Grizzly & Does this Make You Really Angry too?

40 miles so far for the week (hopefully I’ll get in another 10 today) which means my goal to hit 80 this week is very likely!  The mileage will drop down after this week so this will be my last high high mileage week of this training cycle.

Trail running is hard and then we added another level of hardness by doing it when it was completely dark outside for 74% of the run.  I almost fell 6 times even though I had my headlamp on.

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My legs and body were pretty tired from the previous day’s workout so each mile was earned yesterday big time.  Our coach sent us out to run a trail with a section called Grizzly which I had never done before.

Ignorance is bliss.

See about 23 minutes into the run?  We climbed 380 ft in .37 miles right there.  I definitely took a hiking break but the goal is to get up it as fast as you can.

My goal for next week = get up Grizzly without stopping to hike.  My legs hurt during that climb in a way that I’ve never experienced before ha.

Hills (ehhh mountains;) are speedwork in disguise.

Luckily, it was dark during Grizzly so I couldn’t see the top from the bottom and how high up we were about to go.

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Finished with 12.09 miles and 1215 ft of climbing.

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My running partner hooked me up again with more garden tomatoes.  I added them to red onions, corn, avocado and salt and then I put it on top of the recipe I put in this post (a cheese/rice/bean/chicken dish) and it was heavenly.

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The afternoon was full of soccer games and practices.

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Luckily Skye is a fan of them because she is spending a lot of time at the fields.

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Making a big batch of Turkey Trot Meatballs from this cookbook is always a good idea.  We got home from the game and heated them up and made some pasta really quick for a fast and easy dinner.

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Say hello to the two newest members of the chess club at school:)

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Found this in Brooke’s backpack and it made my day.

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And the other thing that made my day… a new weighted blanket.  My last one suddenly came apart in a bunch of areas and there were beads EVERYWHERE.  I’ll let you know my thoughts on my new one after about 50 hours of sleeping under it.  I am a weighted blanket addict.

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Onto a completely different topic than normal…  It has been on my mind a lot and I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

Have you seen the new thing from Weight Watchers?  It’s a weight loss app for kids.  When I first saw a headline about it I thought it was a weird joke, I thought that there was absolutely no chance on the planet that this would ever be created.  It makes me so sad to think that children are being targeted and told they need to diet and become fixated on every little thing they eat.

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You can sign a petition here to help end this app!  This is just so so sad.  I struggled with body image enough as a teenager, I can’t even imagine what this app would have done to me!  #ChildrenNeedLoveNotDiets

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Have you heard about the Kurbo app?  What are your thoughts?

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60 comments

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So fun that Brooke and Knox will be playing chess! Do you know how to play? I don’t and the thought of it overwhelms me :)

Great job on your runs. And beautiful pictures. Skye’s laughter made me smile =)

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I’ve never heard of kurbo! Maybe it’s just in the US for now? As a doctor – childrens obesity is such a sensitive and difficult topic, and needs to be approached with great care and love, and not sure an app is the best way to do that – definitely potential for it to be used inappropriately and hurt some beautiful kids / teens in the process. Not sure what the right answer is!! Super complicated issue. On another note – I hurt my heel in June doing a step aerobics class (of course I took it on a random whim and it’s not something I usually do) – so I haven’t been able to run for almost 3 months! I’m doing physical therapy and seeing a chiropodist next week, but it’s so frustrating :( i know you understand !! I think it’s a lesson from the universe for me though, cause I was really focusing on the negatives of running before I got hurt and now I can’t wait to get back out there and appreciate it again. I will get back out there eventually …. right?

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I’m a dietitian at a hospital. I called our marketing department so fast to pitch a media story about this!
Please tell me how this is different than the tobacco industry targeting kids years ago. And this isn’t about health. It’s about making lifelong dieters starting at a younger age.
Eating disorders are the number one cause of death of all mental illnesses.
Hard pass on this app.

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Do you find that the weighted blanket sleeps hot? I already get overheated easily at night, so I’m worried one of those blankets would make it worse.

And I have no (pleasant) words about the WW app for CHILDREN.

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HEY!! So my last one didn’t that much at all (it’s the one from Bed, Bath and Beyond by Sharper Image) and even Andrew agreed with me on that and he gets overheated easily too BUT the seems did start to break apart after about a year. The one I have now does seem to keep me warmer than a normal blanket! Have a wonderful day LC!

