The AllStride Blog

Obesity and Emotions

Obesity and Emotions I spend a lot of time discussing the medical effects of obesity, and I’m not the only one. In fact, medical information about the long term effects of being overweight on a child’s body have finally received the recognition they should, and that’s a good thing. But overweight kids are hurting in other, more profound ways, and this pain may present a much more difficult challenge. Now you must understand that I am not a psychologist, but I have taken care of kids for nearly 30 years, and don’t forget I was a fat kid myself. Although I don’t think I would have been considered clinically depressed, my chubbiness compared to my peers was a constant source of anxiety, and pain. I was discussing this with a fellow fat kid the other day, and we decided that the 7th grade year was perhaps the toughest. For me, this was the year when everyone seemed to be going through puberty and everyone seemed much more aware of their bodies, and therefore everyone else 

Our Children: Do We Really Care?

Monaco June 11, 2011 We live in a nation that idolizes youth. Pop culture, fashion, the entertainment industry, and even the foods we eat are driven by the interests, desires and practices of young people. Personally, I have spent nearly three decades taking care of sick children in hospitals, as well as committing myself to larger issues, like childhood obesity. From my perspective, children appear to be the focus of our lives, and they literally are our future. Yet, as I look at the plight of children as it stands today, I can’t help but wonder…are we truly doing the best we can for this segment of society we purport to so clearly value? Consider this: It is estimated that for the first time in recorded history, this generation of children may have a shorter life span than their parents. Why is this? Largely due to the preventable epidemic of childhood obesity, and its attendant consequences like type 2 diabetes, we may actually be shortening the lives of the segmen…