Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

[JazzManJim]

So apparently this physician in the East Penn High School district has decided to send notes home with students to ttheir parents telling them that their kid is either too overweight or too underweight.

Great. Thanks, doc. It's not like high school's tough enough. It's not like fat kids don't get grief every fucking day because they're fat. Now they need a doctor to send them a note home.

What's next?

"Dear parent. Your child is too stupid."

"Dear parent. Your child is too smart."

"Dear parent. Your child is bucktoothed."

"Dear parent. Your child is not within our realm of norms, thus we feel the obligation to let you know. Maybe you hadn't noticed. Maybe you're a terrible parent and had no idea your kid was fat or skinny or ugly or stupid. Maybe that doesn't bother you all the time. Maybe your kid needs to hear from yet another authority figure that they aren't what we expect them to be."

And we wonder why kids go on shooting sprees. Fucktard.

 

[AzureAngel]

"Dear Parent. Your child just used the word 'Fucktard.' "

Just kidding.

That's pretty stupid, I agree. Heart MAY be in the right place, but... bad idea.

 

[pipercatt]

So apparently this physician in the East Penn High School district has decided to send notes home with students to ttheir parents telling them that their kid is either too overweight or too underweight.

Great. Thanks, doc. It's not like high school's tough enough. It's not like fat kids don't get grief every fucking day because they're fat. Now they need a doctor to send them a note home.

What's next?

"Dear parent. Your child is too stupid."

"Dear parent. Your child is too smart."

"Dear parent. Your child is bucktoothed."

"Dear parent. Your child is not within our realm of norms, thus we feel the obligation to let you know. Maybe you hadn't noticed. Maybe you're a terrible parent and had no idea your kid was fat or skinny or ugly or stupid. Maybe that doesn't bother you all the time. Maybe your kid needs to hear from yet another authority figure that they aren't what we expect them to be."

And we wonder why kids go on shooting sprees. Fucktard.

Gee, Jim...I wish you'd been my teacher in high school...

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: Re: Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

Gee, Jim...I wish you'd been my teacher in high school...

Well, give me about 3 1/2 years and I'll have the chance to teach your kids. Hopefully I'll have a tad bit more sensitivity than this doctor.

What happened to that tres cool icon you used to sport?

 

[TN_Vixen]

Jazz, I agree.

My son is overweight for his age, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. I pretty much watch everything he puts in his mouth and he's constantly moving.. he plays basketball, baseball and football and on the days he doesn't have a 2 hour practice, he's outside shooting hoops or riding his bike.

He's always been taller than everyone else in his age group, and projections of his height say that he'll end up being 6'4 or taller, so people keep telling me he'll grow into his weight. We've taken him to a Nutritionist who refuses to put him on a "diet" per se because she believes he needs all the food groups, and just asked us to watch more carefully what he eats.

It is frustrating, but he's very well adjusted about it. He's a very smart, funny, loving child and always has tons of friends and doesn't seem to have a negative self-image, however... if a teacher made him insecure and I found out about it, I would march right down to the school and raise total hell.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

That's a horrible thing to hear, Jim! How dare he!! And "they" say that looks shouldnt' matter!! There's already too many teens with eating disorders, trying to fit into "the norm"!

Dang... I went to an all girl Catholic high school which I thought was tough enough!! (Talk about complexes!!)

I had a lot of grief growing up as an extremely shy, skinny and tall girl. Turned out I had a growth on my thyroid which affected my weight! (I finally managed to get rid of most of my "shyness"!)

Now I'd like to see what this "doctor" looks like!! I'm sure he's "perfect", huh?

 

[lavender]

 

[JazzManJim]

My son is overweight for his age, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. I pretty much watch everything he puts in his mouth and he's constantly moving.. he plays basketball, baseball and football and on the days he doesn't have a 2 hour practice, he's outside shooting hoops or riding his bike.

When I was in high school I was 5'8" and weighed 220 pounds. I was definitely heavy, but far from fat (though I definitely am that now). I played three sports, played basketball for at least two hours a day (an hour at lunch and an hour after school), played for an hour after church on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights while my folks were talking with their friends after the service. I played baseball and ran all over the place outside and still I weighed 220.