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This app is very sad. I’m 100% about promoting healthy eating and balance (definitely balance! depriving kids of treats will only create an unhealthy relationship with them IMO) to kids but this is crossing a big line. If a kid is in danger because of their weight they should have professionals helping them who know how to do it without creating life long issues, not an app like this. I will gladly sign that petition!
On a different note–I switched from humidity and heat last week to altitude (similar to Utah’s altitude) and WOW. I had the same feelings you did about the humidity! All of the sudden my paces were SO hard!!! :) It was a really fun change though and boy, do I miss the hills I got to run.

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That app is horrifying.

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I am not a proponent of food or calorie tracking for kids and also agree with the other commentor that this is a huge marketing ploy for weight watchers. However, childhood obesity is a terrible problem in our country and I work with those kids on a regular basis. Kids are need to taught how to make good food choices and the importance of movement to keep a healthy heart and strong body Well into old age.

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I did weight watchers in high school and it taught me a lot about food nutrition, calories and macros, density of food, how to eat in moderation without depriving myself etc. I understand peoples feelings, but the program was not all about “dieting”, disordered eating and/or limiting any foods. The groups are very supportive and provide great ideas.

There’s probably a lot of improvement needed in the app, i.e. not red/green/yellow, but there are a lot of kids out there who are medically overweight and/or obese and don’t have the benefits we have to understand food as fuel and how best to think about food in a positive light.

Jamie Oliver had a great show where he went to a high school and talked to kids about food and how to make healthier choices. The kids didn’t know what a tomato was or where milk came from. It’s a good watch and enlightening to understand that we have a lot of knowledge that we take for granted.

Not saying its a good app, but just wanted to put this in perspective.

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As an overweight child, I wish I had had access to tools that taught me how to eat well since my family was not able to provide that. I eventually lost the weight on my own in my 20’s once I was living on my own and able to learn about the health benefits of food and cook for myself.

It was miserable growing up overweight – I dreaded PE class and any other sort of physical activity because I simply could not keep up. However, I was MORTIFIED whenever anyone brought up the topic of my weight, including my parents. I can definitely see the downsides to an app of this sort, but I think I for one could have probably benefitted from something that I could do on my own, and from what I’ve heard Weight Watchers does a good job of encouraging a balanced diet and not really labeling any food as totally off limits. Perhaps it could give some kids the tools they need to reshape their eating habits and learn to be healthy rather than overeating (which is also disordered eating).

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I hadn’t heard of this app, but it sounds perfect for my morbidly obese 11 yr old half brother back east, and I’m going to suggest it. My family, sadly, is poor and does NOT have meant resources to help the situation. I can totally see this being helpful. He absolutely needs to learn that some foods are NOT healthy, and portion control. He is 210 lbs at 11 years old- it’s an awful situation in so many respects but I see this as something to help empower him to make good choices (which he just struggles to understand).

I see how this would be detrimental for kids without severe weight problems- but I think it’s hard to understand the struggles of morbidly obese children and their families. There are myriad issues that contribute to the sad situation of course… My brother is followed at a weight clinic at a children’s hospital back in West Virginia, but he needs tools to succeed at home.

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Oh Erin. This is all so incredibly hard! And I absolutely do not understand the struggle and I hate that this is the situation for him and so many other people! I bet you just feel helpless and would give anything to help him to be healthier and so really my opinion can be SO far off from the truth in situation that I do not understand. I guess for me it all just goes back to this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. It talks about obesity prevention and treatment for teenagers. There is a section on dieting which talks about studies that have shown that dieting actually leads to weight gain and other problems long term. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/3/e20161649 .
BUT I can see how if this app is able to help him focus on developing a healthy lifestyle vs dieting/weight loss than that is a whole different subject. My eyes just view this app as a way for WW to make money off of putting a child on a diet that is disguised in a red light/green light scenario and that is where I worry because diets have been proven to not work for any weight group. Really I just wish there was a way to provide more education in the school, mental health programs for all ages (I worry that food is just the numbing tool to bigger problems that need to be helped for so many people) and more programs to help children be active. THANK YOU for helping me to see from a different side and I really hope you can keep me updated on how you and him are doing. Have a wonderful day!

