motd Sat Nov 5, 2011

[Guest guest]

NO LAUGHING

MATTER

Saturday, 05 November 2011

I was the class clown in every one of my

classes when I was in elementary school. Me? Oh, I

was just about the silliest student and almost had to become the

class clown as I got fatter, gaining more and more

weight. You know kids can be so cruel to each other.

And some of my classmates said very mean things to me

about my weight and their words really hurt my

feelings.

Sometimes I'd make the

other kids laugh by saying terrible things about

myself...about my weight. And that's when

everyone roared the loudest with laughter.

So before they could make even one nasty remark about

my weight, I'd "head them off at the path" by making

everyone laugh. In fact, sometimes I'd make them

laugh by saying terrible things about myself...about

my weight. And oh, that's when everyone would

roar the loudest with laughter. But, (good for me),

after I had them in stitches, they'd leave me alone.

And the next day at school, I'd have to start all

over, being the class clown.

Looking back, I think to myself, how strange it was

that I had to make fun of myself so others wouldn't

make fun of me. But you know what? I'd feel terrible when I got

home. I'd go into my room, look at myself in the

mirror and, honestly, feel so sorry for myself.

That's when I should have begun doing something about

my weight but, of course...I didn't. Instead, I just

kept eating, gaining more weight and feeling even

worse...about me.

So many parents write and tell me that their child is

the class clown at school...just like I was. Their

children are playing the same kind of "defense" I

played when I was in school, trying to keep the others

kids from making fun of them.

If this is the case for one of your children, please,

please, please...sit

down with your child and have a good healthy talk with

them. You have to help your child shed this weight so

he or she can have a healthier young life.

Many mothers write and tell me they don't

know how to handle a situation like this because they,themselves, are obese. I

tell those mothers they need to start a weight-loss

program with their

obese child and working hard together, they will see

results!

With the Internet, Facebook

and Twitter, the nasty things kids say about each

other have gone all high-tech on us.

Now let's be honest about how things have

changed since I was a kid. I mean, it was one thing

being a fat kid in the 50's. But it's a whole new

ball game here in the 21st century. I don't think

it's my imagination but people seem to have just

gotten meaner and that includes kids. With the

Internet, Facebook and Twitter, those nasty things

kids say about each other have gone all high-tech on

us. In fact, some kids have ended up doing terrible

things to themselves because of how they're talked

about and ridiculed online. This's got to change.

Let's face it...this is the high-tech bullying we hear

so much about in the news these days.

Look...I'm still a clown. I love making people

laugh. But I no longer say anything negative about

myselfto anyone else, to get

a laugh out of them. And that's an important lesson I

want all of

America's kids to learn.

Love,