It is no secret that childhood obesity is on the rise in our country. The surgeon general warns us that currently 2 out of every 3 kids are overweight or obese. With this sad statistic, one man, Paul Kramer, is taking a much different (and very much controversial) approach to the topic.
Paul Kramer has written a book, aimed for an audience of 4-8 year olds titled, Magge Goes on a Diet, which describes the life of a 14 year old overweight girl and her battle with self esteem. It is set to come out in October 2011. According to the book's summary:
Maggie has so much potential that has been hiding under her extra weight. This inspiring story is about a 14-year-old who goes on a diet and is transformed from being overweight and insecure to a normal sized teen who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self-image.
Read more on this summary here.
Maggie was teased by her peers and nicknamed 'fatty' as well as 'chubby.' She decides to take charge of her health and begins eating better and really getting into soccer. The end result? She loses the weight, makes a lot of friends, and makes quite a name for herself in the soccer world of her school.
Here are a couple of reviews of the book from amazon.com:
"The idea of this book makes me want to either cry or scream actually both," wrote a commenter named Adrienne Ressler. "It's bad enough that the messages and images in the culture have co-opted most women into loathing their bodies, but targeting the insecurities of young girls, vulnerable to the risk of developing an eating disorder, borders on promoting high-risk behaviors and attitudes that are destructive both physically and psychologically. Please take this book off the market."
"I was a fat girl growing up!" Wrote a commenter named Lea Hendrick. "This book may not be the ideal, but it speaks the truth. Fat girls do get made fun of and are shut out. It's not right, but that's how it is. Skinny girls are more popular (in general...not in all cases). So what is the problem with suggesting that they eat healthy food and lose some weight in a healthy way? Should we say, 'oh it's ok to be fat' and then just expect the other kids to treat them the way they should? It doesn't work that way. And eating disorders don't just come from reading a book!! Yes, others SHOULD like us the way we are, but that is not REALISTIC! It is more hurtful to get made fun of and be left out by peers because of obesity than it is to be given the suggestion to become skinnier and healthier. A fat reduction overview can help you construct a clear describe of what you demand to focus on to complete your fat reduction goal if you're a beginner; or serve as a reminder for those who are at an advanced or more enhance level of their weightloss strategy. Following are seven steps that can serve as instructions for your personal weight loss program. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not exactly the same thing. Many weight loss plans have tricked people into believing that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss applications only work by causing a person's body to burn more muscle tissue and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. This is self-improvement! Nothing wrong with that!"
So, what does the author have to say? A local Colorado Springs parenting group "Pikes Peak Parent" blogged about this topic on their website and quoted Mr. Kramer in the The Washington Post saying:
I am not a physician nor do I claim to be a dietary expert. This book was NOT written to be a diet book. It is a childrens book written in rhyme intended to entertain. One of my major goals was, and is, to inspire children of all ages to exercise and eat healthy, nutritious foods.
If a child begins an exercise program and modifies their eating habits by eating plenty of healthy and nutritious food, they can build a future foundation for positive eating habits and an improved self-image.
I DO NOT maintain that the message in this book is a quick fix or that anyone who goes on a diet will be happier, or will be more popular or become a soccer star.
In this book, 14-year-old Maggie decides to take control of her life without being pushed to do so. Her intent was to become more physically fit, which would enable her to run faster, bend more easily, and improve her skills in playing sports. She was also tired of being teased, which was unpleasant at best.
I am in favor of communicating the eating healthy message to children and adults of all ages.
I have been taught that one should NOT judge a book by its cover.
I have struggled with obesity for a good deal of my life and I also have begun an exercise program and I am eating healthier, more nutritious foods.
It is also my opinion that DIET is not a dirty word.
So, what say you, reader? Is 'diet' a dirty word for children?
Find out more health tips by visiting my top fitness blog or www.3117training.com!
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