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I read an article about this a couple weeks ago and it made me FURIOUS! There is definitely a better way to teach children about nutrition and an app just seems too reckless. It isn’t teaching them anything but to judge themselves, compare themselves to their peers (like they need help with that!) and to follow numbers rather than their well being and other health factors.
I really wish schools and parents pushed for more recess, more PE, more school/community sports as well as better nutrition AND mental health for healthy & positive changes.
Have a great day!

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As someone who was very overweight as a child, I feel like I have enough trauma from that already, and an app like this would have only made things 1,000 times worse. I feel sick that weight watchers felt the need to make this.

Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com

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I agree! I was told I needed to lose weight in about 3rd or 4th grade. That lead to YEARS of horrible body image and anorexic / bulimic behaviors. To this day, I don’t have a healthy relationship with my body or food. An app (had apps been a thing when I was a kid in the 90s) like this would have just added to my already disordered behaviors. I know kids need to get healthy but there has to be a better way.

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I agree that the subject of weight loss for kids is sensitive and complicated. There are a lot of factors involved, especially socioeconomic ones that make it even more complex.
What I do believe is that kids need support directly from their parents, and in this subject the parents need to be educated in health and balance in order to pass those values along to their children. I don’t know what resources are available for families to learn together how to find a healthy lifestyle that is best for them, but I would think that would be the best route. Maybe if people needing to learn more about healthy eating hear about this app it will prompt them to educate themselves and learn about how they can incorporate better health…. but maybe not through the app specifically.

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I did Weight Watchers about 20 years ago (in my mid 30s) and really loved the program. After gaining some weight due to inactivity after my sprained ankle, I tried it again. I actually found it to be so confusing! Their latest program has a ton of “free” or zero point foods. So many, in fact, that it just didn’t make sense. I kind of see where they are going – basically unprocessed foods are zero (eggs, chicken, plain Greek yogurt) while processed foods have really high points (flavored Greek yogurt with the same calories as plain was 3 or 4 points.) I can’t imagine a child being able to make sense of that. The red, yellow and green foods are a terrible idea. No 8 year old should feel guilty about what they’re eating.

It’s very disappointing that a company that has been around for over 50 years has decided to go this direction. Unfortunately, the idea of building a customer base isn’t surprising. As a member, as soon as I reached my goal weight the support and encouragement greatly decreased because I no longer had to pay to attend meetings. You’d think they’d be happy to have people remain successful, but I did not find that to be the case.

In a day when people are lonelier than ever, children don’t need another app! They need to have fun and be active. Growing bodies change so much and by restricting calories those bodies may not get the nutrients they need to grow properly.

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“Growing bodies change so much and by restricting calories those bodies may not get the nutrients they need to grow properly.” YESSSS !!! That is VERY interesting about your experience about the decrease in support/encouragement. Like any company, I feel like money is very important so I can see how they see this chance as a way to bring in more numbers and longer costumers. I hope you have the most beautiful day and I fully agree with what you are saying about the red/green/yellow foods!

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What target age range is this app for? Are we talking like 8-12 year olds?? If so, that’s not good. I feel there is such mixed messaging about this stuff though. Honestly when I was 14-15 and started to become aware I ‘needed’ to lose extra weight and get in shape, it was all the magazines – SHAPE, Fitness, Women’s Health mag, etc. with their “1500-calorie a day diets” and “what celebrities eat” and their thin, uber-pretty models on the front that (helped to) sent me down an unhealthy path.

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On the app is says 4+. Scary stuff. I’m right there with you on those magazines really messing up my brain and opening up the diet culture to me. I am so so sorry about what you’ve been through. I kind of want to take my family to a little deserted island to live so they aren’t thrown all of these messages!

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So as someone who struggled with their weight growing up and continues to struggle today with it I can honestly say this might have helped me. My family had no idea how to help me. They thought tough love was the answer. Even my doctors never really helped me. I remember being told one time that my blood pressure was up but they gave me no idea on how to get it back to normal levels. I think something like this could actually be beneficial. I mean how is it set up? Does it promote a healthy lifestyle or is it focused on losing weight? There’s a difference. Childhood obesity is a taboo topic that no one wants to talk about but something like this might just give parents and families a way to help. Not to mention a lot of adults are overweight so if they don’t have it figured out what makes you think they’re going to set a good example for their kids?

