Dietbetes

I was watching TV yesterday morning and they were interviewing the author of a controversial book called "Maggie goes on a Diet". (I have not read the book but they showed quite a few clips from the book for me to get the idea of the books plot) Maggie gets bullied at school and is called "Fatty", "Chubby" and other cruel names. (Kids can be just down right mean can’t they?) Anyway...to make a short story even shorter....Maggie ends up going on a better diet and ends up being popular and a star player on the soccer team. A real "comeback story" right? Why the controversy?

I understand why people think that this sends the wrong message to children....Lose weight and you will become popular. Lose weight and you can be good in sports....and Lose weight and people will like you. All the wrong messages we don’t want our obese children of America to think...or is it?

I for one don’t understand what’s wrong with this book. And here’s why.

Let’s exchange the title of the book from "Maggie goes on a Diet" with the words “Maggie Eats Healthy". It pretty much changes the whole concept of the book doesn’t it? But that’s what Maggie does...she starts to eat healthier foods in her diet. We tend to think that the word "diet" means....not eating or sticking to eating very little and only eating vegetables all day to achieve a goal weight. It’s just associated in the wrong context. What we put in our mouths every day is our diet. Maggie was obviously consuming way too much of the wrong foods. Therefore she needed to change her diet. When she does that...the weight comes off and she is now able to live the life that she had always dreamed of.

The fact is...when she changed her diet....she started living up to her potential....being popular...being a star on the Soccer team...all of it was in her...but her weight was holding her back. One could argue that just because you lose weight that people are not automatically going to like

you....however...people are not going to like someone who doesn’t like themselves either. Maggie didn’t like herself...she wanted to lose weight. Once she did that, she became more positive and her self-esteem grew to new heights.

So for the haters of this new controversial book...I say to you....We are the most obese nation in the world....Our children are the biggest and laziest generation that there has ever been. What’s wrong with telling our children the truth....? "You need to change your diet”

What we have been doing in America....isn’t working!! Let’s quit sugar coating it and give it to them straight. "If you don’t change your diet...you will die”!!

All children want to be popular...they all want to be good at something. Those are normal goals that they all have. Being at a healthy weight gives them a great start at achieving their goals. I have never seen a really good overweight soccer player... have you? So if my daughter was overweight and I knew she wanted to be good at Soccer...I would not have a problem with sitting her down and telling her how she can achieve that goal. Even if it consisted of me telling her that she needed to go on a better diet.

And to be totally honest....maybe the author should have titled the book “Maggie’s parents don't really love her so she's used food for comfort and now risks a stroke before 30"

Parents play a very important role in this as well. And it starts by caring enough about your children to make sure they are not putting the wrong kinds of food in their mouth on a consistent basis. Making sure that their "Diet" is a healthy one.

Well Done Maggie...I’m proud of you!!