Parents need to do more about kids’ weight

‘VANITY sizing’ of school uniforms does nothing to address the problem of childhood obesity. Only parents can do that, writes Lanai Scarr.

I WAS “fat” in school.

Not obese, but definitely “overweight” on the BMI scale.

I hated my school uniform and never felt like I looked as good as all the “skinny girls”.

The uniform shop was never a positive experience but I tried to block out the size I didn’t want to see.

Particularly in high school, I was living in foster homes and my clothing size was the least of my worries in basically raising myself.

There were girls larger than me at our school and I’m sure they felt equally awkward in the uniform shop.

I’m positive, however, there were no girls who required a size 34 blouse.

The concept of a 7XL school uniform was not even on the radar.

Our report today on school uniform sizing — revealing that school uniforms are getting bigger, but are often “rebadged” to spare children’s feelings — is not an attempt to “fat shame” children or make them feel bad about their size.

Lanai Scarr at her Year 10 formal. (Pic: supplied)

Not every child or every person should aspire to be a “perfect” size 10.

In fact, children shouldn’t be worrying about their weight in an attempt to fit to a social norm. Kids shouldn’t develop eating disorders because they don’t feel good enough or fit into a certain size.

They should not be crying in a uniform shop changeroom thinking the size on their clothing is reflective of their self-worth.

They should be thinking about being healthy and how to make their body run faster, jump higher or achieve its best.

Our report today is a wakeup call that highlights the underlying problem of childhood obesity.

We should not manipulate uniform sizing to mask the problem.

As a mum of four I know one of the most important gifts I can give my kids is good health and nutrition.

Parents need to know if their child is a size 18. They need to have it in their face at the uniform shop so they are kicked into action.

Children are not to blame for their expanding waistlines. For the most part, parents are.

I get it, it’s tough being a parent. It’s exhausting and sometimes it’s easier to grab takeaway than to whip up a kale and quinoa salad. That’s OK occasionally, but not every night.

There are exceptions of course; some children have medical problems. Some single parents don’t have full control over their children’s diet due to shared custody.

Some families are struggling to make ends meet and unhealthy processed food often costs less than healthier options.

But these are all problems that as a society we need to address.
We need to teach our children that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and to be comfortable in their skin — but to also aim for healthy bodies.

We need to stop masking the problem and simply accepting overweight as the norm.

Lanai Scarr this month pictured with her two-year-old daughter Edith. Picture: supplied

We need to make healthy foods cheaper than unhealthy options.

We need to model the food habits we want our children to adopt.

More than one in four Australian children is obese or overweight. Even our youngest children are obese in numbers not seen two decades ago.

The proportion of very obese children has ballooned from decades ago and adolescents in particular are getting fatter.

Children are developing adult health issues linked to obesity that were not seen decades ago.

This is not good enough and we need to make a change.

It will mean tough conversations. It will mean hard changes but if it gives your child a better life isn’t it worth it?

Lanai Scarr is a senior News Corp reporter.

@pollietracker

Originally published as Parents need to do more about kids’ weight