Wesley Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 Just was wondering what people thought about this. If discussion starts, I will add my opinion. http://www.valleynewslive.com/story/23823811/woman-handing-out-letters-not-halloween-candy A local woman stated her intentions to take childhood obesity into her own hands during a Y-94 radio interview the morning of Oct. 29. She has decided to give a letter instead of candy to Halloween trick or treaters that she feels are "moderately obese." "I just want to send a message to the parents of kids that are really overweight... I think it's just really irresponsible of parents to send them out looking for free candy just 'cause all the other kids are doing it," says the author in a Y-94 morning radio interview. That's where the letter first surfaced and started to spread through social media. "They were chatting today and got a call from Cheryl out of the blue who really wanted to voice her opinion about obesity and that it really takes an entire community to solve the obesity challenge," says Y-94 Program and Music Director JT. "I'm contributing to their health problems and really, their kids are everybody's kids. It's a whole village," says the letter's author in the interview. NDSU Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology Dr. Katie Gordon studies eating disorders and says that children and adolescents in particular are very conscious of fitting in with peers. She says the letter might hurt more than help. "It's just that kind of thing that for some kids, if they're vulnerable, might trigger major problems,"she says. Dr. Gordon leaves the matter of an individual child's weight to his or her parents and pediatrician. She says that one should be careful to judge by another's appearance and doesn't believe the letter will have the desired effect. "That's not something that someone can judge- the health of someone- just by looking at them. I think that's the main thing. Even if a child is overweight, they might be very healthy because of what they eat and how they exercise," says Dr. Gordon. "It's ineffective anyway because it's not likely to help the kid," she says.
nathanm Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 Hope you enjoy your toilet paper and egg omelet, Miss Harridan.
wdiaz03 Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 A little to insensitive in my opinion, I rather not give candy at all or give heartier snacks. (Bags of beef jerky and dried fruits?) My boy enjoys collecting candy but once home he doesn't eat it, it just gets recycled back to the neighborhood.
Wesley Posted October 30, 2013 Author Posted October 30, 2013 I always had a couple pieces that were my favorite, but then gave the rest to friends through trading, or I think a couple year there were programs were you could donate excess candy. To me, this seems like shaming the child which is quite terrible. Imagine a group of 4 kids going to the door. 3 get candy and 1 gets the note to take home to mommy that says hes fat. That would be incredibly degrading among his friends. Not to mention that I do not think this piece of paper will bring any parents to the point where they will actually care about their child and start to establish healthy habits. I have a feeling that obese children tend to come from families with obese parents, though I have no data to back that up; it is just a hunch. Giving dried fruit or jerky is a good idea. I think I got an apple or two when I used to trick-or-treat.
Culain Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 Giving fresh fruits like an apple is even worse with contamination and bacteria. I like the idea of properly packaged dry fruit, but that sounds expensive.
wdiaz03 Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 ..Giving dried fruit or jerky is a good idea. I think I got an apple or two when I used to trick-or-treat. Too bad that books like the bible and fairy tales (but I repeat myself) like snow white has given apples a bad name. Giving fresh fruits like an apple is even worse with contamination and bacteria. I like the idea of properly packaged dry fruit, but that sounds expensive. Tell me about it, healthy food is crazy expensive, jerky, nuts and dried fruits prices have skyrocketed or is it inflation? hmmm
Zimobog Posted October 30, 2013 Posted October 30, 2013 Just give them air-popped popcorn, ya cheapskates. I think she's gonna get the TP-Egg surprise. And also, Halloween is tomorrow. How is she giving out these letters already unless she just called the news to get her 5 minutes of fame?
Josh F Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Yeah, F#$% Halloween. Stupid tradition anyway. Brave woman, but will probably not receive positive feedback, people are afraid of the truth, and rather call the truth tellers 'insensitive'. It is so brave to insult children. A hero really....
PatrickC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Yes, I agree with TT here, this lady is nothing but a pompous twat. What does she think she will achieve with a parent who is likely to just throw her silly letters away, whilst the child gets a good dose of shame thrown at them, amongst their peers.
PatrickC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Well a heroin addict has a lot more control of their lives, even if they don't apply it. A child however, is beholden to the behaviour and wishes of their parents. Not like a child can do much about the food that's given them. And you can just refuse to give any candy and take the trick of course.
Wesley Posted October 31, 2013 Author Posted October 31, 2013 I don't see how she is a "t#$%" or how she is insulting kids by being concerned for their health. If heroin addicts come to my door asking for money for their next fix, I'm sure as hell ain't gonna give them a dime. You guys are less into virtue than you think. Better to readjust unhealthy behavior early on than to further enable it. Shaming the kids is not the way to solve the problem. If anything, it could very easily make the problem worse as it throws the kid into more depression, or he gets yelled at or hit by his parents. I can't think of a situation where parents raise a significantly overweight kid without intervening and then get a note from a random stranger and then all of a sudden they become perfect parents with healthy eating habits. Maybe I am wrong, but I can't see it happening.
PatrickC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Why would I even bother to respond to that Thomas, really! This gutless wonderwoman isn't even confronting the parents.. meh!
nathanm Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all gluttony-celebrating holidays. Everybody knows it's not a healthy eating day. If you're concerned about the fat kids then don't give them candy or give them some other healthy treat, you don't have to crap on the fun with your passive aggressive letter. They may still turn up their noses at your offering, but at least you don't have to get up in people's faces about it. I'd be more in favor of preaching the Thanksgiving-As-Overturning-Of-Socialist-Policy message thingy if you want to be contrarian on a holiday. If that could be condensed into either a meal prayer or Night-Before-Christmas version it would be cool.
Josh F Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I don't see how she is a "t#$%" or how she is insulting kids by being concerned for their health. If heroin addicts come to my door asking for money for their next fix, I'm sure as hell ain't gonna give them a dime. You guys are less into virtue than you think. Better to readjust unhealthy behavior early on than to further enable it. Stop. I saw on your profile that you're sometimes hostile and don't want to be. This is one of those moments.
Rob_Ilir Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 The woman was asserting her no, to kids on her front door who cant consent to sugar levels in their own diet. There is not enough facts about the characters or story, yet I feel this thread turned into a pile on.
nathanm Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 I didn't advocate vandalism, I'm just assuming that's what might happen and that I understand. A 10 second interaction with the neighbor kids isn't the venue for a discussion about childhood obesity. Turn off your lights and lock the doors and be done with it. Or hang a sign with that same message, preferably taped to an overstuffed scarecrow for maximum impact. Or put the bowl of candy at the end of a gauntlet with rope ladders, tires and mud pits and a banner saying, "Happy Halloween! Come and get it, tubby!"
PatrickC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Take a look at your own argument Thomas, and be honest with yourself, it's in tatters and a complete projection. Rather than insult people, try and make sense of what their saying.
Guest Exceptionalist Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Take a look at your argument Thomas, and be honest with yourself, it's in tatters and a complete projection. You could say that, but debunking something would be a lot smarter. Rather than insult people, try and make sense of what their saying. If someone feels insulted, it's his own problem. AFAIK the letter is directed to the parents. It is of bad taste, nothing more.
PatrickC Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 Undelution, as usual you have no point.. So bugger off!
wdiaz03 Posted October 31, 2013 Posted October 31, 2013 If we look at this issue rationally and ask "Who benefits?" Even if the intentions of this woman is to help children, I don't think her approach will help a single child. The only person who benefits here is her, she feeds her own delusion of helping kids, regardless of the cost. This is careless at best and grandiose at worse. Like a person driving sick people to hospitals while running over people on the streets. In her mind she is helping the sick?. But since the chances of helping the kids in this case are slim to none, What type of person believes that they can write a letter and change lives in one night? Is it because leading by example is so much harder? Why not setup a neighborhood sports league, Offer lectures to neighborhood parents. Organize a picnic and show that healthy food can be tasty as well? Without the initiation of force you have to deliver your message in such a way that people find it appealing to change their minds. Not in the hostile manner in which she is doing it. Am I way off here?
Josh F Posted November 1, 2013 Posted November 1, 2013 Stop. I saw on your profile that you're sometimes hostile and don't want to be. This is one of those moments. Wise words coming from someone with the word "terrorist" in his username. But right, I'm hostile if I don't want toilet paper and eggs being thrown at nonconformists. I'm hostile, but someone else calls a woman a "t#$%", but of course he himself is not aggressive. I actually wrote that on my profile, because I think censoring yourself upfront and being silent is smarter. (As this thread proves once again) But just when I was in a good mood (I got a new job, new room to stay, actually figured more family stuff out) I came across the thread and was all "hooray" until I read the comments. Stef is right, the board just has little if anything to do with FDR. Just like any other message board. You called abusive behavior heroic. Are you fat or do you struggle with your weight? As someone who was obese as a child let me make this clear for you so you can proceed with some real information: WE KNOW WE ARE FAT. It isn't a mystery. Our parents called us fat. Other kids called us fat. Teachers, strangers, your friends parents, they all call you fat. The majority of eating issues come from two places: 1. being insulted or humiliated routinely, and 2. sexual molestation. Please, proceed with empathy, you've now been informed that you're advocating the problem not the solution.
LovePrevails Posted November 3, 2013 Posted November 3, 2013 Ok my view on this is at follows, either she is doing this to: A) Help the children B) Expiate unpleasant feelings if B) then she is doing it for her own selfish reasons, which is fine and not immoral but she shouldn't pretend that she's doing it for the kids. If A) then she might want to consider whether the strategy is effective in helping the kids or not Is it more likely: 1) create real change that lasts 2) make them feel bad in a shameful way that will encourage them to comfort eat 3) make their parents feel bad in a way that's going to encourage them to shame their kids if 2) or 3) then the approach is not a great approach. So why not hand out goji berries or something instead of sweets?
NeoEclectic Posted November 3, 2013 Posted November 3, 2013 To Hell with worrying about the feelings of the kids or parents. If this woman is going to be forced to have to pay for these individuals at a future date then she should be allowed to express her opinion on the matter. I think that's a major problem with people these days is that they refuse to accept criticism (the truth). I'm tired of this world where 'words hurt'. Grow thicker skin.
Emanuel Posted November 4, 2013 Posted November 4, 2013 I don't like the atmosphere in this thread at all. Please, think before you post. If we can't get along here, what hope is there for the world as a whole? I don't like the atmosphere in this thread at all. Please, think before you post. If we can't get along here, what hope is there for the world as a whole?
Yan Posted November 14, 2013 Posted November 14, 2013 There are times to speak the truth, and there are times people shoud rejoice on the company of others. That person used a kind festivity to be like a jehova's witness. I would have taken the paper from her hands, ripped it in front of her and thrown some eggs at her porch, for the sake of community spirit, don't get me wrong.
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