A letter written by a North Dakota woman identified only as Cheryl is making the rounds on social media as it features a smiling jack-o-lantern and a note to parents that says "you [sic] child is, in my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sweets and treats to the extent of other children this Halloween season." Cheryl called Y-94 radio station in the morning of Oct. 29 and voiced why she plans on giving out the so called "fat letter." "Well really, I just want to send a message to the parents of kids that are really overweight. It's just, these kids, I can see them and they're struggling to stay healthy and they want to play with the other kids, and I think it's really irresponsible for parents to send them out looking for free candy just because all the other kids are doing it," the woman said.
In the letter, she writes, "My hope is that you will step up as a parent and ration candy this Halloween and not allow your child to continue these unhealthy eating habits." In the radio interview, she added the following: "I'm contributing to their health problems and really, their kids are everybody's kids. It's a whole village." However, experts are not too keen on the way Cheryl has decided to take on child obesity. Dr. Katie Gordon, a North Dakota State University Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology said that children are very conscious of fitting in with peers, and this letter might hurt more than help.
"It's just that kind of thing that for some kids, if they're vulnerable, might trigger major problems," she says. "That's not something that someone can judge- the health of someone- just by looking at them. I think that's the main thing. Even if a child is overweight, they might be very healthy because of what they eat and how they exercise," said Dr. Gordon. "It's ineffective anyway because it's not likely to help the kid."
Take a look at the letter below and let us know what you think about this issue.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
