Monday, December 31, 2012

I'm back

Hey Everyone! I am sure some of you have been wondering why I haven't posted lately. My life got very crazy and I have been just trying to keep up with it all.

Recently my brother, the one I am staying with, injured his back pretty badly and it will require surgery. Due to this injury he has not been able to work. That complicates life when you have a normal 9 to 5 job so especially so when you are self-employed. So I have been going to my brother's shop and helping to keep things running while he is laid up. And if you knew me you would know how funny that is because it's an appliance shop and I am not mechanically incline...like at all. Luckily between the technician working on the fixing stuff and me taking acre of the office we have been able to keep the shop open and making money. If I am honest though it makes more when my brother is there.

I am still unemployed (as an attorney). Right before Christmas I had five job interviews. I won't take the time to list them all but it was all over Missouri. (I am going to take a moment to be thankful I have a good little car that gets awesome gas mileage. I have had issues with my car like it is not running right now but it has always gotten me to where I need to go and back again.) I hope that after the new year I will start hearing back from the jobs. I hope one of them says yes. I honestly don't care which one. I just want to be working again.

At home I am helping out as much as I can. Our dishwasher decided to die about a week ago. I have begun to realize how spoiled I have gotten having a dishwasher. lol I am hoping that it will get fixed soon.

I can't speak for everyone but this Christmas sucked for me. I am trying to maintain a positive attitude and look forward to the future. I feel like though things are sucking right now I think I was meant to be where I am at. I was luckily in a position to be able to help my brother while he is injured. I think 2013 is going to bring good things. Shortly after the new year my brother goes in for his surgery consultation. If it is up to him he will get the surgery the same day (he is tired of being laid up). Realistically the surgery will at least be a week or two out from that. At least we are heading in the right direction.

I decided to following in Dr. Juris' footsteps and working on a list of goals. Not necessarily new years resolutions but thinks I would like to happen over the next few years. I will post that tomorrow. As to my weight-loss, that is at a standstill. Probably have back slid due to the holidays. I am viewing the new year as a new beginning. I will forgive myself and climb back up on that wagon. Until tomorrow my friends. I hope you all have as much hope for the new year as I do. And be safe tonight.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Is it nap time?

So today I took my measurements and so far so good. I went down in all but my waist. Not sure why that is. But I will count it as an overall success so far. I am unable to weigh myself because we don't have a scale here. I am honestly not too worried about that because for me its not so much about the amount I weigh. I want to be healthier.

It would be nice to fit into a smaller size as well. I know I will never fit into single digit sizes. I am a Norweign girl. I will never be petite. And that is ok. When I was smaller (a size 12) I had people starting to worry about me because they thought I was too skinny. I actually had family ask me if I was still eating. I wouldn't mind getting back down to a 14.

That is the update for now. Not much going on here. I am applying to jobs. Regrettably, I have not heard back from any other jobs yet. All you can do is keep trying though. I am still waiting to hear back from the Public Defender position I interviewed for about 2 weeks ago. They said I should hear back in about two weeks so hopefully any day now.

Here are my recent measurements:

Bust: 51  (down 1 inches from 52)

Waist: 46 (up 1/2 inch....not sure why)

Hips: 53 (down 2 inches from 55)

Upper arms: 17 (down 1/4 inch from 17.25)

Calves: 18 (down 1/2 inch from 18.5)

Not sure why my waist measurement went up but the overall results are good I think. I will keep working out every other day and we will see how it goes next month when I measure again.


Monday, August 13, 2012

Here we go again

So my job interview went ok... I honestly don't feel like I ill be getting an offer. Nothing specifically went wrong. It's just a feeling I have. So I continue to paper the world with resumes and hold out hope it will lead to something soon.

My brother has been awesome and letting me stay with him rent free but I would like my own space again. I miss my apartment. I try not to focus on such things though. This is only temporary and soon I will be beginning the new chapter of my life. I will say I wish jobs were easier to get. All I can do is keep trying and things will work out. I have found that life always seems to shake out the way it's supposed to, whether that is how you planned it or not

While staying with my brother I have been helping his wife spring clean their home. So far we have been working on getting the kitchen all sparkley, not to mention have been reorganizing everything. I am happy to help and it has been keeping me busy. After such an intensive study schedule I find myself at a loss of what to do with so much free time. I have been working out every other day for 45 on the elliptical machine my brother has.

