Schools, Children, Obesity, and Eating Disorders

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Reading this article brought back so many memories: the annual President's Physical Fitness test, gym glass, locker rooms, lunchrooms, etc.

I only wish I knew then what I have learned about obesity, nutrition, and fitness since starting my weight loss surgery journey.

It is so scary how much damage well-meaning but misguided advice from the medical community, schools, and public health has done to the bodies and minds of those of us who struggle with obesity.

It is as if the war on obesity is really a war on the obese.

And, it starts so early.

http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/the-youngest-casualties-in-the-war-on-obesity

This is a sobering article.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

What a great piece. Thanks, @@Inner Surfer Girl .

The first time I remember *knowing* I was fat was in the fourth grade when we had to weigh publicly (in 1955), and the teacher announced our weights before writing them down.

I weighed 100 pounds. I was the only girl who weighed that much.

That was the first time I saw myself as *fat*. And that self-image did not end until last year (when I was 69 years old) and reached my weight goal (of 150) and have since last another 15 pounds, where my weight is now stable at 135.

Jeez Louise!

[cookarue 233]

That was a good article. I remember bmi and weight testing in school. The entire day afterwards was filled with girls talking about how perfect they were or weren't. I remember a girl talking about her thigh gap and saying her legs were perfect and mine were fat. I wasn't fat at the time, but I sure felt like I was from then on.

Edited March 14, 2016 by cookarue

[Cervidae 2,389]

BMI measuring and programs are harmful because you're teaching a kid that (just like their intelligence...) they are lesser than others because of a number on a piece of paper. What they need to do is teach real health programs, centered on actual bodily/mental/emotional health rather than weight. Show kids the way to be healthy instead of that there is something "wrong" with them and watch how quickly things improve.

Speaking of bmi programs, I remember in highschool we had a new (young, good-looking male) gym teacher, and one of the first things he did was state to our girls' class that most of us were overweight. He then proceeded to weigh and do a body fat test, calipers and all, on each girl while the rest of the class watched. When he got to me... he loudly said "you're too overweight for the caliper test, so you're excused from it". I had never felt so humiliated in all my life. The way it felt to be reduced as a human and humiliated in front of 20 other girls with whom I then had to spend several years seeing again every day... I will never, ever forget it. The scariest thing about this? This was less than 6 years ago. This is still happening EVERY day.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Gym teachers and coaches can be the worst when it comes to setting us up for humiliation.

[Valentina 2,642]

What a great piece. Thanks, @@Inner Surfer Girl .

The first time I remember *knowing* I was fat was in the fourth grade when we had to weigh publicly (in 1955), and the teacher announced our weights before writing them down.

I weighed 100 pounds. I was the only girl who weighed that much.

That was the first time I saw myself as *fat*. And that self-image did not end until last year (when I was 69 years old) and reached my weight goal (of 150) and have since last another 15 pounds, where my weight is now stable at 135.

Jeez Louise!

We share a common memory. I, too remember "physical day" in school when I was in the 4th grade. I remember being the ONLY one who weighed 100lbs. In fact, I weighted 104lbs. I can see the slider on the scale going beyond 100 as if I was still standing on it. From that day, "I WAS FAT". I never considered myself fat before that day. There wasn't a thing I couldn't or wouldn't do. I could play baseball better than any of the boys and could out "farm work" any of them too. That day changed my self image.

It seems to me now, that is also the day when my girlfriends and I began to grow apart. They went for pink teddy bears and ribbons, while I went for animal husbandry, sports and of course ,--fishing. Things that I could and did excel at and still be fat.

Interesting, isn't it, that one day---that one singular day meant so much me, but at the time, meant nothing to so many.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

That magic 100 pound number.

We moved when I was in 4th grade. I remember talking to a new friend. She was one of those "petite" (aka tiny little things) walking home from school. We lived at the top of a hill so it was quite a steep climb from the bus stop. I don't know how weight came up, be she said something like "well, as long as you don't weigh over 100 pounds" you were ok, not fat, I don't remember what the assessment was. I just remember that I weighed over 100 pounds so I felt less than.

