such a contrast to Georgia sanctioned bullying of fat children on billboards:
Please read and take to heart. Remember that your "fat" talk is being heard by the next generation:
YOUR KIDS ARE LISTENING
What you say and do has a big impact on how your child feels
about food and physical activity, and can also affect your child’s
self-esteem. You are the most important role model for your
young child.
Children form attitudes at an early age. Much of what they
learn before age six will stay with them for the rest of their
lives. Remember to:
• Emphasize what’s special and unique about your child,
yourself and others.
• Avoid criticizing your body, your child’s body or the bodies
of other people.
• Let your child decide how much to eat. You decide
what food to offer and when and where to eat.
• Never use food as a reward or punishment.
• Set limits on your child’s TV, computer and video game time
and go outside to play together instead.
• Praise your child’s actions, behaviours and abilities often.
SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
• Active parents have active children. Instead of just
watching your child play, join in.
• Teach your child that body images used by the media are not
realistic. Healthy bodies come in many shapes and sizes.
• Focus on what your daughter does well, not her body shape.
Research shows that fathers play an important role in how
their daughters see themselves.
• Children learn healthy habits from their parents. When it
comes to healthy eating, physical activity and self-esteem,
be a positive role model for your young child.
Being a parent isn’t always easy. If you find you could
use a little help, contact us.
Call Toronto Health Connection at 416-338-7600
From HERE
and a great post by Ragen on getting moms to lose weight before becoming pregnant: Why not just teach them how to fly?...
" the biggest problem with this situation is that it doesn’t matter if being thin would be better for women who want to become pregnant because there is not a single proven method to make them thin. If women with narrow hips have worse pregnancy outcomes the solution isn’t to try to make them have wider hips. If short women have more negative outcomes the solution is not to try to make them tall. It might also be better for pregnant women to be able to fly but nobody is running a “Flying Preggos Initiatives”. Because there is absolutely no evidence that we can get any of those things done. Just like there is no evidence that we can make fat people thin."
and...
The same group who created those awful billboards is training hospital personnel on the importance of bringing up weight.
why in holy hell?
Can we just bring up healthy practices? and newsflash: fat people know they are fat.
Like I tried to tell the southern OB you don't know if the thin as a rail 18 y.o. pregnant for the third or fifth time woman eats a diet strictly of mountain dew and ho-ho's. Singling out fat folks ignores the whole 'other range of sizes that might benefit from better diet and exercise. And don't berate or chastise a fat person until you have asked what their daily practices are. And work hard to trust. Just because you have a firmly held belief in calories in/ calories out ignoring the vast differences in human metabolism and intricacies of the human body on the entire spectrum.... Just because you think you know what a person eats and does by looking at them.. try, try to trust them and LISTEN.
There is more danger in overweight people who avoid health care at all costs because they are tired of the stigma. Its only really in the healthcare setting where I can pay someone $300 to chastise me after not listening to me. Or sitting through their version of a diet:
I really did just have a doctor say "Oh I don't believe in dieting... Just a small breakfast, try to keep lunch under 500 calories and dinner at 5:00 small too, NO SNACKING WHATSOEVER and never eat dessert."
Well doctor if it looks like a diet and quacks like a diet...
Focus on Health. NOT size.
the end.