I honestly am not sure if working out has made much of a difference yet. That is ok though. I feel better for establishing a regular exercise schedule. Even if the working out has not made a difference in my weight yet I know it is building my endurance and my joints have been less stiff. Considering I was extremely stationary while studying for the bar any exercise right now is an improvement over the level I was getting. I will keep you posted how that progresses.

Tomorrow, I am going to go to the library. Sad but true, my experience with the bar exam is not yet through. No, I don't mean the wait for the results. I still need to complete the state law portion of the bar. Cause you know that 2 day test was just not enough torture. On the plus-side once I complete that I am done with everything but the waiting.

I hope everything is well in bloggy world. Talk to you tomorrow.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Just breathe


I feel like I am on the edge of something positive and big in my life. Tomorrow  I have an interview  at the Missouri State Public Defender’s Office tomorrow and I am really nervous.  

A dream of mine is coming to life. I knew that I would eventually get to this point, these were thoughts that I put out in the universe many years ago. I wanted to be an attorney. I worked hard, went to school for years, studied countless hours and took numerous exams. Hopefully soon I will be able to say that I am a public defender. It's insane. Truly crazy.

I know that public defender’s don’t make that much money but it’s a real job as an attorney. It will help me gain some real world experience. I did as many internships and externships as I could but that is no substitute for experience with a real job.

I feel like all of the days, months and years of hard work were leading up to this point.  I know that this is just the interview. I might not get the job but that I was called in for an interview is surreal. I have sent many resumes out into the world and have heard back from a sad few of them. Those I did hear from were rejection letters. Just having this interview makes me feel like I am on the right path and moving forward. I will keep you posted about the interview when I find out more.

Wish me luck :)

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The bar in a nutshell


It's now been a couple of weeks since I took the Missouri Bar, and I figured I would follow Dr. Juris’ example and do blog entry about my reflections on the bar.

On Tuesday morning, I took the MPT. For those of you that don't know, this stands for "Multistate Performance Test," and it's essentially where the bar examiners give you a big library of information and tell you to write a brief on it. Twice. 90 minutes per essay. The first one was ok. It was about confrontation clause and evidentiary issues. I spent about 5 minutes too long on the first essay and had to force myself to stop and move on to the next. The second essay was about nuisance, and it required a ton of elements. I wish I hit all of them but I would be lying if I did.  I don’t think I scored very well on these but it’s hard to say since it’s curved.

On Tuesday afternoon, we did the MEE. This stands for "Multistate Essay Examination". There were six essays, and three hours total to figure it all out and write on it (which I think is freaking impossible, I always went over on the practice essays). Essay subjects covered this exam were a criminal law question (that I complete froze on), a wills question (which I did pretty well with…I think), a domestic relations question in which grandparents wanted custody, a secured transactions question that wasn't too terribly bad, and a civ pro question about a woman who hadn't reported sexual harassment in the workplace and whether a judge's decisions about the suit were appropriate. I forget what the sixth essay was. I think I was so traumatized I blocked it out.

I think the MEE is the shittiest portion. On the very first question my mind blanked out and I froze. Then commenced freaking out in my head, I honestly did not know what to write. So I wrote anything I could think, figuring that I might get lucky and get a point or two.  It was exhausting and I left the exam wanting to cry. I was convinced I had failed when I left on Tuesday. Luckily, I have some good friends that helped me rally after the first day.

 On Wednesday, I took the MBE (Multistate Bar Examination)--it's a 200 multiple choice exam divided up into two sessions. You have three hours to complete each of these sessions. I did not feel so horrible about this part. I did have to force myself to slow down. My problem is I tend to rush. I do not read a carefully as I should and I make stupid mistakes. I did my best to slowdown. I know they say do not go back over and change your answers but I am glad I did. I found two that I had not read carefully enough in the first go and I discovered this when I went back over the questions.

I will find out my scores on September 18. Now we are waiting…….

Friday, August 3, 2012

It's so hard to say goodbye...


I know this is off topic but one thing I will share with my readers the Thursday before the bar exam my uncle died in a tragic accident. That weighed heavily on my mind. Though I wanted to attend his service I was not able to due to the exam. I know that my uncle would have wanted to me to take the bar and in fact the whole family encouraged me rather than attend his funeral. A part of me can’t help but feel a little guilty that I was not there. Also I was not able to say goodbye. Though in recent years my uncle and I had not been close due to distance we were when I was younger. I will always remember feeling like a giant when he would give me piggy-back rides. (My uncle was 6'7").

