I am that judgy nosey neighbor -
there is a family on my street - everyone is big - the kids are huge - I so desperately want to get the kids on bikes - they used to ride bikes around the block - then one of them got a motorized scooter and those days are over. My heart goes out to the teenage girl - I know all too well the pain of being a big girl - high school and boys can be so cruel.
I'm friends on facebook with the mother of these kids - we wave and say hello on the street but not much more than that. She always posts about loving to lay on the couch and watch nascar or how nice it is to have a rainy day so she doesn't have to do anything. The photos she posts are all of a darkened house with the shades drawn. Its obviously a family culture of obesity. It makes me so sad - I have always wanted to take these kids in the woods and get them cruising on bikes. Mo says not to get involved.
My situation was different - I was the food addict in my family - both of my parents were into exercise and eating healthy ~ it was beaten into my head that I should eat healthy and exercise - I rebelled and became a closet eater/binger with a disorder.
This morning I saw on Facebook that they were asking for prayers as their teenage daughter is in the Hospital with high blood pressure.
This makes me so sad. I just want to reach out and help her - they have seen me go from 241 to where I am now and - see me run past the house and bike all over the place. So I would be coming from a place of understanding....
I just don't know how to reach out or if I shouldn't try.
Crazy...
This one is a hard one. Maybe her FB post would give you the opportunity to talk to her about wanting to help - that way you dont sound like you're judging them - I find that the fatter I am the angrier and more depressed I feel and if someone offered to help I would automatically assume that they thought they were better than me and shut them out. My dad was hard on me about how I looked and Im sure that my over eating in secret was a way to get back at him and have some control of my life. I know that you want to help but tread lightly this is how they have been raised and it is easier to sit and play video games or watch tv than get outside and teenager - thin or not do not want to put out more effort than they have to. Good Luck I hope she will be ok. p.s. youve done awesome and Im sure their are others who are inspired by you.I know I am.
ReplyDeleteI have very little to offer in the way of advice on this one, but I do have to agree a bit with Momee3021 that it's an area to tread lightly. I know when I was overweight, any outreach of concern would be misinterpreted as I wasn't good enough and who the hell was that person to try and "help" me with anything. It sorta has to be a self epiphany. Just be careful, your concern is genuine, and an offer of biking or walking or whatever may be exactly what she needs to break the cycle! Keep us posted Warrior. *heartu*
ReplyDeleteYikes. I wouldn't get involved. Unless you have a close relationship (which it sounds like you don't) then I would unfortunately stay out of it. Frustrating to watch. But it will not be taken how you intend.
ReplyDeleteMaybe when the teenaged daughter is out of the hospital you can find a way to strike up a convo and get her to ride with you. ?? I just don't think it will happen without a friendship already there as a platform to jump off of. You never know. ;)
Oh hell... that's a hard one. I say put some feelers out there.
ReplyDeleteThis is hard and once done, it can't be undone. I HOPE that the doctor in the hospital would talk about losing weight.
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