Girl, 11, stops eating for two days after primary school said she was overweight

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A fitness instructor has responded with anger after her 11-year-old daughter refused to eat for two days when school health professionals branded her overweight.Amelya Lyndsay, 35, was stunned when a routine height and weight measurement test at daughter Olivia's junior school claimed she was over the recommended BMI limit. Olivia - who at 5ft 2ins is one of the tallest pupils in her year - was so shaken by the conclusion that she refused to eat for two days.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/children/12094548/Girl-11-stops-eating-for-two-days-after-primary-school-said-she-was-overweight.html

I think a tad bit of common sense and tact is needed here with children of this age when tackling obesity.
Scary that she stopped eating, no wonder the mother is angry.
Like I say with kids they are going to be very sensitive to such issues and she hardly looks obese to me.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


But the point is it mentally effected the child, which is no surprise being that her mother is a fitness instructor. This is the most telling point, where a child where the mother is very healthy clearly it will effect the mental health of the child where she clearly thinks then something is wrong with her, if as the mother states, even if eating healthily. This to me is what triggered her to stop eating

And you think that running to the press is going to help?

I think there's a fundamental problem these days with how much the Government and schools should intervene in this kind of thing. There seems to be two extremes going on - girls who develop eating disorders and anorexia, and girls who do become obese at a young age. That does of course apply to boys too, but the anorexia thing seems to be more common in girls.

Anyway, what is the right thing to do? We have the Government telling us the safe level of alcohol we should drink, the number of portions of fruit and vegetables we should eat, and now we have them telling schools they should log the weight of pupils in order to nip potential problems in the bud. If they didn't intervene, wouldn't some people say they should?

Yes going to the press does matter.
I agree with any help by schools and the governement to help children that need help and not just with obesity, which where they failed to think about was the mental health here in regards to girls so young. I can picture how this proably happened. The mother get the letter and is very upset and angry, the child asks her what is wrong and the mother unknowingly in her angers says why she is stating the letters contents. The child is clearly shocked and being from where her mother is a fitness advisor, then thinks something is fundementally wrong with her. In such a situation this would have come out to the child being as the mother would have felt deeply shocked at such a claim, when its clear the child is in no way for that age for a girl overweight. The child thinks its her fault and that it is food making her fat and thus stops eating. So whilst I agree with schools helping those who do actually need help with obesity, this child in no way needed or required the school to send a letter home. Again some tact is needed here when a child is not of mental age to fully understand.  So going off where people do need help is irrelevant, as I am for supporting that, but this girl did not need any help and no child would of her health and the way she looks based on the age.

I don't know that getting calcium from cow's milk is a completely natural thing tbh. It's a modern thing really. This obsession about how many "servings" people should have every day is what's making them paranoid IMO.

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

And you think that running to the press is going to help?

I think there's a fundamental problem these days with how much the Government and schools should intervene in this kind of thing. There seems to be two extremes going on - girls who develop eating disorders and anorexia, and girls who do become obese at a young age. That does of course apply to boys too, but the anorexia thing seems to be more common in girls.

Anyway, what is the right thing to do? We have the Government telling us the safe level of alcohol we should drink, the number of portions of fruit and vegetables we should eat, and now we have them telling schools they should log the weight of pupils in order to nip potential problems in the bud. If they didn't intervene, wouldn't some people say they should?

Yes going to the press does matter.
I agree with any help by schools and the governement to help children that need help and not just with obesity, which where they failed to think about was the mental health here in regards to girls so young. I can picture how this proably happened. The mother get the letter and is very upset and angry, the child asks her what is wrong and the mother unknowingly in her angers says why she is stating the letters contents. The child is clearly shocked and being from where her mother is a fitness advisor, then thinks something is fundementally wrong with her. In such a situation this would have come out to the child being as the mother would have felt deeply shocked at such a claim, when its clear the child is in no way for that age for a girl overweight. The child thinks its her fault and that it is food making her fat and thus stops eating. So whilst I agree with schools helping those who do actually need help with obesity, this child in no way needed or required the school to send a letter home. Again some tact is needed here when a child is not of mental age to fully understand.  So going off where people do need help is irrelevant, as I am for supporting that, but this girl did not need any help and no child would of her health and the way she looks based on the age.

I simply can't agree that going to the press is a good thing. For a start, it just comes across to me like the mother is boasting about being a fitness expert, and is just attention seeking. Secondly, it's just showing her daughter up even more.

