the right thing to ask for help.		 
Reply from Jarod, Child's Age 13 - 12/01/20  - IP#: 104.200.131.xxx
Hi Damien,
I would love to chat more. Just not feeling alone around all this would be helpful
Seongwha, I have talked to them about it but food is something important to them both and they crave it. I know I have trouble resisting myself. There's been a lot of tantrums and pleading and sneaking food with the attempts to change things. It wears me down and they know it.		 
Reply from Seongwha, Child's Age 18 - 11/30/20  - IP#: 173.79.71.xxx
Do you talk to them about what diabetes means? Do they know why they have to change their diet? I think educating them on the condition is important and since they’re young this can be a learning experience. How do they react to diet change?		 
Reply from Damien, Child's Age 10 - 11/30/20  - IP#: 87.122.12.xxx
hey, similar situation here, I'm a single dad in the upper 300 pound area and my 10 year old son has also been getting rather huge.
not diabetes I think, but he has been having more issues with other stuff. his stamina has become so abysmal and I hear him wheezing pretty much everywhere, among other stuff.
and yeah, I can relate on being lazy especially during lockdown. it's kinda hard to notice things creeping up, huh?
and yeah, tbh snacks and takeout every day here too. changing out diet seems like next to impossible.
if you want to talk more, I'm open to it