From Harriet, Child's Age 5 - 12/05/03 - IP#: 65.80.4.xxx  Click here to reply  
A good friend of mine has a 5 year old son. He is rather overweight for his age and height. He's about 3'10" or 3'11" and weighs 85 lbs. I went shopping with her for school uniforms for her son- he's 5 and wearing a size 14 boys pants and size 12 boys shirt. That is huge for a 5 year old...she told me she had to hem 6 inches off the pants so they'd be the right length for him. She is constantly feeding her child fast food, because that's what he always asks for. She and her son came to my house for dinner one night, and she actually brought him Mcdonald's because "he doesn't like to eat home cooked food" Since when do children run the household and tell their parents what they will and will not eat? I was raised to eat whatever was put in front of me and that was that. The incredible thing is, this 5 yr old eats as much as an adult. She bought him 2 burgers, large fries, a 9 piece nugget, a sundae and a large soda- and the kid ate every bite, I was shocked! I don't think I could've eaten all that unless I was starving. Her son is alway complaining about the kids at school picking on him and calling him names. His mother just refuses to do anything about his weight. It's not even just about the extra weight- the constant fast food contributes to high cholestrol and the like. His doctor told her that her son is anemic- that is from a poor diet, nothing else. I know it's not my place to tell my friend what to do with her child, but I feel like she is setting him down the road to obesity which will haunt him for life. And my friend is rather heavy so she knows what its like to be fat, and I can't imagine why she'd do the same to her son.