Being an Obese Parent: How it Can Affect Your Kids

It's not secret that obesity is on the rise in the United States in children and adults alike. There are a lot of unhealthy people. But being obese just doesn't affect you, it can affect your kids as well. It can change how they view things, that it is OK to eat or be a certain way etc.

I am not writing this article as a skinny nelly. I am fat and I have three kids. I know what it is like to be an obese parent. When the scale kept going up, I knew that I had to make some changes. I joined a weight loss program in 2009 because I wanted to live longer to be with my kids as long as I could be, through childhood and adulthood. Now I've lost 73 pounds with over a hundred left to go but even having lost that much, I feel so much better and am living a healthy lifestyle and my kids see what I've been doing.

This article will give you a few ways that having an obese parent can affect a child. You may find that it's time to make some changes in your life...

#1: Can Hurt Your Life Span

Being overweight can affect your life span which means that you could be making an unwanted exit out of your child's life. While not all overweight people die just because they are overweight, some do due to the complications of the extra weight and what it can do to your body both inside in out. Your child needs your loving care as they grow up and your advice while they are adults. This was my main reason for joining a weight loss program, to get healthy for my family as well as for myself.

#2: Physically Not Able to Do As Much

Before I lost some weight, I could not do that much with my kids. I couldn't run and play catch with them, take a long walk, etc without my back starting to hurt because of all the extra weight I was hauling around. I would get tired quickly and wasn't able to interact with my kids as much as I wanted to when it came to fun events. Your kids can miss out on things because you can't keep up with them.

#3: Teaching OK to Be Overweight

Kids see things differently then adults do at times and if they are growing up in a home with an obese parent, they can see that as its OK to be overweight. They may eat what you eat and if it isn't healthy, that could help them be obese as they grow up or when they are adults. You don't want to teach them that it's OK to be overweight but you don't want to teach them that overweight people are freaks of nature either. Teach them that overweight people are just like everyone else but that you want to live a healthy lifestyle so that you can be around with them longer and they can have a longer life as well.

#4: Body Image Problems

Being overweight runs in my family. I was a normal size kid but when I became a teen, the weight started coming on. I remember my grandma spoke a lot about body image and being overweight and it always stuck with me and at times, I didn't feel very good about myself. It led to me having bad body image problems and that is something you don't want a kid to have. If you are overweight or skinny but are always moaning about how your body is, or saying to your child "Careful, you're going to get fat!" you may help them have body image problems.

#5: Can Cause Embarrassment

If you're overweight then you may know what I'm talking about. Your child is in school, you drop them off or help out in the classroom and later your child tells you that "So and so kid said that I have a really fat Mom." Being overweight can embarrass your child. While you want your child to know that they should love people as they are, you can't help some of the issues that come up. When that happened with my son, he said he stuck up for me and said that I was not fat. I had to gently tell him that I am fat but I am exercising and eating better so that I can lose weight. I told him to try to ignore any kids that tell him that I am overweight. And yes, I'll admit that it makes me sad that my son has had to go through this a few times because I am fat.

Losing weight is hard to do but the journey is worth it. Not only are you showing your kids a good message, but you will make yourself feel better and if you feel better about yourself, that in turn can help you be a better parent.