Come to find out that there are bone and muscle structure types that lend to heavier or lighter folks. That's just the way it is. My "book weight" according to the charts is 185 pounds. My doc said that I I ever weighed that, he'd put me in the hospital immediately.

I suppose the doc has a good reason - wanting kids to be healthy in their weight - but this way of going about it is just wrong. I mean, I'm sure the kids had no initial idea what was in the letters, but they do now and I can guarantee that it's becoming fodder for teasing and taunting already.

 

[Zamdrist]

"Dear parent. Your child is not within our realm of norms, thus we feel the obligation to let you know. Maybe you hadn't noticed. Maybe you're a terrible parent and had no idea your kid was fat or skinny or ugly or stupid. Maybe that doesn't bother you all the time. Maybe your kid needs to hear from yet another authority figure that they aren't what we expect them to be."

And we wonder why kids go on shooting sprees. Fucktard.

This is so fucked up. I would so love to go down there and chew some ass. Man would I love that. What a bunch of scewballs.

Hell, I'd bring in the media if I could too, make a real spectacle of it.

 

[Starfish]

A few years ago, a karate instructor told my, then, 6 0r 7 year old cousin that his ears were funny. He was at a fairly reputable establishment, but the instructor made comments about his ears on various occasion. My little cousin didn't have ears that were that noticeable. They weren't overly large, they simply had a bit of an off shape, like his father's. I had never even noticed that there was something wrong with them.

The kid was so traumatized that within 6 months, he had plastic surgery.

A fucking adult's insensitivity led a 7 year old to feel as if he needed fucking plastic surgery.

People in this world have no class or tact.

Tell your innocent little cousin that he knows where to send the bill.

What a moron that person is. Why would you say that to a child?

 

[AzureAngel]

I wonder if I would've been reported as underweight? Le sigh!

 

[pipercatt]

Re: Re: Re: Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

Well, give me about 3 1/2 years and I'll have the chance to teach your kids. Hopefully I'll have a tad bit more sensitivity than this doctor.

What happened to that tres cool icon you used to sport?

I am sure you will have more sensitivity than that jerk Doctor...

My old AV? I got bored with it...glad to know you liked it, though...I will probably bring it out again soon. This one is nice, but I don't know if it fits me..

 

[tigerjen]

What a terrible for the school to say......this really
puts kids who are overweight or underweight down,
and lowers their self esteem....not a good thing!

tigerjen

 

[TN_Vixen]

Come to find out that there are bone and muscle structure types that lend to heavier or lighter folks. That's just the way it is. My "book weight" according to the charts is 185 pounds. My doc said that I I ever weighed that, he'd put me in the hospital immediately.

Sorry.. for some reason I misread your post to say that a teacher was sending home the letters and not a physician. However, that doesn't mean I agree with his actions in spite of whatever positive intentions he may have.

I agree with you on the bone/muscle structure. My father (who is 6'4 and has weighed anywhere from 205-255) said he was always "chubby" as a kid and it took him until his sophmore or junior year in high school before he slimmed down. My son does take after his grandfather, so maybe it is body structure. Still, I watch everything he eats all the time.

My exhusband is less kind about our son's weight. He was a chubby kid and knows how it feels to be teased at that age (my son's almost 9) and rags him about it all the time. Makes me want to slap him backwards because he's not helping our son by forcing the issue.

~sigh

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: Re: Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

This is so fucked up. I would so love to go down there and chew some ass. Man would I love that. What a bunch of scewballs.

Hell, I'd bring in the media if I could too, make a real spectacle of it.

It's already there. I saw an interview with the doctor, and with a parent whose kid got one of those letters on the "O'Reilly Report" on Fox News. I did a tad bit more reading on it (and there wasn't much out there, but there was a little), and it, thankfully, is not getting rave reviews.

But not only is this doctor a fucktard, but so is the school district for even allowing such a thing to happen!

Fucktards. Fucktards. Fucktards!!

 

[Cheyenne]

Don't we all have things that adults said to us as a child which stuck with us? I think some of those things become self fullfilling prophecies.

Tell a child he is stupid and he is likely to believe you.

Tell a child she is fat, even when she isn't, and she will see herself as being fat.

etc.

etc.

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

My old AV? I got bored with it...glad to know you liked it, though...I will probably bring it out again soon. This one is nice, but I don't know if it fits me..

