In reply to Zoe Cox's blog on 'Child Obesity' on Wednesday 4th March 2009.
We very often express our concerns with regards to children who are underfed or malnourished and categorise it as child abuse, but isn't over feeding your child just as bad. Children who are over weight suffer greatly at school, they cannot sit down, join in P.E. lessons effectively and participate in outside activities. The school equipment is not strong or big enough to enable effective earning to take place and they feel vulnerable, isolated and lonely, especially at break times. I even no a eight year old girl who had to have her school dresses made as she could not buy them big enough for her age. It is very often found that many members of the family suffer with weight problems and in my experience brothers and sisters are usually of similar size.
As a society we need to educate parents on how to better feed their children and to encourage more out door activities. I don't think PlayStation's or any form of computer games help children in these circumstances, but they have increasingly become part of our children's leisure activities. Perhaps because of the dangers for children in today's society we tend to keep our children in more, to keep them safe from harm, which in effect has caused another danger which is not allowing 'children to be children'.
We very often express our concerns with regards to children who are underfed or malnourished and categorise it as child abuse, but isn't over feeding your child just as bad. Children who are over weight suffer greatly at school, they cannot sit down, join in P.E. lessons effectively and participate in outside activities. The school equipment is not strong or big enough to enable effective earning to take place and they feel vulnerable, isolated and lonely, especially at break times. I even no a eight year old girl who had to have her school dresses made as she could not buy them big enough for her age. It is very often found that many members of the family suffer with weight problems and in my experience brothers and sisters are usually of similar size.
As a society we need to educate parents on how to better feed their children and to encourage more out door activities. I don't think PlayStation's or any form of computer games help children in these circumstances, but they have increasingly become part of our children's leisure activities. Perhaps because of the dangers for children in today's society we tend to keep our children in more, to keep them safe from harm, which in effect has caused another danger which is not allowing 'children to be children'.
I also think that over feeding a child is just as bad as under feeding one. To me it’s a form of cruelty, to make a child feel as though they do not fit in, particularly at school, which can be a hard time for a child anyway, especially as there is no need for a child to feel like this.
ReplyDeleteParents should take some responsibility if their child is overweight and i agree that they should be helped with making sure their child is living a healthy lifestyle, making sure they understand what their child should be eating, as well as making sure they get exercise. It is sad to think that parents have to be careful where they let their children out, because of the way our society is. Where's it going to end?