Getting angry in front of the girl is the mother's own fault - she could have ignored the letter, or had a word with the school in private. If the girl opened the letter herself, that was her own fault as it wasn't addressed to her. However, schools should remember that pupils do often do that kind of thing.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


Yes going to the press does matter.
I agree with any help by schools and the governement to help children that need help and not just with obesity, which where they failed to think about was the mental health here in regards to girls so young. I can picture how this proably happened. The mother get the letter and is very upset and angry, the child asks her what is wrong and the mother unknowingly in her angers says why she is stating the letters contents. The child is clearly shocked and being from where her mother is a fitness advisor, then thinks something is fundementally wrong with her. In such a situation this would have come out to the child being as the mother would have felt deeply shocked at such a claim, when its clear the child is in no way for that age for a girl overweight. The child thinks its her fault and that it is food making her fat and thus stops eating. So whilst I agree with schools helping those who do actually need help with obesity, this child in no way needed or required the school to send a letter home. Again some tact is needed here when a child is not of mental age to fully understand.  So going off where people do need help is irrelevant, as I am for supporting that, but this girl did not need any help and no child would of her health and the way she looks based on the age.

I simply can't agree that going to the press is a good thing. For a start, it just comes across to me like the mother is boasting about being a fitness expert, and is just attention seeking. Secondly, it's just showing her daughter up even more.

Getting angry in front of the girl is the mother's own fault - she could have ignored the letter, or had a word with the school in private. If the girl opened the letter herself, that was her own fault as it wasn't addressed to her. However, schools should remember that pupils do often do that kind of thing.

You lot are amazing, you know what went on between the mother and the daughter and there reasons without even being there.  Wonderful trick!

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I simply can't agree that going to the press is a good thing. For a start, it just comes across to me like the mother is boasting about being a fitness expert, and is just attention seeking. Secondly, it's just showing her daughter up even more.

Getting angry in front of the girl is the mother's own fault - she could have ignored the letter, or had a word with the school in private. If the girl opened the letter herself, that was her own fault as it wasn't addressed to her. However, schools should remember that pupils do often do that kind of thing.

You lot are amazing, you know what went on between the mother and the daughter and there reasons without even being there.  Wonderful trick!

The press claims that the mother was angry, and since the girl features in the article too, it's a reasonable assumption.

If the mother didn't get angry, perhaps she could now run to the press to complain that they invented her anger.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


Yes going to the press does matter.
I agree with any help by schools and the governement to help children that need help and not just with obesity, which where they failed to think about was the mental health here in regards to girls so young. I can picture how this proably happened. The mother get the letter and is very upset and angry, the child asks her what is wrong and the mother unknowingly in her angers says why she is stating the letters contents. The child is clearly shocked and being from where her mother is a fitness advisor, then thinks something is fundementally wrong with her. In such a situation this would have come out to the child being as the mother would have felt deeply shocked at such a claim, when its clear the child is in no way for that age for a girl overweight. The child thinks its her fault and that it is food making her fat and thus stops eating. So whilst I agree with schools helping those who do actually need help with obesity, this child in no way needed or required the school to send a letter home. Again some tact is needed here when a child is not of mental age to fully understand.  So going off where people do need help is irrelevant, as I am for supporting that, but this girl did not need any help and no child would of her health and the way she looks based on the age.

I simply can't agree that going to the press is a good thing. For a start, it just comes across to me like the mother is boasting about being a fitness expert, and is just attention seeking. Secondly, it's just showing her daughter up even more.

Getting angry in front of the girl is the mother's own fault - she could have ignored the letter, or had a word with the school in private. If the girl opened the letter herself, that was her own fault as it wasn't addressed to her. However, schools should remember that pupils do often do that kind of thing.

Of course it is good to bring to the press as it brings it out into the public eye and gives it the attention needed if as seen something is fundementally wrong where in this case it is. A girl of that age, who is clearly not overweight should not be getting letters home claiming they are, only those clearly obese should. Its easier said than done not to be angry being as the mother is a fitness advisor and would have taken it personally as an insult to how she cares and looks after her daughter. This is the point you miss Rags, because you fundementally are unable to try and place yourself in these situations. In this mothers shoes I have no doubt she would have personally taken this as insulting.

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I simply can't agree that going to the press is a good thing. For a start, it just comes across to me like the mother is boasting about being a fitness expert, and is just attention seeking. Secondly, it's just showing her daughter up even more.

Getting angry in front of the girl is the mother's own fault - she could have ignored the letter, or had a word with the school in private. If the girl opened the letter herself, that was her own fault as it wasn't addressed to her. However, schools should remember that pupils do often do that kind of thing.