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Thank you so much Katherine for sharing your story. Tough love… that breaks my heart. I wish that you were able to grow up with people in your corner on all of this! Personally I see it as set up to lose weight and if a healthier lifestyle is a result then great but the rewards come with the weight loss and before and after pictures. Over and over again diets are proven to not work and I just worry that this green light food (good) and red light food (bad) thing is going to set up a lifelong struggle for many kids. I think this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics explains why dieting actually leads to obesity and how to fight childhood obesity. I think if WW was truly interested in helping child obesity they would plug into the suggestions in that article that I am linking or help fund more nutrition education or programs to get children moving. I keep reading over and over again how dieting (caloric restriction with the goal of weight loss) does not work long term and sets kids up for more problems with obesity or eating disorders so I can only see them doing this as a way to make money. I agree, it really is such a taboo topic and very sensitive. I hope you have a beautiful day and thank you so much for sharing!!!

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/3/e20161649

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I heard of the app and I was furious. This is aimed at little girls, who tend to grow out (“become chubby”) before they grow up (get taller). That’s how I knew that my baby girl was getting ready to go through a growth spurt. She would suddenly become a bottomless pit and gain some weight and within a few months, she’d sprout up and be her normal self again. A few people made comments, but I set them straight real quick. In my home, we do not place value on what a person weighs or how they look naturally. This app is a horrible thing I was horrified and appalled by it. There are children who are unhealthy in their weight. This is not the answer. If you are feeding your child nourishing food (allowing for treats too, because otherwise life is miserable), and encouraging healthy modes of activity, your child will be fine, barring any medical problems.
I still struggle with body image issues and I refuse to allow anyone do that to my child. It makes me so sad to imagine that a parent would allow an app to dictate what to feed your child. That should be something you discuss with a medical professional if you’re that concerned.

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I just have to tell you that I agree with what you said and your little girl is the luckiest to have you! Way to go at stopping any comments being made and setting them straight. You are awesome Stephanie!

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Ugh. I was just talking to a coworker yesterday about billboards. Everywhere in the city they have billboards for plastic surgery and photos of women who have no doubt been photoshopped. It infuriates me with my 2 impressionable girls in the car. Or magazines in the grocery store. But then in the morning I got caught driving behind a cool sculpting van on the way to school. I couldn’t get around it so then on the whole drive to school we’re looking at a bus advertising to look a certain way or “get the body you’ve always wanted” Like what?!?! It is so so sad that these young girls and boys are being told they have to look a certain way. I’m with you and signing this right now.

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Melodie, can I just call you up on the phone right now and have an hour long talk about this? We have those billboards EVERYWHERE and they drive me crazy. They make me not want to take my kids on the freeway now that they can read. I found a grocery store that doesn’t have ANY magazines so while the drive is longer and the prices are more expensive, I’m very lucky that we can avoid those unreal headlines and photoshopped images as we are waiting in line. I am so sorry about the van you guys had to follow. It’s unreal what the messages the media tries to send us. Your girls are the luckiest to have you and the amazing example you are. You are raising wonderful girls and setting them up for success.

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I agree that this may not be the BEST way to educate kids/teens on eating healthy, but we DO need to have better education on healthy eating for kids. I mean, this world is going crazy for and with consuming Fast food (Popeye’s held up at gunshot for a friend chicken sandwich?!) Media needs to stop allowing SOO many ads for fast food/processed food and the government and FDA need to spend more $$ on ads teaching kids the importance of healthy nutrition and WHY.
Schools should teach nutrition in 5th grade across america.

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I love your ideas on how to help with this problem Tara. Your ideas do not include anything related to dieting like this app is teaching kids to do… dieting just leads to lifelong mental and physical problems because dieting just doesn’t work.

PS I didn’t hear about that Popeye’s situation, that is beyond terrible.

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I’ve never heard of this app, and my first reaction reading about it was to be infuriated. I was overweight growing up (not morbidly so), but my pediatrician mentioned something to my parents and they put me on a diet at 11 years old and I’ve had eating struggles ever since then (I’m 37 now). They are improving as I work so hard to accept myself for who I am. But, the experience at 11 translated in my pre-teen brain to me never being worth it or good enough because I was “fat” (and looking back I was just a little chubby) but it led to binge eating through the rest of my teens and most of my twenties. It led me to unhealthy relationships because I always thought I was fat and not good enough. (I feel like I should say I’ve made a lot of progress and don’t feel this way any more, even if it is still a struggle) It’s a slippery slope for sure. And after reading some comments above where people said they think the app would have helped them as a kid, I definitely became less infuriated.