I think I was in shock while I took the exam, which is probably for the best. Now it’s all over, it hit me today that my uncle is really gone. It’s always hard to lose someone close to you. This would be the third person who was close to me that has passed away since I started law school. My first year, a dear friend and basically a surrogate younger brother Mike died of leukemia and complications stemming from it. The second year of law school my grandmother died. The end of my third year, just before the bar, my uncle died. 

I would not be the person I am today or be where I am in life without the love and support of them. I feel very lucky to have had those people in my life and I am saddened that they are gone. You never know what will happen in life.  I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, though we might not always know why. I dedicate this blog to Mike, Grandma and Uncle Jim. Thank you for your love and support. I wish we could have had more time. I was not able to find a picture of Mike on my new laptop. (have not transferred the contents of my drive over from the last laptop). Here are pictures of Grandma and Uncle Jim.

This song is dedicated to Mike, Grandma and Uncle Jim. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T35WXFOmwI


 

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Bar is over...

So the bar exam is over. For better or worse the die are cast. I wish I could say I feel like I did well. I would be lying if I did. But that is ok. Even if I failed it is not the end of the world. I will pick myself up dust myself off and take it again in February. (though I really hope I don't have to do that). Right now I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. That way if I failed it won't be quite as much of a shock. (If I am being honest though I will probably cry). One thing I have learned in life is things don't work out exactly as you planned but that does not mean it is a bad thing.

The schedule studying for the bar was killing me. I was not able to keep up with it and blog too. Especially since I was home visiting. I felt bad I was not able to visit with my friends and family more while I was in town. I am not sure when I will be able to fly back again. I am hoping to have a real, grown-up job in the not too distant future. Jobs always complicate things. lol

On the plus-side, the bar is over. I am re-united with Pugsley. He was so excited when I got to my brother's house (where Pugsley has been staying while I was in Seattle). He jumped into my arms. That is quite a feat for a little pug. He would not let me out of his sight when I first got home. Now I am spending time with my brother's family, helping re-organize their house and apply for jobs. What I am not doing is thinking about how I will have to wait until September 18 to find out if I passed the bar.

Today, I worked out for 45 minutes. That is a lot considering how stationary I have been while studying for the bar. One plus to staying at my brother's house is he has an elliptical machine I can use. ultimately I would like to be able to run a 5k. Right now I am far too out of shape to be able to do that. So I am starting by trying to workout on the elliptical everyday until I get into a bit better shape, then will start running outside. I will have to run in the morning or at night. I just cant handle the triple digit heat.

After my workout I went to the local library to get a library card and checkout a book. When I was younger my step-dad would take my younger brother and I to the library every weekend. When we were really young it was to go to story time. As we got older, we continued the tradition as part of family time and he wanted to encourage us to read. Today was the first time in a long time that I have gone to the library just for fun. Since I restarted school in 2007 to get my bachelor's degree I have always gone to the library to study or work on some project I was assigned for a class. It was never to just enjoy the books. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed being at the library. (I know I am a total nerd. I am ok with that. :) ) I spent a few hours at the library looking through books and reading periodicals. It feels good to have a life again lol.


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Studying for the bar is slowly driving me mad. I spend all day studying and yet feel like I have learned absolutely nothing. Actually that is not quite right. I feel like I am slowly getting dumber. On top of that I am having quite the time trying to keep up with the schedule. I just keep telling myself to keep working at it and it will all be over soon.

I told you the other day about my mini freak out. It was about my first practice essay question. To say I did not do well would be putting it nicely. I got my score back today. I was right. I did not do well. Luckily I have some good friends that talked me down from the metaphorical ledge when I was having my moment. I believe her exact words were, "you sucked, so what? You are supposed to suck. If you didn't suck why the hell did you pay like $3000 for a class to get better. You will get better if you just do the course like you are supposed to." I know. Completely logical and obvious advice but sometimes I need someone to remind me of what is right in front of my face.

I am going to sit down and write up and exact schedule to stick to. It is going to SUCK but needs to be done. I am greatly looking forward to the day the bar is over. Though not looking forward to the dread that I just failed the bar exam which I cannot afford to take again that will inevitably set in. As of right now I am keeping my sanity (sort of). Back to studying I go.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Onward we trudge

So taking Sunday off was a mistake. Now I am a little back logged on my bar studies. On the plus side I learned this lesson early on and I am almost caught up. And I have been a good girl and not cut any corners. With that said I have no idea how people work and study for the bar. I could not handle it. I am glad I came home to study. Less things to worry about.

