I just found this site this morning, and I’m glad I did. It helps to read stories similar to what I have went through.

My daughter starts preschool in a week, and I am worried for her. She is a big girl. She’s considered obese, even though her height is in the 99th percentile as well as her weight. Yes, she has a little belly and she has big legs, but she is also very active. She is very healthy. Even so, my inlaws insist on making her weight an issue. Especially when she is with her cousin, who is malnourished because she refuses to eat anything other than hot dogs or chicken nuggets, no vegetables, and almost no fruit. I couple of bird bites, and she’s done. She is shorter and thinner than she should be, but it’s “so cute” and “adorable.” Whereas my daughter is “such a good eater,” “boy, she loves her food,” and “be careful of your tiny cousin. You’re a really big girl and you need to watch out for petite girls.”

I’m worried that she’s getting to the age that she is going to start picking up on the real meaning of these hurtful words. I’m also worried about her starting school and getting teased. She is very healthy, and her doctors have never once said they were worried about her weight, but as most of us know, kids can be cruel.

She is a very friendly, outgoing girl, and I hope she stays this way. I was that way until we moved when I was 10, didn’t have any kids in the neighborhood, and started watching a lot of tv and gained weight. The fat jokes and comments at school soon followed, and it completely changed my personality.

I guess I don’t have any specific point with this, but it feels good to rant and express my concerns. She is so excited for school, and I hope her experiences will be better than mine.