It seems like this, as with most things, can be helpful or harmful and it’s all about the kids involved, their parents and their situation. For some it might be helpful, for others harmful. But I think labeling any food as “bad” is a terrible idea for any kid. Isn’t it better to teach moderation and about different nutritious foods?

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Jen, my heart is broken for you and what you have been through since you were put on a diet. I am so happy you are working so hard at overcoming this but goodness gracious you should not have been put on a diet. I think a big percentage of humans would have gone down that same slippery slope that you did if given that situation. I agree, moderation is key in this and dieting has been proven over and over again to not work…. so I see this as just a way for them to get money and hook people young into the dieting industry $$$. Thank you for sharing your story and you are amazing.

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Oof. I had read about that app and while I understand it was created with good intentions, I don’t think it’s a positive way to teach children about food and health. There are SO many purposes for food and eating (family, togetherness, culture, fuel, etc.), and something like this makes food just look like calories. I am all for teaching kids to be healthy and build healthy habits, but there are better ways to do it.

That’s great about chess! SUCH a fun game and really makes you use your brain differently.

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Yes, I was so excited that they wanted to do it… always looking for new ways for them to be using their brains in different ways. I totally agree with you about the many purposes of food! Now we just need to find ways as a country to teach kids healthy habits without damaging them and leading them to eating disorders or overeating by what dieting does to people! Hope you have a great day!

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WHOA! The stoplight approach can be so damaging–my kids’ elementary school used to use a behavior stoplight system, but the kids quickly started internalizing the yellow and red as “being bad kids,” and it definitely didn’t help their self esteem or (as a result) their behavior. So…to do this to food, which is necessary to nourish their growth??? Horrendous idea! Yes, I’m going to help make it stop.

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Thanks so much Corey for helping to make it stop! That is so sad about the effects of the stoplight system at your school. So glad they changed it and I can TOTALLY see me feeling/thinking the same way as a kid on that system!

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Hi Janae! I’m a pediatrician in Boston (we met during your meet up last year:)) and I am so glad you brought awareness to the WW kids app. It is so damaging to have children focusing on losing weight and strictly categorizing foods instead of learning how certain foods and activities make them feel. I make a big point of never discussing a child’s weight with them or their parents (unless medically necessary or sudden big changes) because I think it’s so much more important to focus on healthy behaviors with every patient regardless of what the growth chart says. Have a great week!

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HELLO FRIEND!! I honestly was trying to find your email to talk to you about this because I remembered that you were a pediatrician and I wanted your opinion. Your patients are all so lucky to work with you and if you are ever in Utah, you better let me know and hopefully I am in Boston again soon:) . Enjoy your day!

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PLEASE let us know about your new weighted blanket. A lot of my seams have fallen apart. I desperately need a new one.

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AHHHH I totally will and I know that frustration! So far so good… really hoping the seams hold up on this one! Hope you are having a great day!

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I agree that we need to be so careful about the message we are sending our children around food and how we see our bodies. I was also overweight as a child and was not hearing the best messages from my family about weight and food. I could have used a much more nurturing environment around that issue. However, I think we need to be so careful about the assumptions we come at this with. When we say that children need to be taught healthy ways of interacting with food, sometimes we are coming at that from a certain socioeconomic and educational perspective. I know of many children who live on a steady diet of sugar and salt. I worked in a school where kids would come to school and a bottle of Pepsi and a chocolate bar was their breakfast. Many of these parents do not have the knowledge, education, or access to resources and are part of heartbreaking intergenerational trauma. They won’t be teaching their kids about nutrition and they won’t be taking their children to a nutritionist or counselor. The kids are fending for themselves and eating what they are given or what they can buy at the store. So while this app may not be the best approach, for many children it is a good start in terms of learning about taking care of themselves by choosing foods that will help them grow and not be malnourished. I know not everyone will agree with me, but these are the children I know and we need to keep in mind that not all are as fortunate in life as ours.

