This NBC "revelation" reveals something we've known for decades--fatter children, especially girls, hit puberty early. These stories that purport to bring us new info drive me crazy. This was considered common knowledge when I was getting my undergrad in Sport Science at the University of Idaho: More body fat = more estrogen = faster onset of puberty.
Very simply, if you allow your daughter to get fat, she will not only grow up believing it's a suitable way to exist, she'll have a higher risk of everything bad. Diabetes, heart disease, asthma, every cancer known to man, etc. Further, you're denying her the pleasure of competing in sports, overcoming physical challenges, and learning self discipline.
Bottom line: if you let your kids get fat, you're dooming them to all sorts of problems they shouldn't have to deal with. Be a real parent, not an emotional wimp, and make your kids do things that your grandmother made your mom do: eat their veggies, turn off the TV, get to bed on time, and go do some physically-challenging chores. And as for you? Drop and give me 30.
2 comments: