Moms and Childhood Obesity — the Inescapable Link, Part 4

severely malnourished child

It’s very tempting to blame parents, and especially mothers, for the childhood obesity epidemic. This is nearly inevitable because, as Lisen Stromberg admits, the mom is usually the “food and exercise gate-keeper” of the family. In most households, the mother is the closest thing there is to an expert, but despite that fact, she feels that moms have been ignored in the national conversation about childhood obesity.

Before elaborating on this thought, Stromberg acknowledges the many victories that have been achieved in her state, California, as documented by the Public Health Advocacy webpage on legislative successes. Public school meals have been improved, and the labeling on restaurant items is better. Soft drinks have been officially banned from schools.

Nevertheless, the writer feels that political action in this area has not focused on determining the attitudes and ideas of mothers, whose cooperation is needed as much as that of the schools. As she phrases it:

In all of these well-intentioned endeavors, no one has gone to the source, the mothers themselves, to ask, ‘what does obesity mean to you?’ and ‘how can we help you to ensure your children are as healthy as they can be?’.

Cultural norms make a huge difference. When a family comes from either a country or a personal background of scarcity and deprivation, mothers want to see their kids looking filled out and pleasingly plump. They have left behind the world of skinny children with visible rib cages. Perhaps even more impactful is the reaction of relatives and friends. If the in-laws think a child is too thin, it’s important to satisfy their need for grandchildren who don’t look undernourished.

The American abundance of cheap food can be overwhelming, especially the ready availability of essentially zero-nutrition snacks and over-processed instant meals. But the emotional component of food, and, by extension, the importance of looking well fed, is the aspect Stomberg is particularly tuned in to, saying:

For some women having a large, soft body into which her children can cuddle for comfort and to gain a sense of safety is the physical embodiment of good mothering… Many of the women in the report who were obese, did not view themselves as such. They called themselves ‘chubby’, ‘cuddly’, and ‘overweight’. It is likely they might not recognize or want to define their children as obese either.

In other words, many women who are objectively considered overweight by our society just don’t see themselves that way. Consequently, if their children resemble them, they don’t see the kids as overweight either. Also, even if the association is subconscious, a mother can think of herself as a kind of living furniture whose tactile effect far outweighs the visual picture. The children she holds know they are loved and protected, and that is the important thing. A lap that feels comfortable to children is far more important than a figure that looks great to the rest of the world.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: “The Answer To Childhood Obesity? Mothers,” PaloAlto.Patch.com, 06/25/12
Image by Hdptcar.

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OVERWEIGHT: What Kids Say explores the obesity problem from the often-overlooked perspective of children struggling with being overweight.

About Dr. Robert A. Pretlow

Dr. Robert A. Pretlow is a pediatrician and childhood obesity specialist. He has been researching and spreading awareness on the childhood obesity epidemic in the US for more than a decade.
You can contact Dr. Pretlow at:

Presentations

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the American Society of Animal Science 2020 Conference
What’s Causing Obesity in Companion Animals and What Can We Do About It

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the World Obesity Federation 2019 Conference:
Food/Eating Addiction and the Displacement Mechanism

Dr. Pretlow’s Multi-Center Clinical Trial Kick-off Speech 2018:
Obesity: Tackling the Root Cause

Dr. Pretlow’s 2017 Workshop on
Treatment of Obesity Using the Addiction Model

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation for
TEC and UNC 2016

Dr. Pretlow’s invited presentation at the 2015 Obesity Summit in London, UK.

Dr. Pretlow’s invited keynote at the 2014 European Childhood Obesity Group Congress in Salzburg, Austria.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2013 European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool, UK.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2011 International Conference on Childhood Obesity in Lisbon, Portugal.

Dr. Pretlow’s presentation at the 2010 Uniting Against Childhood Obesity Conference in Houston, TX.

Food & Health Resources