Of course it is good to bring to the press as it brings it out into the public eye and gives it the attention needed if as seen something is fundementally wrong where in this case it is. A girl of that age, who is clearly not overweight should not be getting letters home claiming they are, only those clearly obese should. Its easier said than done not to be angry being as the mother is a fitness advisor and would have taken it personally as an insult to how she cares and looks after her daughter. This is the point you miss Rags, because you fundementally are unable to try and place yourself in these situations. In this mothers shoes I have no doubt she would have personally taken this as insulting.

I'm not sure that it is clear she's not overweight. In any case, being a bit overweight is how obesity starts - one doesn't go from a normal weight to obese overnight. The school is clearly trying to nip that kind of thing in the bud. Whether you think it's their business or not is another matter, and I don't have a problem with anyone telling the school to mind their own business.

However, going to the press is just the wrong thing to do IMO. It seems to be more about the mother's pride than anything else - ie, how dare they accuse a fitness expert of having an overweight daughter!

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


Of course it is good to bring to the press as it brings it out into the public eye and gives it the attention needed if as seen something is fundementally wrong where in this case it is. A girl of that age, who is clearly not overweight should not be getting letters home claiming they are, only those clearly obese should. Its easier said than done not to be angry being as the mother is a fitness advisor and would have taken it personally as an insult to how she cares and looks after her daughter. This is the point you miss Rags, because you fundementally are unable to try and place yourself in these situations. In this mothers shoes I have no doubt she would have personally taken this as insulting.

I'm not sure that it is clear she's not overweight. In any case, being a bit overweight is how obesity starts - one doesn't go from a normal weight to obese overnight. The school is clearly trying to nip that kind of thing in the bud. Whether you think it's their business or not is another matter, and I don't have a problem with anyone telling the school to mind their own business.

However, going to the press is just the wrong thing to do IMO. It seems to be more about the mother's pride than anything else - ie, how dare they accuse a fitness expert of having an overweight daughter!

For a girl of that age she is fundementally not overweight, espcially as Sassy pointed out she is still growing and as Eddie pointed out "A lot of pre-teen girls carry a little fat around this age due to puberty and menstruation starting."
There is nothing to nip anything in the bud with children of this age, as there is a vast difference to where kids are truely overweight to where this girl is of normal weight. It would be different if a child was actually obese, she is not obese. Again like the mother said and I can understand her anger, she no doubt goes out of her way that her family eats healthily. To then be told her child is overwight would have been insulting and even more when you see the picture. So she was quite right to go to the press the schools need to manage this better as they clearly need to take into consideration the mental health of the children in this

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I'm not sure that it is clear she's not overweight. In any case, being a bit overweight is how obesity starts - one doesn't go from a normal weight to obese overnight. The school is clearly trying to nip that kind of thing in the bud. Whether you think it's their business or not is another matter, and I don't have a problem with anyone telling the school to mind their own business.

However, going to the press is just the wrong thing to do IMO. It seems to be more about the mother's pride than anything else - ie, how dare they accuse a fitness expert of having an overweight daughter!

For a girl of that age she is fundementally not overweight, espcially as Sassy pointed out she is still growing and as Eddie pointed out "A lot of pre-teen girls carry a little fat around this age due to puberty and menstruation starting."
There is nothing to nip anything in the bud with children of this age, as there is a vast difference to where kids are truely overweight to where this girl is of normal weight. It would be different if a child was actually obese, she is not obese. Again like the mother said and I can understand her anger, she no doubt goes out of her way that her family eats healthily. To then be told her child is overwight would have been insulting and even more when you see the picture. So she was quite right to go to the press the schools need to manage this better as they clearly need to take into consideration the mental health of the children in this

So this is really about the mother being "insulted". Like I said, it's all about her isn't it? Going to the press because she's insulted is a bit daft IMO.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


For a girl of that age she is fundementally not overweight, espcially as Sassy pointed out she is still growing and as Eddie pointed out "A lot of pre-teen girls carry a little fat around this age due to puberty and menstruation starting."
There is nothing to nip anything in the bud with children of this age, as there is a vast difference to where kids are truely overweight to where this girl is of normal weight. It would be different if a child was actually obese, she is not obese. Again like the mother said and I can understand her anger, she no doubt goes out of her way that her family eats healthily. To then be told her child is overwight would have been insulting and even more when you see the picture. So she was quite right to go to the press the schools need to manage this better as they clearly need to take into consideration the mental health of the children in this

So this is really about the mother being "insulted". Like I said, it's all about her isn't it? Going to the press because she's insulted is a bit daft IMO.