I have run across so many people, an ex-boyfriend comes to mind, who seriously think that they get to decide what weight is acceptable. It's almost always based on something other than what is right for me (my height, build, etc.).

It is interesting how that 100 pound number seems to be the arbitrary dividing line, especially around puberty.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

This image came to mind.

[SweetPeas 117]

It has never occurred to me that our kids might have their weight/BMI measured at school (did not have this experience myself). We are trying so hard to raise them without food issues or thinking that a certain weight is "good/bad." I just can't imagine this being done at school. Isn't the constant bombardment of airbrushed perfection enough without having your weight called out in front of class-good grief.

[needtorecover 574]

@@Cervidae That is just awful What kind of teacher does that?! He must have issues himself if he bullies little girls like that.

I, too, was publically weighed and due to my height ended up weighing a good 30+ pounds more than most of the other girls. That's the day I was labeled "fat." I hope schools stop doing this.

The best part is what they served in the cafeteria for lunch. Always pizza/burger/fried chicken/country fried steak and either fries or mashed potatoes, a giant roll with butter, and milk. Fat and carbs. There was an optional salad bar hidden on the other side of the room that cost more than the hot lunch. Soda and candy machines everywhere, and a little snack shop set up outside with additional chips and Cookies. Way to make it easy to eat right while fat shaming your students

[choicemun 111]

This scares me I knew I was "fat" by the time I was 8, I knew everyone was smaller then I was and they can do things faster then me. But I never had a test in school thank god I could not imagine going throw that as a child.

Now I worry so much for my 10yr old I don't think she is fat, she is taller n a bit bigger than the other kids in her class and I would not went her to be put in a position where she is weight at school.

I never talk about weight around her or say anything about dieting, now that I am having the surgery I tell her "mom is going to change her eating habits and eat better". I never want her to have the food n body issues I have I just don't know how I can keep her from it all seeing the way people deal with weight n children.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I hit my current height of 5'5" when I was 12 years old. I had a medical procedure that year that required the anesthesiologist to weigh me and meet with me in advnce. I will never forget the humilition "you weight 165# don't you think that is really inappropriate for a 12 year old girl?" I felt like total crap. Truth of the matter is if I had just been able to maintain at 165 or so, I would have been pretty dang good over the long haul as I am not a twig. I am trim weighing in the 150s.

My youngest son was chunky at that age and we used a strategy of letting him grow into that weight. He never dieted, but we focused on health. He has never had to suffer that crap from a doc or otherwise. I firmly believe that a serious of diets is how I got to over 300# and I didn't want it to happen to him.

Anyway, those experiences contribute to the "all or nothing thinking". I was either fat or thin, hideous or cute... I had no understanding of the spectrum....

I feel like if we could focus more on health and less on the "what you should weigh" it would move it from being so judgemental and more to health.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

I wish I had had the prescience at a very young age to ask jokers like that:

"How much do YOU weigh?"

[kaitlynm 335]

This is awful! I can't imagine having to be weighed in front of the entire school. Luckily I didn't have that experience. High school is where my problems started. I had a normal BMI, but I was bigger than other girls in my class. I self imposed a state of anorexia back then and began to yo yo back and forth for the rest of my life. I have no doubt that this is how I got to 286 last year. I'm on the right track now so hopefully this will work for me long term. I still do worry that with the sleeve it will allow me to go back to the anorexia way of eating too easily.

[mngreeneyes 674]

What a powerful article!

I distinctly remember the day I KNEW I was fat. I was six and the pediatrician put me on a VERY strict diet because I weighed 60 pounds. Over the course of the next month I lost 1/3 of my body weight. The irony is, I don't remember being thinner. I don't even think I have any photos that I could say were from that time.

I have a photo from when I was about 14 and weighed about 125. I was actually pretty thin, but I had curves at 14 so I knew I was fat. Now I look at that photo and think about how great I look in it and wish I could be that size again. I think this was about the time I developed my self-deprecating sense of humor as armor against the pull up bar and other parts of the Presidential Fitness Test.

I have been dieting for 38 of my 44 years. I never developed anorexia or bulimia, but I have long suspected I had some type of disordered eating because of the age I started dieting and the crap it all did to my self image.

HUGS to all who have bad memories of those PE classes.

pam