150 pound 4 year old!

LaurieCRNP2002, MSN, RN, APRN · Feb 4, 2003

I agree with Geri--people in today's society only want to blame others for problems that they bring on themselves. The lack of personal responsibility and accountability these days is disturbing and maddening. Makes you want to kick these people in the behind and say "Wake up! Get a clue"

Laurie

Newly minted MSN

NurseShell · Feb 4, 2003

Originally posted by LLDPaRN
I agree with Geri--people in today's society only want to blame others for problems that they bring on themselves. The lack of personal responsibility and accountability these days is disturbing and maddening. Makes you want to kick these people in the behind and say "Wake up! Get a clue"

Laurie
Newly minted MSN

AMEN!! Seriously!! It's not like they hold a gun to your head and force-feed you! Sheesh!!

Then again, maybe we should sue the Girls Scouts after we eat all the cookies we've ordered - since we'll undoubtebly gain a few pounds - huh?

What a country huh?! Only in America.

fulwood · Feb 4, 2003

I saw this show and for once don't always agree with Dr. Phil but what he said to this woman was spot on. Doesn't seem to get the drift that how she and her mum feeds the kid is the issue.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 4, 2003

I don't see how in the world the woman could be in denial when she's so big herself.......I'm seriously overweight as well, but not one of my 4 kids has a weight problem, nor do I blame anything but my own lousy eating habits for mine. I also don't get the mentality that encourages people to sue tobacco companies because their 2-pack-a-day habit gave them lung CA, or gun makers when some dumb s*** uses a .38 to hold up a convenience store. Why are people suddenly no longer responsible for their own stupidity?!

sjoe · Feb 4, 2003

By the way, the judge threw out the McDonald's obesity law suit several days ago, so this is no longer an issue. He said basically what some of you have said above: Get a clue and take some responsibility for your own behavior. (Always good advice IMHO)

NativeButterfly · Feb 4, 2003

I actually saw a 3 yo that was approximately 125 lbs about a year ago. We got called down to the ER due to the fact that we were the peds staff here at our rural hospital. When I walked into the beginnings of the code of this baby, I thought he must have been at least 6 yo. We have very big children here. The child came in in asystole. We worked for about thirty to forty-five mins and then called it. I never did hear what happened but from what the mom was saying, it sounded cardiac. She had been told many times that this child was way to overweight but she would not listen...she was her only boy and he got whatever he wanted. I wish parents would realize that they are in control of these children and must act accordingly. This is their child's life!!!

itsme · Feb 4, 2003

These kids need to go outside and play, to burn off calories! Take away the game boy, the x box, the computer, and give them a bike, a wagon, and a bat and ball and send there butts outside! And the kids big mom can go out there too!!

renerian, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2003

The child is in for a hard life. I used to be 50 pounds overweight when I hit puberty. Glad I lost it and have kept it all off.

renerian

Furball · Feb 4, 2003

That mom annoyed the HELL out of me! Reminded me why I hated psych so much....not enough patience for it. Dr Phil showed a lot of restraint I thought (I would've STRANGLED her!) and tried to show this lady some sympathy but she is just a stubborn mule of a mom.

Every other sentence she spoke contradicted everything that she had said before.....it was mind boggling.

ERNurse752, RN · Feb 4, 2003

I watched it too...wow...

She pretty much admitted that the 4 y/o ran the household, that she couldn't stand to tell him no b/c she was tired of being the bad guy...talked about how hard she has it being a single mom, etc...one of the things she thought contributed to his obesity was that they ate a late dinner b/c of her job - sorry, don't think it makes *that* big of a difference!

Part of what Dr. Phil told her was that being a parent is hard, and that your job as a parent is to tell your child what they NEED to hear - not what they WANT to hear, etc...and that by making herself feel better by giving in to him, she is going to make him pay the price physically, mentally, and then socially when he goes to school and gets made fun of.

He's already short of breath, and has trouble getting off the floor, or out of a chair if his feet don't touch the floor. He wears a large men's shirt, and medium men's pants.

She kept saying that she did many things wrong, that she could change a lot of things, but then as soon as Dr. Phil would get onto the subject, she'd contradict herself (insisting they all follow a diabetic diet) and start with the "Yes, but..." A good point was that she just wanted to win the argument, and that isn't the real issue...the real issue is the health of her child.

The show set them up with a 16 week program for overweight children called (I think) Shape Down...deals with all the nutrition issues, parenting skills, psych issues, etc....maybe she told him at some point off the air, but I didn't even hear her say "Thank you."

She needs some major counseling...poor kid.

future_guru · Feb 4, 2003

My husband works the last shift, so........I asked him to tape Dr. Phil for me (really wanted to see this one). Since my husband can't stomach Dr. Phil, I really didn't expect him to tape it. Well he did tape it, but the tape was messed up. Anyhoo, I had to ask him for the details. I was appauled. (I think huppy is starting to like Dr. PHil). :chuckle

I feel so sorry for these children. More and more you see these kids on TV obese at age 2,4,5.... How sad. Maury had on a show a few years ago with a couple that had a boy I think about 5, severly overweight. While the father was at work mom would let the boy eat whatever he wanted (all sugary cereals, and very greasy fast foods by the ton). Well his favorite was pizza. So mom & dad would walk with him down the block to the pizza shop. The only problem was that this poor child had to stop and sit on the curb every few feet because he could not breath. :sniff: If this isn't child abuse, you tell me what is? The audience was appalled and starting screaming at the parents -- then the father started defending his wife saying that if she did not give him what he wanted the boy would push her around and hit her. OH MY GOD!!!

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2003

I just can't understand it. I am overweight, and my son is "a little" overweight. Our diet is not good. We eat out a lot, mostly for convenience. But it seems like he would have to be eating all the time to be THAT large. I didn't see the show, but I have seen others like it. There HAS to be some underlying metabolic somthing-or-other causing this! I will admit that the "give them whatever they want" out of guilt or fear or whatever is definitely wrong, but I just can't see HOW these kids can be so big without having something else going on.