A More Beautiful You

It really makes my blood boil that my ten year old daughter, Katie, is being told she is too fat. No, it's not some mean spirited kids teasing her. It's the Sarasota school board.


I received a letter on Saturday, informing me that my daughter is overweight and needs to be put on a strict diet and get plenty of exercise. Now, I understand the importance of discouraging obesity. I understand encouraging kids to go out and play and be active. I encourage my kids to get the heck out of the house a lot. But what really infuriates me is that think they "know" my kids. They assume that Katie must not eat right and exercise enough because she is a little overweight. What they have no clue of is that she is like any other typical little kid with an abundance of energy. She loves the outdoors. She is an active kid. While she may not belong to any after school activities, because we can't afford it, she roller skates every day. Then why is she a little chunky?

1. Genetics. She follows very closely to my sister's body frame. While Katie may be slightly smaller and more muscular than my sister was at that age, I believe she follows my sister more than she follows me. I was a string bean growing up. My sister, Missi, was the chunky one at least until she hit puberty. She grew three inches one summer and since then she has been at a healthy weight. So I am not really worried about Katie right now.

2. When I attended elementary school we had physical fitness class or gym every day. Monday through Friday. Katie has gym once a week. How is that helping to keep our kids in the best possible shape they can be in? If the schools are going harp on children for being overweight, shouldn't they take steps into helping our kids get into better shape?

Now Katie has this attitude that there is something wrong with her. I am trying my best to at least let her know that right now at this point in her life, she is a very normal girl. I am hoping that I never have to find some kind of ephedra diet pills bottle hidden somewhere in her room because she feels the need to be like one of those stupid models who by they way are by no means perfect body wise. I do not want my daughter thinking that she has to be a fake girl in order to get anywhere in life. My daughter is beautiful on the inside and outside. I will not let Sarasota try to conform her into something that they think she needs to be.

While in the car yesterday a song on the JoyFM came on. One that has been my favorite since it first aired. It's called A More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz. I think it speaks volumes about how we are to look at ourselves and love ourselves in spite of what everyone else thinks. I am hoping that Katie makes it her own too.

Enjoy.