Kids Harassed by Family Members About Weight

Dear Larry,

The teen obesity rate has more than doubled over the past decade, making it an epidemic present in more homes than ever. Those children are more likely to become obese adults and suffer from weight-related health problems. That should generate concern in the homes of overweight children. Yet, today’s guests show contempt instead of caring toward the overweight teens in their homes. Today, we’ll talk with teens who are getting harassed about their weight by the people who should be supporting them – and we’ll meet the very same family members who are doing the harassing.

Our first guests are Leighann, Linda, and Kevin. Leighann, 16, weighs nearly 300 pounds. Her mother Linda and her brother Kevin harass her for her weight and Leighann feels there is no place to escape the constant barrage of negativity. She hopes that her family will listen to you and be more positive.

Our second guests are Chelsey, Kim, and Shalee. Chelsey says that her mom nags her about her weight. And she wants her to stop. Her sister, Shalee, 15, also lays into her about her weight. Would Chelsey be better off if her mom and sister stopped harassing her about her weight?

Our third guests are Angela, Cheyenne, and Shelby. Shelby, 14, is teased about her weight by her mother Angela and her sister Cheyenne. Is the constant verbal abuse preventing her from losing weight?

We will close the show with an update on Sarah, 22, whom we met on show #1006, “Is Obesity a Disease?” When we met Sarah, she was preparing for gastric bypass surgery and we promised to follow her with our cameras. We did, and we’ll show tape of the days leading up to her risky operation. She will not be in studio.

Thanks,

Brian