Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in fort worth, TX

Beautiful in so Many Ways!

February 23, 2009

Several of our City Editors recently had the great pleasure of participating in an interview with Emme, the supermodel and nationally recognized body image and self esteem advocate.  Emme has twice been selected as People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful Women.

Emme is working with Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity to educate our country about weight bias, weight discrimination and wants to share with you helpful ways to teach your children about the harmful effects of weightbias and how to support a child in your life who is the victim of such a horrible experience.

I am bringing you this interview as the week of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week begins.  Please take a moment after reading this post to visit the site!  

Savvy Source - What exactly is weight bias? Why is it such a growing problem in the US? 

Emme - The issue with childhood obesity is that it has doubled in the past 20 years.  30% of adults are obese.  1 in 5 children are overweight.  The obesity rate in teenagers has tripled in the last 20 years.  If you read the studies that are being done you realize that children who are obese have the same type of feeling as a child going through cancer treatments. 

They get mobbed, they get verbally assaulted by their parents, other friends, coaches, teachers.  To think that these kids are walking around, having to deal with this? It is vitally important that government take it past just talking about.  Nothing is really being done behind the scenes.

Savvy Source - Yale University's Rudd Center has recently produced two videos.  What do you hope the videos will accomplish in the fight against weight bias?

Emme - To increase public awareness of its consequences.  One video is geared towards teachers/parents and one is geared towards the medical community. Suprisingly enough, there is quite a weight discrminiation between doctor and patient!

The other goal is to try and change the negative attitudes about obese individuals and replace it with tolerance and respect.  It's awfully hard in this culture right now when there is such loathing and fear around food.  It's hard to ask any of us overnight, to just be nice and be kind. There needs to be so much more education and exposure, so many more conversations and so much more knowledge.

Savvy Source - How can we help reduce weight bias at home and at school? 

Emme - Exactly what we're doing right now.  We're talking to ... (to read the rest of the interview, please visit http://cleveland.savvysource.com.

Last Minute Ideas for Fall Fun!

by Christine Hines

October 24, 2008

That crisp, clean chill in the morning; the memory of pumpkin pie spice-filled kitchens of years past; the leaves turning color overnight...Yes, Fall is here! For most in the Fort Worth area, a collective sigh is heard all around as the hundred-degree days are behind us for another 8 months. For me, it's the opposite. I much prefer the killer heat to the bone-chilling winter! But I  Read more...

Gettin' Ready for a Rainy Day!

by Christine Hines

October 15, 2008

When rain comes in the middle of a Fort Worth , Texas summer, I get on my knees and praise God! Visions of a slight respite from a hot, humid day dance in my head and make me just a bit giddy. Then reality strikes: uh oh...two kids inside the house A.L.L.D.A.Y. L.O.N.G. [insert Psycho shower scene music here]. So, I put the mom skills in motion and plan a by-the-seat-of-our-pants day.  Read more...