Oct
31
2013

Woman To Deny Obese Trick-or-Treaters Halloween Candy

Too Fat For Halloween Candy

Woman To Deny Obese Trick-or-Treaters Halloween Candy

halloween candy

Kids in Fargo, North Dakota may want to bypass a certain house where a woman has announced her plan to give kids who appear overweight a letter instead of candy.

“It’s just these kids, I see them and they are struggling to stay healthy and they want to play with other kids and I think it’s really irresponsible of parents to send them out looking for free candy just ‘cause all the other kids are doing it,” said the woman known only as Cheryl, via an article in Global.

This year she is taking the 'it takes a village' ethos by the horns. But not everyone regards her strategy as helpful.

Here is an excerpt of Cheryl's letter, which many have already branded as fat shaming:

"You(r) child is, in my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season. My hope is that you will step up as a parent and ration candy this Halloween and not allow your child to continue these unhealthy eating habits."

For starters, her letter plays into the usual fallacy that size is a direct correlation of health and eating habits. (Plenty of skinny kids have poor diets.) Furthermore, fat shaming or denying kids treats at a festive time of year is hardly the way to raise obesity awareness, as previously demonstrated.

Of course parents everywhere could do with rationing their children's Halloween candy... I'm not a nutritionist, or a doctor for that matter, but it seems to me that this kind of short-sightedness directly contributes to disordered eating rather than prevents it. 

“There is a presumption that this person has the right to make a judgment about an individual child and his or her parenting based on a subjective evaluation of their weight alone,” said Merryl Bear, director of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre in Toronto. “It also incorrectly simplifies the condition of obesity to overconsumption of sugar.”

And while we're at it, plenty of people use the 'it takes a village' mentality to back their own (self-serving) agendas while at the same time turning a blind eye to abusive situations in which they should step in, but don't.

It does take a village: to set the record straight for well-intentioned—but seriously misguided—people like Cheryl. End rant.

Oct
30
2013

Baby Moved To Tears By Mom's Singing

Can A baby cry tears of joy?

Baby Moved To Tears By Mom's Singing

emotional baby

Have you seen this amazing video via Gawker? If you haven't, it's only a matter of time. The 10-month-old baby's reaction to her mother singing is even more incredible than her mother's golden voice.  

When it was filmed, two months ago, Amanda performed Rod Stewart's "My Heart Can't Tell You No." Little Marie-Lynne appears so moved in the footage that she bursts into spontaneous tears. 

(In my case, my son would have cried from the pain inflicted upon his teeny eardrums, but digressing...) In this case Amanda can carry a tune beautifully, so beautifully in fact that it prompts an emotional reaction in her baby. 

Pray tell, baby experts of the world, tell me what the heck is going on here. Can a baby actually cry tears of joy? 

While you ponder that, crack out the tissues and check out another viral video guaranteed to keep the happy tears flowing.

Oct
30
2013

RECALL: Tendertyme Small Wonders Pacifiers

Contains Lead

RECALL: Tendertyme Small Wonders Pacifiers

recalled soothers

Health Canada has recalled the Small Wonders pacifiers with the following style number (1622) and UPC (627174016226).

Testing revealed that the pacifiers contain excessive amounts of lead, and could cause adverse health to young children if ingested. Some pacifiers can also pose a choking hazard.

While neither Health Canada nor Tendertyme/1218216 Ontario Limited is aware of any incidents in relation to the pacifiers, customers are advised to immediately remove the pacifiers and dispose of them in household garbage.

Between 2006 and 2011, approximately 5,700 pacifiers were sold in Canada.