In relation to the mentioned topic in the Pet Peeves thread about overweight children, I came across this article in the Washington Post online. I was shocked and amazed by the following piece of information:

"A study published in January in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that by age 6, children of overweight mothers are 15 times more likely to be obese themselves than are the children of normal-weight mothers."

That's a crazy-high number--15 times. I had to re-read it to make sure it didn't say 15% more likely or 1.5 times more likely, but no, it's 15 times. Made me think about my mother's weight (she quit smoking while pregnant with me and, therefore, gained quite a bit of weight) in relation to the fact that I have been overweight/obese since childhood. Here's a link to the whole article if anyone cares to read it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...05Feb21_3.html

Sorry to be a downer, but it was a rude awakening to read this at 7 this morning

I saw a report about that study on tv about the time it was published and I though actually the number was higher than 15%. Also the number is pretty high if both parents are overweight. Still though we can't blame our parents for being obese now. Yes maybe we got set down on the wrong path early in life but that doesn't mean that we are incapable of change. Regardless though I want to lose weight and be healthy and set a good example for my son so he doesn't go through all the pain of being an obese person.

Both of my parents are considered obese, but as a child I was a normal weight. My weight issues didn't start until I was 21ish when I "experimented" with various eating disorders, Iwas 15 pounds overweight according to my doctor (who used one of those fancy height-weight measure things out of some old text book probably). Which btw, those little charts are WAY WAY off, at 5'8" and 163 pounds, I was considered overweight.. I don't think so, I was a stick, wearing size XS, shopping in the kids dept for t-shirts, stupid dumb@ss doctors... stupid dumb@ss people. I'm a little bitter about that this morning, plus the fact I only got 45 minutes of sleep last night, I'm ranting like a crazy woman... Anyways! My point is that, it doesn't matter if your parents are obese, as long as they are healthy and teaching good nutrition (which I ignored when I moved out, my first trip to Wendy's was when I was 23, and Burger King, I was 22).

-Aimee

That does not surprise me at all. I don't blame my parents but I do strugle with the same issues that my Mom strugles with.

My mom and dad are both overweight--Dad is probably just a few pounds now since being diagnosed with diabetes.

But both my brothers are slender and built. Neither really watch what they eat and haven't had a problem with their weight. Myself, on the other hand, have struggled with my weight my whole life. Sure my parents taught me my eating habits and such but when I turned 18 and moved out, it became my choice to continue the way I was taught or try to find out ways to eat healthier. I used to be one of those people who blamed my parents for my weight problem...if only Mom and dad didn't eat that way or fix food that way, etc. But I realized a few years back that it is up to me to change MY habits.

I even sat down with Mom and had a heart to heart about it and you know what? She was just doing it the way she was raised. The problem with that is back then the kids and adults were a lot more active without the comforts of as much TV, computers, video games and such. So now I do still struggle, as does she, on the clean your plate and don't waste food mentality as well as trying to eat healthier choices.

The more I think about it, the more afraid I get that I'm just going to mess my kids up. Of course, even if I teach (and practice) proper nutrition and healthy eating habits, there are plenty of other ways I'm sure I could accomplish the messing up part I only worry that I will not be able to find the happy medium between making sure my kids are not unhealthfully overweight and making sure I don't push the issue so much that my kids develop eating disorders such as bulemia or anorexia because of me and my fear of their becoming obese.

My mom was also a member of the "clean your plate" club--she also would force me to eat some of everything she made whether I liked it or not (I have always hated steak and pork, but if that's what she made, then that's what she made me eat, even if it made me physically gag!). Yes, its good to promote trying new things, but repeatedly forcing the comsumption of foods I didn't like only made me want the yummy stuff (and of course by yummy stuff, i mean ice cream, cookies, cakes, etc.) even more!

It's funny (maybe not ha ha funny), but my parents were not obese, my mom was thin most of her life, and just got a small belly when she got past 60. My dad had a belly, but I don't think he was ever more than 30 lbs overweight. We didn't drink a lot of soda as kids, didn't have a lot of junk food, didn't have sweet cereals (wheaties, cheerios, shredded wheat). The usual veggie of choice was canned peas. Considering we lived in California, one of the major agricultural centers of the US, that's pretty funny too.

My brother had weight loss surgery, I'm obese and my sister is obese.

I am not shocked one bit at that number. The food isn't the issue that stands out with me, it's the lack of activity that is assumed absent in families with overweight and obese parents. And just think, when we were kids, we didn't have the computer or gajillion tv channels to breed inactivity. This number is only going to rise, my friends.

Both of my parents were thin (still are), and my 4 sisters are not overweight..so what happened?

My parents were so concerned with my weight they kept putting me on diets, this started me on yo yo diets at the age of 9.

I do feel that we as a society are on our bottoms to much, mainly in front of the tube, and our children are the same way.

The numbers are fightning!

that's true, Jill. Ha. You know, my brother used to do every sport, baseball, basketball, football, tennis. But he never could get his eating under control, and he eats emotionally. My sister was thin until she left highschool. I think her activity level drastically decreased, and she was with a boyfriend who loved to eat. I was heavy since I was a kid.

Me too.

jillybean720 - I feel the same way you do, I want to be healthy before I start a family. I want to be healthy for my kids and be able to take care of them and teach them healthy eating habits (something I didn't have growing up with two obese parents).

yikes! but I'm not surprised. My daughter is 5 years old. She eats health food but she is a tv junkie.. like her parents! oh.. and she loves soda too - wonder where she got that from? Now I feel bad! I guess it's even more important for me to get healthy now, eh?

Dana