Feeling bullied by parents about weight / February 14, 2013

Health news article: Feeling bullied by parents about weight

    

       This health news article was presented in the class a couple of weeks ago and it really stood out to me in comparison to the other news articles. It is important to raise awareness of this topic because it can certainly affect the health of those who are bullied about their weight, especially by their own parents.This topic is important to me because I have a friend who has been directly affected by this issue that is so common in our society today. My best friend from high school who now also attends college with me has a parent who bullies her about her weight. I have seen it escalate over the years, starting from when we were in middle school to now affecting her self-esteem in college. 

       This friend of mine has never been particularly skinny or thin; however, she has maintained her weight pretty successfully until her final years of high school. This could be because of her parent's badgering and bullying over the years or it could simply be because she is growing older. However, I have personally witnessed her parent say things to her such as, "Tonight for dinner we will be eating salad, because you do not need to gain any more weight." To some people, this may not be a huge deal, but to a seventeen-year-old girl in high school with peer pressure and influences all around, it can be heartbreaking to hear. Because of this home environment, my friend is constantly obsessing over her weight and no matter how many pounds she loses it will never be enough. 

       High school is a time where self confidence should thrive. You are young and active and having fun with little stressors to hinder your lifestyle. However, my friend's high school days were a period of constant dieting and daily working out because of the badgering she received at home. For six months at age 17, my friend was on the Special K diet. All she ate were protein bars. She was not overweight at this time but still could not satisfy her parent's needs. It was an unhealthy lifestyle that my friend was forced to live for almost her whole high school career. Because of her lack of nutrition and essential needs from basic meals, she was constantly sick and very tired. 

       I have also witnessed another type of unhealthy pressure from her parent. For instance, she has been bribed many times to lose weight. She has been told by her parent, "I will buy you a whole new wardrobe if you just lose twenty pounds." This seems like a great incentive to some people; however, I have personally watched how it breaks down my friend from someone who was once so confident into a person who has extremely low self-esteem and self worth. 

       Any time she goes home to visit her family it is not a happy celebration with hugs and excitement. Instead, it is a time that my friend feels nervous because she does not know what her parent will say next. The first thing her parent says to her is a comment on her weight. For example, she receives critiques such as, "You really haven't lost that much weight since I have seen you last" or comments that could be more rewarding such as, "You look very good right now. I hope that you can keep it up." Whether the comments are harmful or complementing, it creates an environment in her household that is very tense and judgmental. 

       This health news article that was presented was very enlightening in my opinion because I was able to justify my feelings about the bullying my friend receives from her parent. At first I was not certain that this was a big problem; however, listening and reading over this article made me aware that bullying from a parent is common and is a problem that needs to be handled immediately. This impacts my life because I witnessed a good friend of mine succumb to the consequences of this bullying. It opened my eyes to be able to see the signs of other people who may be undergoing the same experiences. 

       Have you ever known a person or friend who has gone through the same experiences as my friend? What are healthy and supportive ways to help this person feel better about themselves?

Olivia Lee

February 14, 2013