Thin parents and fat kids

[Darth Wong]

I've seen a few cases around here lately where there are thin parents and fat kids. Fat parents and fat kids are understandable (quite predictable in fact). But when you have thin parents and fat kids, then ... what gives?

I actually know one parent who's an aerobics instructor. She was actually a model in one of the Bally's fitness club TV commercials a few years ago. And let's just say that when she was in high school, her classmates felt that she wasn't going to survive on her wits alone ... but she would never need to. Do I need to go into detail on the shape of her body? Yet her kid is ... well, let's just say he is generously proportioned.

In another case, there's a kid at the swimming pool where my kids take lessons who is so goddamned fat that he has "bitch tits". He's so goddamned fat that he jiggles when he walks, and his belly droops over his swimming trunks. The kid is maybe 10 years old at most, and he looks worse than the "before" picture on a goddamned Slim-Fast commercial! Yet his parents look perfectly normal.

How does this happen? Shouldn't they be making their kids exercise or eat sensibly or something, if they can do it themselves?

[Adept]

I actually know one parent who's an aerobics instructor. She was actually a model in one of the Bally's fitness club TV commercials a few years ago. And let's just say that when she was in high school, her classmates felt that she wasn't going to survive on her wits alone ... but she would never need to. Do I need to go into detail on the shape of her body? Yet her kid is ... well, let's just say he is generously proportioned.

I've found that parents who are extremely devoted to or skilled in a certain aspect of life (in your example, personal fitness) often preach so much to their kid that it grows sickening, and the child begins to resent it and eventually goes out of their way to appear different and thus "rebel".

Now, this is just an example that I've seen a couple of times with my friends, but its much more likely that the kid is predisposed to a large body size from a grandparent or some other family member. I really can't say too much else without knowing more about the kid and his situation.

[Stark]

Yeah, a gym instructor I dated has a child now, and while she's a work-out-for-four-hours-a-day person, her kid is a bit chubby. Perhaps in these cases, it's that she eats lots of energy-packed foods, since that's her lifestyle, but her kid doesn't so it's all straight into fat?

[Wicked Pilot]

How does this happen?

My guess is that when the parents are growing up they're getting fed home cooked meals almost everyday, but their kids grew up on fast food and became McDonaldized. At school they probably had mandatory gym and possibly no video games at home, while the only exercise their kids get is pushing X-Box buttons.

Shouldn't they be making their kids exercise or eat sensibly or something, if they can do it themselves?

'Shouldn't they?' hell yes!, 'Wouldn't they?' not necessarily. Some parents want to be friends first and parents second, and if they as 10 year olds didn't enjoy at the time eating their vegetables and doing pull ups they may feel compelled not to give their children similar experiences.

[mjn6172]

How does this happen?

My guess is that when the parents are growing up they're getting fed home cooked meals almost everyday, but their kids grew up on fast food and became McDonaldized. At school they probably had mandatory gym and possibly no video games at home, while the only exercise their kids get is pushing X-Box buttons.

Shouldn't they be making their kids exercise or eat sensibly or something, if they can do it themselves?

'Shouldn't they?' hell yes!, 'Wouldn't they?' not necessarily. Some parents want to be friends first and parents second, and if they as 10 year olds didn't enjoy at the time eating their vegetables and doing pull ups they may feel compelled not to give their children similar experiences.

This is exactly what happened with one of my cousins. When he was little, Timmy hated to eat anything his Mom cooked, so his Dad was constantly taking him to McDonalds for dinner instead. Now that he's grown, both parents are still thin and fit, but Timmy's ~260 pounds at about 5'10".

Another possibility is that the parents think their child is perfect. I'm sure we all know a few people who think their children can do no wrong and who dote on their children excessively. These parents are more likely to think that it's just baby fat or make up some other excuse so they don't have to accept the reality of situation and do something about it.

[Cairber]

Maybe they have one of those pediatricians that placates them with the "it's just baby fat, it comes off eventually" excuse.

[defanatic]

Another possibility is that the parents think their child is perfect. I'm sure we all know a few people who think their children can do no wrong and who dote on their children excessively. These parents are more likely to think that it's just baby fat or make up some other excuse so they don't have to accept the reality of situation and do something about it.

Where do you get parents like this? My parents think I am a stupid, unfit dolt that won't go anywhere in life.

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

[The Guid]

To answer the question I would imagine its to do with a lack of parental control of the kid. A common phenomenon in this age of treating children like they shit gold pressed latinum.

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

The correlation stands because the more you are on your PC the less you excercise and fast food is fatening. There is a cause and effect - there can be things that change this i.e. other sources of excercise, a faster metabolism or suchlike but it is a fair enough assumption to make in my opinion.

[AniThyng]

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

Once upon a time, I used to think like you.

Then I became an adult, my metabolism stopped growing exponentially and I got a tummy.

Don't let that happen to you.