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Absolutely Daphne. And I just wish there was something we could come up with to meet the needs of all of these children. I so wish that you didn’t grow up in the situation you did when it came to weight and food. That must have been so hard.
Their situations are heartbreaking and I am definitely coming from a different side of the spectrum growing up with parents that cooked my meals and gave me plenty of healthy options. I also had many students that came to school with a can of soda and a snickers. It’s so hard to see. My question about this (because I really fall into the problem of seeing things only from my perspective… definitely wanting to learn how to open my eyes more) is that if they are learning through this app about what foods are healthier for them… how will they get them? Those options are much more expensive and harder to get than the soda and candy bar and without the parents to help get them or to help with cooking and preparing meals, I still don’t see this app helping this group either… especially because it is $70 a month to get the full program. I just worry that it is the wrong education too because dieting has been proven to lead towards ED and obesity. Anyways… THANK YOU for helping me think of a completely different side of this problem and I hope we can help somehow soon.

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I hope my comment didn’t come across as judgy – I definitely need to remember all sides of an issue too because I can get very passionate about my side too! And I fully agree – we need better solutions. Sigh. Sometimes it just feels so overwhelming when it comes to nurturing the children not only in our own families, but in the places and spaces we live, work, etc. Your children are so very blessed to have a mom who really thinks about these things and gives them such a good picture of what healthy looks like. Thank you for challenging and setting that example for us!

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Oh my goodness it didn’t seem judgy at all!! I hope I didn’t come across like that. Seriously, I am feeling that overwhelming feeling too when I think about this. I guess the best we can do each day is encourage and love those around us and YOU are rocking that. Thank you SO MUCH Daphne and I hope you have a beautiful evening!!!

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I’ve been thinking about pulling the trigger on weighted blanket purchase for aWHILE now. Anxious to hear your thoughts on the new one. Also I NEED Skye’s shirt for my little girl. Ladybugs are my thing, big time! Please tell me where you got it.

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Hey Jessie! I will definitely let you know after I test it out for a bit longer. I sleep SO much better with a weighted blanket. The shirt is from Zara! I’m not seeing it online anymore but hopefully the stores have them. If I find any other ladybug clothing I’ll let you know!

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Awesome, thank you for getting back to me so quickly!

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Okay, so I was a little worried with the title of your post – I thought you had seen a Grizzly on your run! But wow, that is a beast of an incline!

Kids and weight is such a delicate subject – My daughter is the height and weight I was when I met my husband (and gained a ton of weight which I still carry to this day) and she just turned 13 (and I should say that her weight is fine!) but her eating habits are horrible. She refuses to eat fruits and vegetables and I refuse to make it a battle. Every year in Health they do a unit on healthy eating and have to track what they eat for a week and she said it is mind opening, but it doesn’t change anything. But she doesn’t need to lose weight.

But she has a friend who has a serious weight problem and I feel horrible for her, but when is over at our house she is constantly asking for me to take her out for fast food (which I don’t do – take out is not in our $ budget or calorie budget) and then she convinces my daughter to make tons of junk food (and according to my daughter she eats like this at both her homes so it isn’t like she is asking for it because she isn’t getting it at home). I worry about her, her health and her being teased at school – kids are so cruel. So I don’t know what the right answer is. I don’t want my 13 year old dieting. We’ve talked a lot of body type and she will never being to do the gross “thigh gap” because of her fantastic athletic build. But what do we do about her poor 13 year old friend who just keeps gaining and gaining? They are taught everything in health. Every.single.year. And I am all for kids being kids in moderation and getting their crappy Starbucks drinks a couple of times a month or being able to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one sitting. But to say nothing, do nothing, for those kids that are already in real trouble, it is a very delicate situation.

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Hahaha I’m very glad I didn’t see a Grizzly!! Thank you so much for sharing your story with me. You are absolutely amazing. That is such a tough situation… and delicate is the perfect word for it too. My favorite article that might help in some way with this discussion is here from the AAP: Evidence-Based Management Strategies Associated With Both Obesity and EDs in Teenagers . https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/3/e20161649
In regards to this friend of your daughter’s… I feel like food problems are really just a coverup for something MUCH deeper going on in the inside. Food can be a numbing tool to help us not think about the really hard things going on. These children need love, they need to feel like they are good enough and that their worth has nothing to do with anything relating to the way they look. You are doing an amazing job having a loving environment with her in your home. One of the things that really stuck out to me in that article I sent you is the importance of family meals together. Is she not getting that at her home? I wonder if she could come to more of your meals etc. Long story short, I feel sick because I don’t have the answers on the right way to do this all. Listen to your heart and please keep me updated with how everyone is doing!

