Do you think that parents are at fault when their kids are fat?

Question

Unless they have an illness. I beleive that parents are the only people who allow their children to get fat. We did not have the problem of obesity and overweight children in the past. It's not like babies are born being fat. I keep on arguing with my mother because she refuses to acknowledge the fact that she is the one who has made my little sister fat. She says that it's her fault she doesn't eat healthy herself. She's 7 though, can she really think about eating healthy when all that she's given is unhealthy?

Kiwedin · Accepted Answer

I do think it's the parent's fault for allowing their children to get fat. Every single fat kid I knew growing up had parents that allowed them to eat junk food at every meal or have those "no leaving the table until all your food is done" rule at dinner time or just let their kid play video games or watch tv all day. As a parent, one of your main concerns are ensuring that your child is healthy. The human body needs healthy food and proper exercise to be healthy, and you're essentially killing your child faster if you don't provide these things to them. It should be considered a form of child abuse in my opinion, but I am very passionate about health so I understand if people don't agree. I've just witnessed to many friends struggle with body image issues, not to mention how hard it is to lose an excessive amount of weight. They're issues that could have been avoided and it just really sucks that some children get born into such unhealthy lifestyles, no child asks to be fat, they simply take what's being fed to them.

Mustachekitteh · Accepted Answer

It's only the parents fault if they are always buying junk food and any other unhealthy foods to give to their kids.

Now if they buy nothing but healthy food and not let them sit around. Yet the kid is still over weight then it's not their fault. Since they tried to make it so they would be healthier.

Though parents can't really force their kids to exercise.

Also in the past people had to walk to more places and couldn't afford food like we can today.

Plus when you try to look up how to eat healthy it can be really confusing. Since so many people say one thing is good and another is bad. Then another website saying the complete opposite. Maybe eating healthy might improve more they in schools they had a class to teach more in depth about nutrition.

Tempbro · Accepted Answer

Yes, I agree with you I used to be a fat little kid, but after being told that I was fat soo many times I got fed up with it, and tried to lose some weight. Granted it took a long time, but I did it. Although I agree with you older kids are responsible for their own weight issue unless they don't have any other thing to eat and all they get is a lard sandwich. At the age you are talking about 0-13 its the parents fault because they buy the food that makes their kid fat, but I think that as soon as they get AROUND the age of 14 and up than they begin to make their own diet choices. I only think it's the parents fault if they could get some other food, but choose not to.

Nuqood · Accepted Answer

Let's ask my friend Dave Hester: Why? The parents are the ones providing the food and are the ones that are supposed to provide the direction.

nalaa · Answer

Yes in a way, but on the other hand there is so much misinformation out there, it's hard to blame them

Food companies invest a lot of time and money into making their food more like crack. Sugary, fatty and salty food is literally addictive. Most people know junk food it bad but they think just once for their kids birthday won't hurt, but it does
And you can't get around it. Even if you don't give it to your kids, school or other parents will. And they'll want more.

They also put a lot of effort into marketing unhealthy food as healthy, such as low fat cream cheese or the slim hot pockets.
Then government initiatives like 5 a day are totally misleading. Eating 5 a day means nothing if you eat only crap otherwise. And the traffic light labels... I recently bought a pack of grapes that had a red indicator for sugar and jar of curry that was green or yellow everywhere

Even if you try as a parent, the odds are never in your favor

ShaeNielson · Answer

If your child is like 15+, and you really have done what you can to educate them on food and served them healthy meals, but yet they go out and buy their own junk food which made them fat, then it's of course not your fault. But if your child is younger than and fat, or if your definition of cooking is when hitting the drive through at McDonalds, then it's completely your fault, and you should straighten the fuck up. It's really disgusting when parents feed their 2 year olds Junkfood, or when their kids get nothing but sugar milk, pizza and chips at school, that is not good food! No wonder your kid will grow up getting fat, lazy, unhealthy and unambitious. You're a failure as a parent.
For children (age 7+) junk food is a one time a month thing, and even that is - in my opinion - way too frequent. As for children below 7, I don't think Junkfood should be anywhere near their diet.

sherbearee · Answer

Nooo the parents are not at a COMPLETE fault. Yes, at such a young age, parents are the ones who should be promoting a healthy diet and exercise, but they cannot control what their child eats when he/she gets into preteens/teens and is able to buy food on his/her own.
Basically yeah parents gotta do something about it, though it's neither completely the child's or the parents's fault.

Eileithyia · Answer

Wow, It's a good question.

It’s absolutely the parent’s fault that those children are fat. They need to look in the mirror, look at themselves, and realise it’s their fault. It’s really important that parents get a grip, tell their children they’re fat, get together and sit down and do something about it.

So all of this nicety, being kind, teaching them how to cook good meals, that’s not the answer. The answer is: you are fat, you as a parent are fat. Get a grip, do something about it.

emmy867 · Answer

I think that parents have a responsibility to raise their child in a healthy way - eating a varied, healthy diet (no child who lives off of macaroni and cheese is healthy) and playing outside. I think that some people are predisposed to be overweight, but even they should maintain what is a natural, healthy weight for their body.

jraje · Answer

Yes, my mom and I were talking about this last week. My uncle has a six or seven year old daughter that's really overweight. Instead of giving her healthy food a lot more he gives her McDonald's and ice cream all the time.

Marshmellowking · Answer

It's the parents fault when they're younger but when you get older you have to make the choose to eat healthy yourself and not blame your parents because your to lazy, unless they refuse to buy healthy food then that's fucked up

complicated_soul · Answer

I guess. The parents had control over the kid when he/she was a baby.

They could have taught the kid healthy lifestyle.

If later on the kid decides to abandon the healthy lifestyle , then it is the kid's fault.

blondfrog · Answer

I can't believe how many people said yes you get to decide what to put in your mouth not anybody else. My mom would provide my brothers when we were little with the same amounts of foods and we all turned out a different body weight at that time too. Its more about your genetic make up and metabolism.

Words_and_Wisdom · Answer

It is and it isn't. Sure parents need to learn to provide healthy nutrition to their children. But at the same time, most places (at least here in the US) make it incredibly difficult to live a healthy life with all the bullshit that gets put into the food supply.

BroBroncoski · Answer

Lol wtf. Hell no, I was fat af back in 3rd grade but then I got to 7th and started lifting because I knew what I was lol Parents wanna see their kids happy. Don't blame it on parents if yll still fat lo

Anonymous · Answer

Parents are the ones who buy small children food. Then when they can buy their own food when they are older they will only do what their parents taught them. Though some people get a reality check and start eating healthier.

xXiTacoXx · Answer

Parents aren't completely to blame. Kids will get their hands on what they like one way or another.

Anonymous · Answer

Of course the parents are at fault. The kid only eats what they prepare or feed them. So if they made sure they had healthy eating habits then the kid wouldn't have the weight issue.

Anonymous · Answer

yeah cause at the age of 1-2 years old it is determined how many fat cells the kid will have for the rest of its life. if they, trash-feed it then, it's doomed for a life, and all the diets in the world can't change it... . thats scientific fact.

DaddyRollingStone · Answer

Yes, children are not responsible for their own diets yet. Their parents feed them almost every meal.

RasAlGhul · Answer

yes is parents fault and the kids have fault too.. they can get fatter but something like 8 or more they can think about that too

Anonymous · Answer

Partly, but not totally

Do you think that parents are at fault when their kids are fat?

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