If you are already an adult, then good for you, you luckly lucky person

[Sir Sirius]

I have cousin who is like this, both parents are quite slim and their kid is an enormous fat ass. Basically my aunt, who was in her mid thirties when she had him, pampers him to no end, as a result he always gotten pretty much what ever he wanted. IIRC he ate baby food and was pushed around in a trolly until he was six or seven, he also used eat a plate of milk chocolate (200 g or so) a day. Even today his diet is odd to say the least. For the past decade he has eaten virtually no warm meals apart from pizza and microwave spaghetti, usually having spaghetti for breakfast and supper and pizza for dinner and lunch. He also devours copious amounts of popcorn while watching the telly. Today he is 17 years old, little less then 180 cm tall and I'd guess he weights well over 150 kg.

[Cairber]

Maybe a lot of the problem lies in thoughts like "Well, I do _____ and I am not fat." Perhaps the parents have a mentality like this and do not realize that not every body reacts the same way. They could eat McDs 3 times a week and be fine but their kids pack on the pounds. Or maybe they were fat as children and lost the weight as they grew and figure the same will happen for their kids.

[mjn6172]

Another possibility is that the parents think their child is perfect. I'm sure we all know a few people who think their children can do no wrong and who dote on their children excessively. These parents are more likely to think that it's just baby fat or make up some other excuse so they don't have to accept the reality of situation and do something about it.

Where do you get parents like this? My parents think I am a stupid, unfit dolt that won't go anywhere in life.

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

I don't know where they come from, but as a High School Guidance Counselor I deal with them about every day. There are just some parents out there who refuse to believe that their child can do anything wrong, and if their child does get in trouble it's all a conspiracy because we hate the student in question.

I'm reminded of an expulsion meeting I had to sit through a few months ago. The girl in question attacked another female student on the bus and beat her pretty badly (enough that she was sent to the emergency room to get checked out.) Since it was on a school bus, we had a copy of the tape from the security camera, along with the bus driver's report and witness statements from ~25 students. The Mom involved refused to hear any of this, she denied it all and swore her daughter would never do anything like that. We even showed her the tape so she could see her daughter doing it, but she swore that wasn't her child, it was all a fake, and we were just out to get her because the Dean hated her daughter. As you can imagine, that was a fun afternoon going through that meeting In the end, the Mom took the case up to the school board, who reviewed the evidence and said we were right, and the girl was sent to an alternative school for a year rather than being completely expelled.

As for the fast food and computer games making you fat, it eventually will if you're not getting a decent amount of exercise in there too. I remember back when I was on the swim team in High School I could eat anything I wanted and sit around playing games all day in the summer, but since I was doing 2 hours of practice in the morning and another 2 in the evening I was real thin. I learned very quickly in college that I couldn't keep up that kind of eating (not that I was perfect, but at least I wasn't too terrible)

[Guardsman Bass]

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

Once upon a time, I used to think like you.

Then I became an adult, my metabolism stopped growing exponentially and I got a tummy.

Don't let that happen to you.

If you are already an adult, then good for you, you luckly lucky person

Something like that happened to me, although on a lesser degree. I had a metabolism that, despite my inactivity and fast food eating, kept me at about 170 pounds from age 15 to age 17. Then suddenly, the same diet and lack of workout caused my weight to spike to 230 and up.

[AniThyng]

Something like that happened to me, although on a lesser degree. I had a metabolism that, despite my inactivity and fast food eating, kept me at about 170 pounds from age 15 to age 17. Then suddenly, the same diet and lack of workout caused my weight to spike to 230 and up.

I'm ~170 pounds at 5' 9'', once upon a time I was like 130, so I'd say we're even, after accounting for me being supposed to be a scrawny asian

[CaptJodan]

I'm ~170 pounds at 5' 9'', once upon a time I was like 130, so I'd say we're even, after accounting for me being supposed to be a scrawny asian

I'm sure that day is right around the corner for me. I think the fact that I'm a vegitarian and eat junkfood only in moderation helps, but I'm about 25 now and I'm holding my breath as to when I'll starting raising out of the 130s. (both my parents have to struggle to control their weight) I also just lost my source of exercise (they tore down our racquetball courts) and so I have to find something else to exercise with.

My mom was a health food nazi when I was a kid. When all the other kids had lunchboxes full of chips and candy with their sandwich, I had some kind of fruit and some kind of veggie. I would beg, plead, and trick to try and get some of the other kids' food, but you can imagine how unsuccessful that was.

Still, now I am very appreciative of that, for I have the skills to pick out what's healthy for me and what's not. I also make sure to have a balanced meal, and not focus on any one food group (which so often happens in the US). I wish more parents would take responsibilty and make their kids eat properly.

[JLTucker]

Around this time last year, I weighed 145lbs. I was put on a mood stabilizer, known as Risperdal, which is also a medication for schizophrenics. My doctor said that being on the medication will make me gain weight. I now weigh 210lbs, standing at 5 foot 6 inches. I never exercise. In the past, I never exercized and never gained weight. Is it possible that this medication caused me to gain weight? I will be off of the medication in June. Hopefuly, if this doctor is correct, I will lose some of this weight.