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Just to play devil’s advocate, we do have an obesity problem with our children in this country. Now, I like to think that weight watchers was trying to help that problem or something but it just comes across as bad (I try to attribute bad decisions, such as this, to stupidity and not malice). I do personally highly doubt it is them trying to help the epidemic, since they are in the business of making money (and I haven’t even checked out the app yet so I can’t judge it). But! Maybe it’s them trying to help the obesity problem, who knows.
Now I totally get that healthy weight children could use this and take it to the extreme and that’s why as parents we need to be careful with this stuff and fully research it and help our children make the right eating habits (preferably not with a diet app).

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Totally… and I need to hear all of the different sides to this discussion because I DEFINITELY tend to have tunnel vision with things (it drives Andrew crazy ha). I guess in my brain it just all comes down to the fact that dieting doesn’t work… for overweight, healthy or underweight people. I keep linking to this article from the AAP because it is my favorite (sorry… haha) but I think this is why I feel so strongly against the use of dieting apps for any child of any weight:

Dieting, defined as caloric restriction with the goal of weight loss, is a risk factor for both obesity and EDs. In a large prospective cohort study in 9- to 14-year-olds (N = 16 882) followed for 2 years, dieting was associated with greater weight gain and increased rates of binge eating in both boys and girls.36 Similarly, in a prospective observational study in 2516 adolescents enrolled in Project Eating Among Teens (Project EAT) followed for 5 years, dieting behaviors were associated with a twofold increased risk of becoming overweight and a 1.5-fold increased risk of binge eating at 5-year follow-up after adjusting for weight status at baseline.37 Stice et al38 showed that girls without obesity who dieted in the ninth grade were 3 times more likely to be overweight in the 12th grade compared with nondieters. These findings and others36,38,39 suggest that dieting is counterproductive to weight-management efforts. Dieting also can predispose to EDs. In a large prospective cohort study in students 14 to 15 years of age followed for 3 years, dieting was the most important predictor of a developing ED. Students who severely restricted their energy intake and skipped meals were 18 times more likely to develop an ED than those who did not diet; those who dieted at a moderate level had a fivefold increased risk.40

I am wrong with pretty much 99.9% of things I say or do in life ha but I just wanted to share why in my brain I believe that this isn’t just a worry for healthy weight children to get into but for every weight. Have a beautiful day Jesse!

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Janae, You are definitely not wrong 99.9% of the time. Give yourself some credit :)

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Oh please, you’re far from 99.9% wrong.
And this is an interesting study, thank you for pointing it out.
Near the end it says, “Discourage dieting, skipping of meals, or the use of diet pills; instead, encourage and support the implementation of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors that can be maintained on an ongoing basis. The focus should be on healthy living and healthy habits rather than on weight.”
Now their definition of dieting is, “Dieting, defined as caloric restriction with the goal of weight loss.”

Now, maybe it’s semantics but eating healthier, generally, restricts your caloric intake. Though I do wish a cheeseburger had fewer calories than a salad haha. But that isn’t important.

But from what I gather with the app, it doesn’t restrict food right? You can eat any food, it just promotes eating healthier food. Essentially what this study is saying as well at the end. I know weight watchers in the past and its marketing has always been about losing weight, but if the app is designed to help promote healthy eating habits. I don’t see how it’s different than what this study states you should do. Who knows, I may be reading this way wrong though. And, like I said, I haven’t played around with the app yet so….

OK, I thought about this for too much today, I need to get work done now!

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Unpopular opinion here — I am recovered from anorexia (childhood through age 32), so I completely understand the concerns raised about the app. However, not every child is susceptible to an eating disorder. And childhood obesity, is a problem in and of itself. Some kids really would benefit from nutrition counseling in how to maintain a healthy weight, and an app is something a kid might actually respond to. The app “allows” ALL food, but gives suggestions on how to fit different foods into a healthy diet. I’d have a huge problem with it if it limited or eliminated certain food groups, but it doesn’t.
When I was relearning how to eat properly, I was instructed in a similar way — everything in moderation. No food is off limits, but certain foods should be chosen more frequently than others.
I also like the idea that the child works with actual people. I’d like it more if these “coaches” were dieticians, nurses, etc, but hopefully they receive training that would alert them to warning signals if a patient seems like his/her food choices are disordered in some way.
That being said, all sorts of things can “trigger” eating disorders in people. I still to this day think of the health teacher in junior high who scolded me for eating “candy for breakfast” when I recorded in my little nutrition journal that I had French toast one Sunday morning. Everything won’t be a good fit for everyone.
Anyway, just my opinion on the subject. Have a great day, Janae. And rest those legs, girl! (my little guy says “hi” back to his buddy Skye)

