[kka25]

I saw a kid today in this park near my house and he was really overweight;you could tell that he was struggling when moving in a certain place :/ But then, I saw some other kids that are basically all-bones/scrawny looking and I think if a gust of wind blew them, they'd be flying somewhere in the north pole lol.

Now my question is, which is more unhealthy and worrying; the overweight kid or the underweight kid? I figure both would have some image/insecurity issues later on in the future, but I'm focusing at the moment on their general health.

What do you think?

[Reform]

(Original post by kka25)
I saw a kid today in this park near my house and he was really overweight;you could tell that he was struggling when moving in a certain place :/ But then, I saw some other kids that are basically all-bones/scrawny looking and I think if a gust of wind blew them, they'd be flying somewhere in the north pole lol.

Now my question is, which is more unhealthy and worrying; the overweight kid or the underweight kid? I figure both would have some image/insecurity issues later on in the future, but I'm focusing at the moment on their general health.

What do you think?

The overweight kid.

He'll be the last picked at anything (sports related) , lol.

[Lloyds]

Well both extremes are not good, but I would say at a population level, the prevalence of obesity is more worrying.

[minthumbugs]

overweight I suppose.

But both must have an unhealthy relationship with food.

[alexmagpie]

I would say overweight, in the absence of more information like age and diet.

I was an incredibly scrawny child, but I ate enough and was perfectly healthy. I was just skinny as hell until I hit puberty and filled out.

[SparksInTheSky]

Generally in life underweight (medically underweight) is more dangerous in the short term, because it takes a long time to grow obese enough to die of it. But I imagine those kids you see as being scrawny are just kids. Healthy kids are a lot thinner than most people expect these days, and some can be very thin, no matter how much they eat, until they reach puberty. Therefore in the instance you described I imagine the overweight kid should be more worried, especially because an overweight child is more likely to be an overweight adult.

[LemonLizards]

(Original post by alexmagpie)
I would say overweight, in the absence of more information like age and diet.

I was an incredibly scrawny child, but I ate enough and was perfectly healthy. I was just skinny as hell until I hit puberty and filled out.

I was overweight as a kid, but I thought I didn't eat excessively. And when puberty kicked in, suddenly I started loosing a shed of weight. And I'm a healthy weight now.

Maybe it happens both ways.

[BeanofJelly]

A lot of kids look scrawny without being underfed or unhealthy.

If, however - we're talking about a young child genuinely being deprived of enough food, I would say that this was more worrying, as it is more likely to signify overall neglect/abuse of that child.

Whereas many children are fat just because that is "normal" within their family - still unhealthy, but not indicative of neglect or an abnormal/poor relationship with the parents (who are well-meaning, and overweight themselves).

Either can reflect poverty.

[daisydaffodil]

They are equally as bad in terms of health..

Very thin = ill
Very fat = ill

Image and perception shouldn't come into it - at the end of the day, someone's food and exercise choices (if we can attribute ALL weight issues to that) should have no baring on how you see them, just the same as we don't automatically judge people for smoking or binge drinking etc. So being thin shouldn't be seen as being somehow better than being fat iyswim..

[wordjunkie]

I'd say overweight, mainly because both me and my brother were underweight kids and doctors, etc were never very concerned even when my mum went to ask them what she could do to make us gain weight. I'm just about at a normal BMI now but my brother is still very underweight and my mum worries quite a bit about him because drugs and alcohol have a greater risk of causing heart failure due to his weight.

[elia]

Underweight.

[Dennerers]

In my opinion both, especially at childhood are as bad as each other, being too small suggests a lack of nutrients in a diet, which can be just as harmful to a child, indeed even as an adult, as being over-weight.

[GottaLovePhysics! :)]

Underwieght is more threatening short term and often the result of a more deep set problem with self image.

[AnnaChristina]

Both have the potential to cause long-term damage, and may be indicators of underlying physiological or emotional problems.

[Formerly Helpful_C]

(Original post by GottaLovePhysics! :))
Underwieght is more threatening short term and often the result of a more deep set problem with self image.

Did you happen to miss the word 'children'? I eat plenty of food but I'm not the biggest person (weight-wise) in the world. I also don't have any 'self image' problems. How condescending.

I'd be more concerned at the overweight child because that shows a poor diet. Contrary to TSR beliefs, being underweight isn't a concern as a child - I'd prefer children to be 'skinny' because puberty should resolve these issues.

Obviously, people on here have never heard of an ectomorph build.

[kat91s]

(Original post by alexmagpie)
I would say overweight, in the absence of more information like age and diet.

I was an incredibly scrawny child, but I ate enough and was perfectly healthy. I was just skinny as hell until I hit puberty and filled out.

This.

I was always a skinny child no matter what I ate, but I'm perfectly healthy now. I was a fussy eater and didn't really care for food much, but that has improved as I've gotten older. Although I can still pretty much eat whatever I want without worrying about my weight. Clearly it hasn't affected my growth either, since I'm female and 5'10" and a size 8/10.

Obviously if the child is being starved it's a different matter, but most skinny children you see are just active and naturally skinny!

Being overweight is more worrying as a child, because it makes you more likely to stay that way when you're older. A lot of kids lose their 'puppy fat' but unfortunately, a lot of kids get into the habit of eating unhealthily so early on that it stays with them.

[katyness]

I don't understand why most people are say overweight.

If you've got of fat/eat a lot, you can stop those habits and lose it.

If you're underweight... where are you going to get the food from?

[DudeRugs]

(Original post by katyness)
I don't understand why most people are say overweight.

If you've got of fat/eat a lot, you can stop those habits and lose it.

If you're underweight... where are you going to get the food from?

The kitchen.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

Overweight, obviously.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

(Original post by katyness)
I don't understand why most people are say overweight.

If you've got of fat/eat a lot, you can stop those habits and lose it.

If you're underweight... where are you going to get the food from?

Krispy Kreme? Tesco? Dominos?

Really, the list is endless.