Demi
Wed, Feb-28-07, 06:27
After the case of 8-year-old Connor McCreaddie, who was almost taken into care due to his obesity this week, I'm sure we're going to see many more cases of childhood obesity being highlighted in the media. Here's what I suspect will be the first of many:
Sam, aged 9, is 14st and size 18
The Sun
London, UK
28 February, 2007
FOURTEEN-stone (196lbs) schoolgirl Samantha Hames shockingly admitted last night: “Chocolate is the only thing I’m interested in. It’s the only thing I live for.”
Samantha, nine, scoffs a 500g (1lb) family-size bar of her favourite Galaxy chocolate every day — a staggering 3.5kg/7lb (half a stone) A WEEK.
She weighs nearly THREE times most girls her age — the equivalent of TWO Victoria Beckhams and more than beefy soccer star Wayne Rooney, who is 12 stone.
Her desperate mum Angela Collins has even tried padlocking the kitchen door to control her eating.
But Angela, 42, said: “Sam wouldn’t rest until she found the key. She would tear the house apart looking for it.”
Samantha is the same weight as eight-year-old Connor McCreaddie, whose obesity shocked the nation this week and led to calls for him to be taken into care.
She spends all her £10-a-week pocket money on Galaxy and said: “I’m just not interested in spending my money on DVDs, toys or pretty clothes like other little girls. From the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed I think about Galaxy bars.
“I know I’m addicted to it but it’s so creamy and yummy that I can’t stop eating it. I love it.
“All I have to do is see an advert on the telly and I start screaming that I want it now. If my mum won’t buy it, I’ll find a way of getting it myself.
“If the corner shop runs out of chocolate, there’s always ice cream, sweets, toffee crumble, pies and crisps to be had.”
Her daily diet can include sausages, beans, mash, chips, apple crumble, chocolate pudding, hot dogs, spaghetti bolognese, roasts and burgers PLUS snacks. That is on top of her mammoth chocolate intake — which itself amounts to 2,500 calories a day, around 1,000 more than she needs.
So far she has broken THREE beds at her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.
She takes a size 18 in clothes and is tall for her age at 5ft.
Samantha was already a hefty 6st by the age of six. But her weight leapt after her parents split up in 2004 and she turned to comfort food to cope with the stress. She said: “When I’m sad and worried I just eat. It’s chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.” Experts warn that children of Samantha’s size are at risk of heart, lung and joint problems.
And they say parents who fail to curb their kids’ eating are guilty of a form of child abuse.
Charity shop worker Angela said: “Nobody wants her to lose weight more than I do. It’s agony seeing my daughter this size.
“She was always a chubby baby but the break-up caused her weight to shoot up. She gets bullied at school and called hurtful names like ‘Fat Bitch’.
“People will look at us and assume we’re lazy or we’re not trying — but it’s not true. Can you imagine how hurtful it is for a mother to be told they’re harming their own child?
“I’ve tried everything to help her lose weight. I give her fresh fruit and vegetables and she gets regular exercise. But kids have a mind of their own and she’ll go behind my back.” When Angela buys packs of 12 yoghurts for her normal-sized son Robert, six, Samantha eats the lot in one go.
Angela added: “I noticed she was getting bigger but couldn’t stop her eating everything in the fridge. When padlocking the kitchen door didn’t help, I stopped buying sweets and chocolate. But Sam fought back, spending all her pocket money on them.
“If I withdrew her pocket money she would scream and shout and get really depressed.”
The youngster is now seeing a child psychologist and dietician.
Angela weighs 17 stone (238lbs) herself. She said: “I’ve just found out that I’ve got diabetes and don’t want Samantha to get it as well.”
Samantha admitted that she hates being fat, despite her craving for food.
She said: “I don’t like having to wear ugly clothes and not being one of the pretty girls in my class. My ideal figure is Beyonce’s — she’s beautiful.
“I like PE and sport but find it hard to breathe sometimes. I also don’t want to die early because I want to have 12 children. Kids and even adults tease me.
Sam's daily menu
7AM: Breakfast of large bowl of Coco Pops or Frosties with two added spoonfuls of sugar and half a litre of full fat milk.
NOON: School meals of Spaghetti Bolognese, or sausages and mash with sweetcorn, chips. Also dessert of rice pudding or apple crumble with custard.
3:30PM: On the way home from school one family-sized Galaxy chocolate bar (500g) and bags of sweets.
4PM: Two rounds of sandwiches and a Pot Noodle.
5:30PM: Dinner of roast beef / Indian takeaway or pasta, followed by bowl of ice cream or apple pie.
7PM: Two more rounds of sandwiches and another Pot Noodle.