Sorry this is short but running off to see a movie with my brother. Catch you later :)

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Beginning the week


I am going to start using my Sundays to sit down and evaluate the past week and prepare for the new week coming. I am going to try to not beat myself up over bad decisions I have made in the past week but rather to learn from them and not repeat the mistake. This applies to study for the bar as well as weight loss.

Last Sunday I imagined where I could be the following Sunday and the work it would take to get there. And while I'm far from a perfect creature and have other non-weight loss responsibilities to improve upon I can totally understand the sentiment "If I can lose weight, I can do anything" and while I haven't mastered weight loss, I'm working on it. OMG! I am fallible! Who knew?? Lol.

I started studying for the bar on May 30. That is part of why I did not keep my promise to write everyday. (I will be better about it, I promise.) The Barbri course is very intense. I have 42 pounds of books to study from and lectures to listen to online 6 days a week. (Which really is more like 7 days a week because on Saturdays are double lecture days. Yesterday I spent 6 hours listening to lecture. That didn't count the other time spent reading and reviewing.) I am not complaining. Well, maybe a little. I just didn't realize how intense the bar review course will be. This is worse than school!

I had a mini meltdown day before yesterday. I had to submit my first graded essay. I followed the instructions to simulate testing settings as much as possible. Regrettably, I ran out of time. I freaked out because I ran out of time and my answer sucked. We have sample answers to compare it to. Thanks to my friends for calming me down and reminding me this was only the first essay and I am supposed to suck. I took the class to get practice in and I will get better with time just like I did with the LSAT. And that it it better to suck now on the practice so I can get better for the real exam. I am not freaking out anymore and I think I have a better perspective on it but I am not going to lie, I am still very intimidated.

Last night I sat down and wrote out every reason I could think of to lose weight (told you I was a list maker). The list has 200 reasons to lose weight and honestly I am sure there are more that were not even thought of. The reason I made this list is to help when motivation is lacking. Sometimes it helps to have why you should do something written down in black and white in front of you, even if you know all the reasons in your head.

In the future I will begin to add my daily food and study journal to my blog and pictures. But for now the food journal is just for me to track. I plan to take measurements once a month and weigh-in once a week. I will not weigh or measure myself more often than that. I don’t want to become numbers driven or drive myself (and you crazy). Fact of life: muscle weighs more than fat. My interest is more in being healthy and in better shape than being thin. If my weight does not go down or maybe goes up, I will consider it a success if my measurements go down.

That being said her is where we are starting at:

 Height:           5’9”    (actually 5'8 and 3/4" if I am being honest)                    weight: 296.5 lbs

Measurements: 

Upper arm: 17.25" (I know this is a weird place to measure but I have had some tops not fit because they did not fit my upper arm in the sleeve)

 Bust: 52"         Waist 45.5"             Hips 55"

Calves: 18.5" (I know another odd one but I have always wanted knee boots but have a hard time find some that fit my calves)

So that is my starting point. I am taking most of today off of studying to decompress, do some chores and go to a family dinner at my Dad's house. I will write more tomorrow.


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Leaving on a jet plane...

Hey! Sorry I have not been updating for awhile. Life has been crazy with my family coming into town for graduation, the award ceremony/my brother's birthday (they happened the same night), graduation and moving. (oh and when I disconnected my cable on Friday they cut my internet too. BOO!) As of yesterday, I closed my door and locked my apartment for the last time. It's very bittersweet. I know I am moving on to a new chapter in my and it will be even better, hopefully. But that was my first apartment that was all mine. I had always lived with family or roommates in the past.

Today, I am getting on a plane to fly home to Seattle for the next 7 weeks, after I turn my keys in to the apartment manager. Office was closed due to the holiday yesterday. Tomorrow, I start studying Barbri (it's the bar exam prep course). All 40 pounds of my text books for the class arrived safely to my family's home last month. I wish I could bring Lord Pugsley with me to Seattle but it's expensive to fly dogs and I am not certain my step-dad's cats wouldn't gang up on him. He will be staying with one of my brothers while I am out of town.

Sorry not writing more today but I have to start getting ready to catch my flight. I will do my best to write at least a little something everyday and to start posting pictures. Until tomorrow I will leave you with this song. I think it portrays the bittersweet feelings of my leaving nicely. To my law school friends, I promise I am not disappearing. I will be back :)

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Feeding Tube Diet???


