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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you allow your young DC to become morbidly obese then it should be treated the same as if you'd starved them.

203 replies

ItsOkayItsJustMyBreath · 08/12/2013 16:16

This link is really upsetting. I hate seeing young children that are incredibly overweight. It is, for me, the same as seeing children that have been underfed. When children are young they do not get to choose what they eat, they are given their food by their parents.

I understand that as children get older then controlling what they eat when not under your supervision is impossible but at this age it is just appalling.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Snog · 11/12/2013 20:00

alis to answer your question, whilst leptin deficiency is relatively rare, genetic causes of obesity are not rare and we are only on the edge of understanding quite how much genetics influence weight. vilification of the parents of obese children is less than helpful to anyone.

Alisvolatpropiis · 13/12/2013 19:34

Snog

Yes that's true. But understanding how genetics influences weight swings both ways, can cause people to be very thin as well as overweight.

It seems to be the latter is fine and cannot be criticised in any way whereas the former is a free for all. But the people in question are equally likely to have genetic root causes?

Snog · 14/12/2013 13:33

Nobody who is fat wants to be fat and neither do they want their children to be fat.
People are overweight due to a combination of their genes and their environment.
We are not all equal to start with as some of us have genes that predispose us to weight gain, or not. Some people over eat due to emotional problems or emotional pain. Some eat unhealthy food due to a lack of education or poverty. Those of you who stand in judgement of the overweight and the parents of overweight children are displaying very unattractive behaviour imho.

FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 14/12/2013 16:00

I think it is a hideous punishment to the child to be taken away "into care", how will this emotionally affect her? I just cannot imagine the damage they are doing.

SS has the power, seemingly, to punish families in a worse way than criminals.

Why could they not engineer a solution where the child could still be seeing her family?!

The power SS have is scary, and they often do not use it wisely....

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 16:02

Love means damaging your child's health and shortening their lives? Really? Hmm

Apparently so. Just look at formula feeding (which has been linked to obesity).

Sirzy · 14/12/2013 16:14

We aren't just talking about a child being overweight here though but one who is morbidly obese.I think when considering this case in particular that does need to be remembered. 10 stone is overweight for many healthy female adults.

Yes genetics and other factors play a role, but does that mean we should just accept obesity and not try to change things to improve the future for children who are seemingly predisposed to weight being an issue? I have been morbidly obese and even as an adult its not nice and its puts a horrible strain on your body, I am still overweight now but infinity healthier than I was. Of course though you can be an acceptable weight and still be unhealthy though and I think that is often forgotten, because of the genetic factor some people can eat an appalling diet yet still maintain a good weight - that doesn't mean it is good for them though!

I do think we need to be careful to ensure that children are encouraged to look at a healthy lifestyle rather than focusing on dieting and/or weight - parents who are obsessive about their weight/their childs weight can do just as much damage as those who 'allow' their child to be obese.

Cases like this do highlight the appalling lack of support for families who are concerned about the weight of a child though and I really do hope that the family were offered plenty of help to make changes before such drastic action was taken.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 14/12/2013 16:15
Hmm
Heartbrokenmum73 · 14/12/2013 16:21

Oh, do fuck off with the formula feeding bollocks.

My three dc all had formula, as did my neice, as did my nephew, as did myself and my three siblings. Out of all of us, I'm overweight and I'm the only one.

Don't try and turn this into a BF V FF contest because it just isn't. You have no evidence that people using formula do so because they want to make their children obese through love. They use formula for a variety of reasons.

I wish people would stop this BF v FF snobbery.

Alisvolatpropiis · 14/12/2013 16:36

womble

ODFOD

SPsWantsCliffInHerStocking · 14/12/2013 16:41

Wombles Grin Kidding right?!

My brother would be classed as overweight toddler. He is massive and easily the highest of all 7 were at that age.

He was the only one of us breast fed. He doesn't eat anything different to my sister who is nearly 4 yet weighs more than her. I could post pictures of the pair of them and you wouldn't believe it

He also has a shit immune system.

This BF vs FF is bollocks.

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 17:16

lol at the ODFOD

My three dc all had formula, as did my neice, as did my nephew, as did myself and my three siblings. Out of all of us, I'm overweight and I'm the only one.

Anecdotal bollocks. Look at the scientific research on gene expression, excess protein, etc.

monicalewinski · 14/12/2013 17:16

Wombles Grin Grin

I'm laughing coz you're joking, right?!

If not, then you are truly something else Hmm

thankfeckitschrismas · 14/12/2013 17:37

So now this thread has moved on from 'all fat kids should be in care' to 'all ff babies will be fat so should be.'

What a horrid thread.

monicalewinski · 14/12/2013 17:42

I'd be more arsed to read all the links if my formula fed children weren't weight appropriate, but they are so I won't.

Thanks anyway!

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 18:18

all ff babies will be fat

Who said that?

FF babies are more likely to be fat. Fact.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 14/12/2013 18:49

I wonder where all these fat babies are, I've only ever seen one really fat baby and that was one of mine

monicalewinski · 14/12/2013 19:10

We must be wading through them on a daily basis though Moomins, as it's usually a thousand links to stats saying that nobody in UK breastfeeds.

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 19:16

Anyone read the science, or is personal anecdote more comforting?

Snowbility · 14/12/2013 19:18

My dsis has bf 3 dcs one is overweight...I have ff 2 dcs both very skinny - stats are only that, they do not make your dcs obese.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 14/12/2013 19:23

I have read it, the first link talks of breastfeeding being associated with a modest reduction in obesity in later life.

Modest and no talk of fat babies

Heartbrokenmum73 · 14/12/2013 19:23

Wombles

I'm not going to bother with your data because you've specifically gone looking for data to support your nasty little statement, not balanced data.

Why did you bring FF into this in the first place? What has it got to do with anything? People use formula for all kinds of different reasons - it has nothing to do with over-feeding your child out of love.

Any stats to support that little nugget of information?

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 20:14

Formula feeding predisposes a child to obesity. Many parents spout the "happy mum - happy baby" bullshit and say "it doesn't matter how a child is fed, as long as it is fed with love".

However, it clearly does matter. Whether you feed formula for every meal as an infant, or a takeaway for every meal as a child - it matters.

idiuntno57 · 14/12/2013 20:22

it is easier to overfeed if you ff.

This is the problem.

womblesofwestminster · 14/12/2013 20:24

it is easier to overfeed if you ff

Yes, that's one aspect of the problem. There are many more, including the composition of formula relative to breastmilk.

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