[Stark]

Yeah, I'm 26 and I've been about 70kgs (fuck you and your stupid pound bullshit ) since highschool. The fast living is starting to catch up with me, though. Good thing my father has made it to 50 without his metabolism slowing down on him.

[Aaron]

Around this time last year, I weighed 145lbs. I was put on a mood stabilizer, known as Risperdal, which is also a medication for schizophrenics. My doctor said that being on the medication will make me gain weight. I now weigh 210lbs, standing at 5 foot 6 inches. I never exercise. In the past, I never exercized and never gained weight. Is it possible that this medication caused me to gain weight? I will be off of the medication in June. Hopefuly, if this doctor is correct, I will lose some of this weight.

One of Risperdals side affects is weightgain, see here. I take it as well but haven't experianced any weight gain but side affects are different for everyone.

[defanatic]

Yeah, I'm 26 and I've been about 70kgs (fuck you and your stupid pound bullshit ) since highschool. The fast living is starting to catch up with me, though. Good thing my father has made it to 50 without his metabolism slowing down on him.

I write in pounds because most people on this board are Americans. Yeah... Also, about exercise, I only walk everywhere (no car, don't take bus). That's an hour to the city centre, or fifteen minutes to one of my Uni lectures.

I'm reminded of an expulsion meeting I had to sit through a few months ago. The girl in question attacked another female student on the bus and beat her pretty badly (enough that she was sent to the emergency room to get checked out.) Since it was on a school bus, we had a copy of the tape from the security camera, along with the bus driver's report and witness statements from ~25 students. The Mom involved refused to hear any of this, she denied it all and swore her daughter would never do anything like that. We even showed her the tape so she could see her daughter doing it, but she swore that wasn't her child, it was all a fake, and we were just out to get her because the Dean hated her daughter. As you can imagine, that was a fun afternoon going through that meeting In the end, the Mom took the case up to the school board, who reviewed the evidence and said we were right, and the girl was sent to an alternative school for a year rather than being completely expelled.

Maybe that parent was just retarded, and is unfit to take care of her child. How does she justify that sort of thing?

[Wicked Pilot]

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

Either you're young and your lifestyle hasn't caught up to you yet, or you lucked out with 'skinny' genes in which case you won't have to exercise or eat healthy to stay thin. Not everybody wins the genetic lottery though, for most people fast food and a sedatory lifestyle will lead to tubbiness.

[Junghalli]

Also, I don't understand this "fast food and PC games = fat". I like fast food and hardly get off this computer chair. About 130 pounds at 6'3".

Once upon a time, I used to think like you.
Then I became an adult, my metabolism stopped growing exponentially and I got a tummy.
Don't let that happen to you.

I know just what you're talking about. I slimmed down for a period in high school, then this year or so I started seriously gaining weight. I've got to start working out or something. I got used to the slimmer me, now I feel like a wheezing repulsive fatbody.

As for the OP, probably a variety of causes. I suspect a lot of times it's just luck of the genetic draw. Could also be the parents aren't as strict with the kid as they are with themselves. Or it could be they tried being too strict, and the kids developed a tendency to stuff their face with sweets and junk food whenever they could because it was totally denied to them at home.

[JLTucker]

One of Risperdals side affects is weightgain, see here. I take it as well but haven't experianced any weight gain but side affects are different for everyone.

Thanks, Kendall. Not to be intrusive, but why do you take it? I take it because I used to cut.

[Aaron]

Thanks, Kendall. Not to be intrusive, but why do you take it? I take it because I used to cut.

I take it because I hear voices.

[l33telboi]

I'm guessing the reason is simply parents who simply don't know how to say 'no' to their kids. However that isn't nesessarely the entire truth either. Picture the following scenario.

You've had a hard day at work and you're pretty stressed out. When you come home you're greeted by a whiny brat who keeps on screaming and demanding hamburgers or something like that.

You could A) start making some real food, which takes a long time and the kid will most likely not apprechiate it. Or you could B) Go to McDonalds or order food, the kids happy and you don't have to spend an hour in the kitchen.

Which would you do?

[Master of Cards]

I actually know one parent who's an aerobics instructor. She was actually a model in one of the Bally's fitness club TV commercials a few years ago. And let's just say that when she was in high school, her classmates felt that she wasn't going to survive on her wits alone ... but she would never need to. Do I need to go into detail on the shape of her body? Yet her kid is ... well, let's just say he is generously proportioned.

I've found that parents who are extremely devoted to or skilled in a certain aspect of life (in your example, personal fitness) often preach so much to their kid that it grows sickening, and the child begins to resent it and eventually goes out of their way to appear different and thus "rebel".

Now, this is just an example that I've seen a couple of times with my friends, but its much more likely that the kid is predisposed to a large body size from a grandparent or some other family member. I really can't say too much else without knowing more about the kid and his situation.

like me but I workout enough to have ssuper fat