Losing Custody Because Your Kid is Obese

An obesity expert at the Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. David Ludwig, co-wrote, with Lindsey Murtagh, she being a lawyer and researcher at Harvard's School of Public Health, an article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In that article the authors opined that parents of severely obese children should lose their custody rights due to not controlling the weight of their children.

Dr. Ludwig wrote, “In severe instances of childhood obesity, removal from the home may be justifiable because of imminent health risks and the parents’ chronic failure to address medical problems. State intervention may serve the best interests of many children with life-threatening obesity, comprising the only realistic way to control harmful behaviors.”

Taking away someone's fat kids seems a bit harsh to me. I can see where some sort of Child Protective Services intervention might be a good thing. An intervention where the parents are shown how to properly feed their kids.

But, there are already cases of kids being put in foster care due to being obese. Dr. Ludvig gave an example of a girl treated in at Boston Children's Hospital. A 3 year old girl already weighing 90 pounds was brought to the hospital for treatment. By the age of 12 the girl weighed more than 400 pounds, with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. The state took the girl away from the parents and put her in foster care where she was put on a diet, losing 130 pounds.

Other kids in other states have  been taken from their parents due to being obese. A mom in South Carolina lost custody of her 14 year old boy who weighed 555 pounds. There have been cases in Texas, New York, New Mexico and California where obesity has been cited as the reason for parental loss of custody.

Childhood obesity in America is nearing a crisis level. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (The CDC) reports that over 12 million American kids are currently obese. With 2 million American kids at a morbidly obese level.

The Manorexia Epidemic

Anorexia and its association with teenage girls has been around for decades. In recent years a variant of Anorexia has emerged that is being referred to as Manorexia.

More and more men apparently are feeling pressure to develop what they believe to be the perfect body.

With that particular body image affected by males they see in the media, particularly what is perceived as the perfect body shape as portrayed by male models.

Many men have developed an obsession with getting rid of body fat and developing a six pack in their abdominal zone.

Many of those affected with Manorexia obsessively exercise every day of the week, in addition to consuming a reduced calorie level.

The National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders claims "eating disorders have reached epidemic levels in America, affecting up to 10 million women and 1 million men."

Watch the YouTube video below about a male model's descent into Manorexia....

Playing Outside is Good for Kids

I was walking in Veterans Park in Arlington, Texas on Sunday, June 12 of 2011, when I saw the sign above in the Xeriscape Garden. I thought bore some appropo information pertinent to my DurangObesity  Blog.

That pertinent info being that....

Studies show that kids who play outside:

1. Are healthier physically and mentally.
2. Do better in school.
3. Have higher self-esteem.
4. Have good self-discipline.
5. Feel more capable and confident.
6. Are good problem-solvers.
7. Are more cooperative with others.
8. Are more creative.
9. Feel connected to nature.
10. Are tomorrow's conservation leaders.
    

Well, I am a kid at heart, who spends a lot of time outdoors. I had no idea, til I read this sign today, that this is why I'm healthy physically and mentally, why I have high self-esteem and self-discipline. Why I'm fairly confident and good at solving problems. That being outdoors a lot is what helps me be so cooperative with others. And why I am so creative. I did suspect that being outdoors a lot is what makes me feel connected to nature.

Getting In A Comprosing Position Thanks To Someone Anonymous

I was a little surprised this morning to learn from someone Anonymous that someone Anonymous not only reads my DurangObesity Blog, they actually remembered what they read.

Below is the comment made by someone Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Do...":

Congratulations. I believe you promised pictorial evidence of a yoga position which was gut-blocked a few months ago. Well?

Did I make such a promise? I don't recollect. I have a really bad memory at times.

It is not an easy thing to do, to take a picture of oneself in a compromising position. But, I do like to keep promises...

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 17: Down to 179

Last Saturday I was stuck at 185. My goal for today was 183. I did 4 pounds better than that, shrinking to 1 pound less than my 180 pound goal.

In other words, my New Year's Weight Loss Resolution is now resolved.

If past experience is any predictor, I will continue to shrink, due the fact that the factors that have caused the shrinkage are not going to change all that fast.

I'll continue getting a lot of exercise. I'm not going to suddenly start going to restaurant buffets. Or putting melted butter on my air popped popcorn.

Now that I have shrunk to my desired level of shrinkage I am resolved not to let stress and aggravation cause me to forget about watching what I eat.

I have to say, this current bout of shrinkage went on way longer than I had planned. I figured by March I'd be done with it. I'd grown real tired of these Saturday morning weigh-ins. And then blogging about it.

Police Women From Around the World & America

No comment.

2011 New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Week 16: Down 2 to 185

I think for the first time during these months of trying to shrink to 180 pounds, I met my goal for the weekly Saturday weigh-in.

I got down to last week's 185 pounds goal.

I am getting a bit bored with this weekly weigh-in thing.

Maybe I should just decide that 185 is my ideal weight and call a stop to this.

The lowest weight I have shrunk to in my adult, post-30s years, is 168.5.

In April of 2006, five years ago, I'd returned from a visit to the Pacific Northwest feeling very aggravated about how aggravating that visit had been. To put my mind in a better place I went on an extremely vigorous bike ride, pretty much every day. Soon I was shrinking.

That bout of shrinkage continued until July of 2008, when I shrunk to the aforementioned 168.5.

In July of 2008 I was back in the Pacific Northwest. For a month. And again it was very aggravating. More so than the 2006 visit.

In August of 2008 I returned back to my safe place, but did not react to being aggravated like I had in 2006.

My mom and dad visited the first week of 2009. They wanted to go to a Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. I had not been to Sweet Tomatoes before.

From 2006 til 2009 I very rarely ate in restaurants. Eating out a lot is a surefire way to weigh more.

After my mom and dad's visit I found myself re-visiting Sweet Tomatoes many times. And returning to my favorite Indian buffet, Tandoor, for the first time in a long time, with many follow-up visits. I discovered Zorro's Buffet. I had Riscky's BBQ all you can eat ribs. Twice. I discovered Town Talk, which had me suddenly having a steady supply of real good cheese.

By the time the New Year of 2011 showed up I had bloated up to 217 pounds. 48.5 pounds heavier than my July of 2008 low of 168.5.

Appalling.

I guess I am still aiming to shrink to 180. Let's make next Saturday's goal 183.