Is this bad as a concept or am I missing something?

[KatyMac]

I 'know' a child who eats very poorly - lots of food issues, underweight etc

Mum has asked for help of GP - to be told 'children are faddy' of HV - tbt 'they will grow out of it'

But mum really wants help - so the local children's centre is running a 'healthy eating' club & she asked to join

And was told she couldn't because it was only for obese children

I think this is wrong on many levels

1)Healthy eating just is, whether you are obese, underweight or just right - the diet should be the same
2)Obese children don't need to be singled out and 'stigmatised'
3)children who are underweight need just as much help

I think it's a really bad idea, but as I say I maybe missing something

I agree with you Katy, don't see why healthy eating has to be marketed at only obese children. Is there no way she could get around it maybe by asking the gp for a 'referral'. I don't think that's the right way to put it but don't know what else it would be called.

I entirely agree with you; healthy eating is life long 'skill', for want of a better word! How old is the child?

DD went through faddy phases, but from about 2.5 she was aware of good eating habits through nursery and school, and certainly in nursery she was very definite about what was healthy and what wasn't. She still, at 9, places a great deal of importance on the healthier options, though she's well into chocolate (but will limit herself).

Well I can see that they might want to run a group for obese children and call it the healthy eating club to avoid calling it the fat kids club. Obese children could support each other and would not have much in common with someone who did not want to eat similar foods to them perhaps? It sounds like a club of that sort would be no use to the littke girl you are referring to.

But I agree in principle that healthy eating is relevant to everyone, fat or slim.

Surely both obese children and underweight (faddy/with control issues) children will benefit from the same diet?

Even my neither over nor under weight child would enjoy a club, talking about shopping well, cooking well & eating well?

Of course they will benefit from the same healthy diet but the way they work towards it will be completely different. An anorexic would benefit from a healthy diet as much as an overeater but you wouldn't send her to weight watchers!

A general healthy eating club would be of benefit to all I agree, but it sounds like this club is not meant to be that.

Well for the under 5's you can attend whatever your weight, for the over 5's you can't attend unless you are obese - it just seems wrong

Yes that is silly. I must admit that this whole surestart/children's centre thing baffles me and everything that they do seems loony. I have no idea whether there is one near me and I have two children so you'd think someone might have mentioned it.