11:30PM: TWELVE yoghurts or another full meal.
Drinks - seven glasses of orange squash.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007090577,00.html
Sam, aged 9, is 14st and size 18
The Sun
London, UK
28 February, 2007
FOURTEEN-stone (196lbs) schoolgirl Samantha Hames shockingly admitted last night: “Chocolate is the only thing I’m interested in. It’s the only thing I live for.”
Samantha, nine, scoffs a 500g (1lb) family-size bar of her favourite Galaxy chocolate every day — a staggering 3.5kg/7lb (half a stone) A WEEK.
She weighs nearly THREE times most girls her age — the equivalent of TWO Victoria Beckhams and more than beefy soccer star Wayne Rooney, who is 12 stone.
Her desperate mum Angela Collins has even tried padlocking the kitchen door to control her eating.
But Angela, 42, said: “Sam wouldn’t rest until she found the key. She would tear the house apart looking for it.”
Samantha is the same weight as eight-year-old Connor McCreaddie, whose obesity shocked the nation this week and led to calls for him to be taken into care.
She spends all her £10-a-week pocket money on Galaxy and said: “I’m just not interested in spending my money on DVDs, toys or pretty clothes like other little girls. From the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed I think about Galaxy bars.
“I know I’m addicted to it but it’s so creamy and yummy that I can’t stop eating it. I love it.
“All I have to do is see an advert on the telly and I start screaming that I want it now. If my mum won’t buy it, I’ll find a way of getting it myself.
“If the corner shop runs out of chocolate, there’s always ice cream, sweets, toffee crumble, pies and crisps to be had.”
Her daily diet can include sausages, beans, mash, chips, apple crumble, chocolate pudding, hot dogs, spaghetti bolognese, roasts and burgers PLUS snacks. That is on top of her mammoth chocolate intake — which itself amounts to 2,500 calories a day, around 1,000 more than she needs.
So far she has broken THREE beds at her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.
She takes a size 18 in clothes and is tall for her age at 5ft.
Samantha was already a hefty 6st by the age of six. But her weight leapt after her parents split up in 2004 and she turned to comfort food to cope with the stress. She said: “When I’m sad and worried I just eat. It’s chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.” Experts warn that children of Samantha’s size are at risk of heart, lung and joint problems.
And they say parents who fail to curb their kids’ eating are guilty of a form of child abuse.
Charity shop worker Angela said: “Nobody wants her to lose weight more than I do. It’s agony seeing my daughter this size.
“She was always a chubby baby but the break-up caused her weight to shoot up. She gets bullied at school and called hurtful names like ‘Fat Bitch’.
“People will look at us and assume we’re lazy or we’re not trying — but it’s not true. Can you imagine how hurtful it is for a mother to be told they’re harming their own child?
“I’ve tried everything to help her lose weight. I give her fresh fruit and vegetables and she gets regular exercise. But kids have a mind of their own and she’ll go behind my back.” When Angela buys packs of 12 yoghurts for her normal-sized son Robert, six, Samantha eats the lot in one go.
Angela added: “I noticed she was getting bigger but couldn’t stop her eating everything in the fridge. When padlocking the kitchen door didn’t help, I stopped buying sweets and chocolate. But Sam fought back, spending all her pocket money on them.
“If I withdrew her pocket money she would scream and shout and get really depressed.”
The youngster is now seeing a child psychologist and dietician.
Angela weighs 17 stone (238lbs) herself. She said: “I’ve just found out that I’ve got diabetes and don’t want Samantha to get it as well.”
Samantha admitted that she hates being fat, despite her craving for food.
She said: “I don’t like having to wear ugly clothes and not being one of the pretty girls in my class. My ideal figure is Beyonce’s — she’s beautiful.
“I like PE and sport but find it hard to breathe sometimes. I also don’t want to die early because I want to have 12 children. Kids and even adults tease me.
Sam's daily menu
7AM: Breakfast of large bowl of Coco Pops or Frosties with two added spoonfuls of sugar and half a litre of full fat milk.
NOON: School meals of Spaghetti Bolognese, or sausages and mash with sweetcorn, chips. Also dessert of rice pudding or apple crumble with custard.
3:30PM: On the way home from school one family-sized Galaxy chocolate bar (500g) and bags of sweets.
4PM: Two rounds of sandwiches and a Pot Noodle.
5:30PM: Dinner of roast beef / Indian takeaway or pasta, followed by bowl of ice cream or apple pie.
7PM: Two more rounds of sandwiches and another Pot Noodle.
11:30PM: TWELVE yoghurts or another full meal.
Drinks - seven glasses of orange squash.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2007090577,00.html