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I unfortunately have struggled with disordered eating for years and I did not have a weight problem as a child BUT even without these apps, etc. I still developed my eating disorder. Janae, you didn’t have these apps either and you struggled with disordered eating AND exercise addiction and HONESTLY based on how much you are running these days I still wonder if there is some exercise addiction still there because it really seems like you STRUGGLE with the days that you don’t run or workout. Also, I do not think that everyone that uses an app even children will develop an eating disorder … I think disordered eating is linked to mental health and predisposition more than anything so I think bashing Weight Watcher is NOT a good idea. Just my two cents.

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I’m very confused where you are getting the idea that I struggle the days that I don’t run? The truth is I fully embrace my rest days and I’m very happy on rest days. At the level I am at with my running/competing, this many miles is part of the game. I think it is important to not point fingers and ‘guess’ situations like this. I fully agree that I developed an eating disorder without this app… but my eating disorder started with a diet and an app designed to train children and teens to diet (although their marketing really has done a great job to disguise what they are doing to call it health & wellness). I think this would be a fabulous place to read more (click on the links also in the article) to understand this app and the connection of dieting to not only eating disorders but also weight gain. The apps focus is weight loss and that is just not okay. https://eatwithknowledge.com/no-child-ever-diet/ . I hope you are doing well and that you have a great night! Thank you for reading my opinion and I appreciate your opinion too.

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Humm. This is a heavy topic. First and foremost, parents are responsible for all that the kids eat. Especially at a young age, it is their responsibility to educate the child, explain why it’s important to choose health options, limit sugar, and provide them with foods that have the best nutrients possible. It’s weird to read that “my kid won’t eat this and that”. In the home I grew up in, we ate what were given. My parents would never negotiate what we could eat.

It’s also crucial for parents to make their kids move. Kids aren’t moving enough, and most are stuck sitting around looking at their screens. I work closely with the education system and my primary job is working for the park and rec. You should see what parents provide kids with for each snack/meal. On top of that, our youth aren’t moving.

Weight watchers sounds OKAY because it’s helping people realize their food consumption. It’s allowing them to see the value of each thing that they put in their mouth. The issue is, it’s not educating them for anything long term. It’s not correcting a poor relationship with food. It’s not providing them with the education they need to not eventually need to track foods that they consume. We have weight watchers meetings at my center, and all I see is people providing processed foods/snacks to people who can’t make proper decisions for themselves. The ones running the meetings are people who use their insecurities to drive a purpose. They don’t have the knowledge themselves to break away from a food addiction and learn how to eat whole natural foods, MOVE MORE, sleep well, and drink a ton of water.

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I don’t support the app. I realize there are two sides to everything, and this will probably help a few kids, but it will harm many more, and the kids who were helped by it could be helped by something else, too, like more nutrition classes.

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Try the Magic Weighted Blanket. They are the absolute best. You can choose different fabrics and weights. I have had one for several years. Very high quality. Lifetime warranty and made in the USA. magicweightedblanket.com
I highly recommend these!

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I do not see ANYONE (except the CEO and shareholders of Weight Watchers) actually benefiting from this app. It seems to me that unhealthy food choices come from two places: 1. An unhealthy RELATIONSHIP with food (perfectionism/control issues that lead to EDs, or using food to numb or comfort), or 2. A lack of knowledge about proper nutrition. The first group will be devastated by an app like this, and the second group, if they are children, will not benefit from the KNOWLEDGE if they don’t have the ACCESS-they’re not the ones buying and paying for the food or planning family meals. For a kid that’s knowledge without the genuine ability to follow through on it. So really who would benefit from this tool?

Okay on a lighter note, I WANT that jumper for my next beach vacation.

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EXACTLY. I am just shaking my head yes to every word you just said. It makes me so mad.

I hope you get that jumper… it’s fabulous!

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I just read about these on another blog (AMR) – haven’t tried them. Might be helpful for running in the dark: https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/night-runner-headlights

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