No its about how it effected this young girl to the point she stopped eaating because she believed she was wrongly led to believe by the school she was fat

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

The point is that they didn't tell the girl that, they told the mother that, and now she's told everyone else.

Most mothers and daughters if they have a decent relationship would discuss what the school said and what they were going to do about it.

That wouldn't normally include running to the press though would it?

I certainly wouldn't as I think it'd embarress the child.

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

So this is really about the mother being "insulted". Like I said, it's all about her isn't it? Going to the press because she's insulted is a bit daft IMO.

No its about how it effected this young girl to the point she stopped eaating because she believed she was wrongly led to believe by the school she was fat

No it's not - that's just a front for the attention seeking.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


No its about how it effected this young girl to the point she stopped eaating because she believed she was wrongly led to believe by the school she was fat

No it's not - that's just a front for the attention seeking.

That is your opinion and I copmpletely disagree.
The mother has a valid clkaim here because for on the child is not overweight and second only if really obese should schools be sending home letters for children of that age

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

No it's not - that's just a front for the attention seeking.

That is your opinion and I copmpletely disagree.
The mother has a valid clkaim here because for on the child is not overweight and second only if really obese should schools be sending home letters for children of that age

Maybe you should write to David Cameron about it then.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


That is your opinion and I copmpletely disagree.
The mother has a valid clkaim here because for on the child is not overweight and second only if really obese should schools be sending home letters for children of that age

Maybe you should write to David Cameron about it then.

Maybe I will

the REAL point is that the BMI charts are a load of bollocks...and THAT fact has been endorsed by its inventor

they are in fact ONLY of any use IF applied to their ORIGINAL target group, which I beleive are the Finns,
they were designed to measyure on small specific group of people and have VERY limited application outside of that.

they Take NO note of either muscle OR bone density and thus require that anyone using them OUTSIDE of the original "target group" be an expert in their use AND that the user has expert knowlege of those two factors in any individual.

Lord Foul wrote:the REAL point is that the BMI charts are a load of bollocks...and THAT fact has been endorsed by its inventor

they are in fact ONLY of any use IF applied to their ORIGINAL target group, which I beleive are the Finns,
they were designed to measyure on small specific group of people and have VERY limited application outside of that.

they Take NO note of either muscle OR bone density and thus require that anyone using them OUTSIDE of the original "target group" be an expert in their use AND that the user has expert knowlege of those two factors in any individual.

When they first came in, one of the people I was dealing with was Geoff Capes.   You can imagine what he said about it lol

To be honest, nobody really needs a BMI chart to tell them if they're too fat or not. They don't even need scales or a tape measure.

and of course. a "little" extra weight, above the miserly "normal" set by these idiot charts, is actually good for you

especially if you are hit by illness....the reserve can make a big difference....

Lord Foul wrote:and of course. a "little" extra weight, above the miserly "normal" set by these idiot charts, is actually good for you

especially if you are hit by illness....the reserve can make a big difference....

Absolutely!  You live longer if you are slightly over and having a bit extra literally saved my life when I had a sickness bug they couldn't control.

It's not about weight it's about physical fitness and healthy eating combined with physical exercise.

Simple.

says mushroom woman

Lord Foul wrote:says mushroom woman

I'm very fit. I could kick your arse

eddie wrote:It's not about weight it's about physical fitness and healthy eating combined with physical exercise.

Simple.

If someone's eating healthily and doing exercise, they shouldn't be overweight though.

Raggamuffin wrote:

eddie wrote:It's not about weight it's about physical fitness and healthy eating combined with physical exercise.

Simple.

If someone's eating healthily and doing exercise, they shouldn't be overweight though.

It depends what "overweight" is? Everyone is different and built differently.

eddie wrote:

Lord Foul wrote:says mushroom woman

I'm very fit. I could kick your arse

oooooo...is that a promise

eddie wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

If someone's eating healthily and doing exercise, they shouldn't be overweight though.

It depends what "overweight" is? Everyone is different and built differently.

That's why the BMI ranges are so wide. According to the chart, my normal weight is between 7 stone 13 and 10 stone 9. That's a huge range, so if someone of my height can't keep within it, they should stop eating so many pies.

oi shorty....

my BMI chart says I'm underheight.....

Lord Foul wrote:my BMI chart says I'm underheight.....

Me too!  lol  and as it's saved my bacon I'm not complaining, neither is my doctor.