Thanks.

Maybe if, while wearing that outfit, you bent over a little more....

Well, whenever you bring the old av back out, just know that it's always been one of my favorites. It's at the top of the list for a tatoo (when I finally decide what I want).

 

[scylis]

hopefully i'm supposed to weigh 117 lbs.... maybe...

 

[BlondGirl]

The letter idea does bother me. But I am curious as to the effect it might have on the families that receive them.

Today, in my clinic, we had a teenager whose weight is up there. She would not qualify as "fat" by my standards but when I was her age and overweight, other kids used to yell "Weight Watchers!" at me at the pool. She is definately overweight.
The problem, this girl is having all kinds of wierd symptoms that could be some more unusual manifestations of diabetes or perhaps kidney disease (her BP is very high). The family was leaving and the doctor rushed out to the lobby to give them some more paperwork before they left. At that point, Dad asked the doctor quietly, "Should we be concerned about her weight?" The doctor said "definately YES".

The scary thing is, until there is a problem that is becoming a real problem, the issue is not being addressed. As is typical with most American families (IMO). We are sending her to a dietician and she is having some evaluations by specialists.

She is a great kid. I look forward to seeing her when she comes back in for follow-up. I really hope her health issues are improving at that point.

I wonder if Dad had gotten such a letter, if her physical health would have been paid more attention to sooner.

 

[AmishPope]

here are some more interesting facts about that artical that was recently in the ny times.

1st. the letters were being sent home with the kids. so a kid gets a note form a doctor saying he's overweight and he/she has to take it home. thats discouraging.

2nd several parents responded by saying what do you expect when school lunch is pizza and iced tea and you only offer phys ed once a week.

3rd and most shocking was in most cases the letter sent home were no where near accurate. they measured kids bmi or body mass index, and that doesnt measure fat or muscle. for instance if a probodybuilder was about 6 ft tall and weight 240 he would be declared obese. where in fact he's probably in great shape.

i think the most important thing to remember here is that the community controls public schools through board of education elections. if something is going on at your local school that you odnt approve of you have a voice that can be exercised to change it.

 

[Lasz]

When I was in high school I was 5'8" and weighed 220 pounds. I was definitely heavy, but far from fat (though I definitely am that now). I played three sports, played basketball for at least two hours a day (an hour at lunch and an hour after school), played for an hour after church on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights while my folks were talking with their friends after the service. I played baseball and ran all over the place outside and still I weighed 220.

[

Holy crap Jim, you and I are the same!!!
I was the same way in school.
I was on the football and swim team. And swimmers just aren't fat. I was 5' 8" 220lbs. just like you! When I wasnet in season I was conditioning and lifting weights at least 4 times a week. Not to mention pic up games, etc. And I actually tried in PE class.

After Highschool I grew 2 inches and gained 30 lbs. Basically I put on bone weight.

Laz

 

[JazzManJim]

After Highschool I grew 2 inches and gained 30 lbs. Basically I put on bone weight.

And I bet you got teased a lot for being heavy, too, right?

After my first year of college, where I was liting weights three times a week, I ended up putting on a lot of Hostess HoHo's weight.

That's where I am now - a chunky man in a fat man's body.

 

[Lasz]

And I bet you got teased a lot for being heavy, too, right?

After my first year of college, where I was liting weights three times a week, I ended up putting on a lot of Hostess HoHo's weight.

That's where I am now - a chunky man in a fat man's body.

Yup but thoese people usually don't realise that because I am bigger then them I can also hurt them until it is too late......only if they step over the line.

Not to mention that dorm food doesn't help!!!

laz

 

[LukkyKnight]

What's next?

"Dear parent. Your child is too stupid."

"Dear parent. Your child is too smart."

"Dear parent. Your child is bucktoothed."

Dear alleged physician,

Your lip is too thin. I'll stop in to adjust if for you while we discuss your obsession with applying normative statistics to individuals enrolled in the school you are about to resign from.

 

[pipercatt]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hey! Your kid's too fat!!

Thanks.

Maybe if, while wearing that outfit, you bent over a little more....

Well, whenever you bring the old av back out, just know that it's always been one of my favorites. It's at the top of the list for a tatoo (when I finally decide what I want).

<---Just for you, Jim. I've always wanted to be a tatoo...