The Kids Are Alright

4 Days to Memorial Day

There was an article on the CBS morning show a couple of weeks ago that centered around the fact that Target and Forever 21, among other large retailers, have added plus sizes to their kids and teens clothing lines. It pitted plus size fashion model Emmy against MeMe Roth, an anti obesity activist I’ve mentioned here a couple of times. The question was whether it’s a good idea to offer these size clothes to this market, or does it send the wrong message to our youth?

I’m sure I don’t have to get into it too much without you already being able to see where the whole thing ended up. As with so many other examples, the anti obesity camp comes off looking judgmental and cold while the main stream “you’re perfect the way you are” camp looks like they just finished the spit shine on their halo.

Of course children, of any age or measurement, should have clothes that fit and that make them feel good. The message that was yet again drowned out by the religiously politically correct is that by the sheer fact that there is a wide spread need for such a product offering means that we have failed this generation of children. They look to us for guidance and behavioral cues. We lead them to Burger King.

Remember, this isn’t about the kids themselves. It’s about a sickness that is quickly taking hold of a majority of Americans and our children. The kids are fine. Love the patient. Hate the disease. No one is preaching to change our children, just to improve their health.

“But my child is overweight and perfectly happy.” Ok, great. But how is his/her heart keeping up with the extra weight? How healthy is that body going to be in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years? Of if that’s too abstract, try this. If your child is happy just the way they are being 15 or so pounds over weight, how much better are they going to feel when they’ve lost the weight and aren’t being picked last for kickball? How happy and confident is your 12 year old going to feel when they can walk into any store they want and not have to wonder if this is one of the ones that started selling size 22 in the junior section?