I Don't Want To Get Fat!

Is our obsession with weight hurting our children? 

During a recent battle over the number of bites my six-year-old, Paige, had to eat of her dinner before she got dessert, she let out a big huff and said but I don't want to get fat, I want to stay skinny.

I was shocked. I couldn't t believe that at six she's thinking about her weight. At 48-inches tall, Paige weighs about 50-lbs and looks very healthy if not a bit on the thin side in my non-medical, parental opinion. I started to wonder why such a thought would enter her head. I mentioned it to a couple of friends who said their six and seven-year-olds had asked about losing weight and mentioned being concerned about getting fat.  

I wonder if our society, in our obsession about losing weight and concern over childhood and adult obesity, is putting the wrong ideas into the minds of children who are already a healthy weight and size. Are we making them more body-image conscious and could this be dangerous to their health?

My husband and I are both about 20-30 lbs heavier than when we got married and would love to get into the shape we were in when we walked down the aisle nine-years-ago. But that was before two children, when we were both in our 20's and it was a lot easier to be active. We used to play tennis and golf regularly and work out at the gym. Not so much anymore, but we're still at healthy weights and I don't cringe when I look at pictures of me...well maybe not too much.

In the last couple of years, we've tried to lose weight and it's become a regular part of our conversations. I feel fat is something I think we say too much and I'm ashamed to admit we've gotten used to poking each others belly fat and love handles. We've been avid watchers of The Biggest Loser. Our favourite part is always the weigh-in and the reveal of how the contestant kicked off has transformed since being on the show.

Between the many diet and exercise shows, articles splayed across magazine covers, and discussions with friends and family about who has gained weight and who has lost weight, it's impossible to get away from the issue. I now see my young daughter becoming conscious of her body-image and it makes me think I really need to be more careful of what I say when I step on the scale and the numbers have inched up or my pants are feeling a little tighter. We're constantly concerned in society about raising children who are obese, but I wonder if maybe in our concern to prevent children and ourselves from getting fat we're causing a dangerous backlash that could be just as unhealthy for our children's bodies and minds.