I heard this from a friend the other day and I hoped (prayed) it was a joke. Bad sadly no. Brides, before their weddings, are using a feeding tube for 10 days to lose weight. Yes, that's right, the kind of feeding tube they give patients who can no longer eat on their own. These women are going to doctors who fit them with a feeding tube that goes into the nose, down through the esophagus and directly into the stomach. They are then fed a solution that contains no carbohydrates, just protein and fat, and totals 800 calories a day. They carry the solution around in a tote bag they wear on their arm that looks like a purse.

I wondered why on earth any doctor would do this to a healthy patient who could lose weight on their own by cutting calories. Then I read about the cost. According to the New York Times, it costs $1,500 for 10 days. That includes the doctor's care, the equipment and the solution. Wow! Apparently this is nothing new in Europe, but it's new here in the United States.

You can lose weight if you cut your calories. Anyone can. I wish people would diet sensibly, slowly (you know the way you put the weight on). No matter what you weigh you will be beautiful on your wedding day.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Weekend :)


I LOVE the weekend! At the end of a long week it’s so nice to be able to leave campus and know I don’t have to return for a couple days. So last night was Barrister’s Ball a.k.a. law school prom (yes, law school has prom…stop giggling). I had a great time with my friends.

After I got home from prom I was laying on my couch exhausted (partly because I got up at 6 that morning spent most of the day at school and then the evening at prom) because my friends I spent most our time there dancing (btw the D.J. was awesome). As I lay on my couch feel good but exhausted and knowing my legs will be sore the next day from all the dancing, I decided to look up what calories I burned dancing. According to dietwatch a person my size (well if I am honest a person who weighs almost 50 pounds less than me) burns 1,144 calories with 2 hours of dancing. I ate pretty well during the day. In the interest of honesty I will admit there was a lot of munching on chex mix at prom. All in all I consider the day a success.

The plans for today: a craw fish boil thrown by the school. This will be the second time I have had craw fish. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. There is a lot of delicious seafood there but no craw fish. The craw fish was delicious when I first tried it…wow was it really 2 years ago. So I am sure I will enjoy it this time.
 
So far this is turning out to be a great weekend so I decided to write about non food related things that make me feel good. So here is my list of delights:

Manicure/pedicure
Getting my hair done
Bubble bath
Playing with my pug (Lord Pugsley Von Scruffington III, Pugsley for short)
Taking a hot shower
Watching a good movie
Drinking a good cup of coffee
Going for a night out with the girls
Going dancing
Going on a picnic
Going to an art show
Random acts of kindness
Flowers
Listening to music
Reading a good book in front of a fire
Creating a personal and beautiful space
Going to the movies
Playing board games with loved ones
Having a glass of wine
New clothes

I make this list as part of my goal in changing habits. When I get stressed studying for, or even thinking about, the bar exam I will turn to one of these things rather than to food.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Tips to Live by


I don’t have a degree in nutrition, but I think I have a little insight into what works and doesn’t work in a diet. Maybe you will read this list and think “uh, duh?” but sometimes when cravings kick in and our bodies feel like they’re not our own, but some fat/carb/whatever craving monster, it’s easy to forget these tips.
Here’s a list of dieting rules I am going to do my best to follow.
  1. You made the choice to eat this way- live it or forget it. I have gotten so frustrated listening to people whine about not being able to have this or that. You know what whiners? You MADE the CHOICE to eat/live whatever way you’re doing. Does it suck that you REALLY want a piece (or 3) of peanut butter cheesecake and your size 2 girlfriend can eat all of it she wants? Sure it sucks, but what are you going to do about it? Sabotage yourself over cheesecake and beat yourself up over it? No! Every day our lives are full of CHOICES that we must live with. Embrace the choice you made and don’t beat yourself up over things you have the CHOICE to not feel bad about.

  1. Set yourself up for success. Sometimes, the choices we make, even subconsciously, are contradictory to what is best for us. Take responsibility for your diet and set yourself up for success. If you have a family who doesn’t eat what you eat, seperate their food from your food. Don’t let the chips and soda stare you down every time you go to the kitchen. Before going to the grocery store, get in your mind of what you want to prepare for yourself that will be on your plan and fulfilling and make a grocery list. Don’t go on auto-pilot to the grocery only realizing you only bought junk. I know it’s cliche, but “fail to plan, plan to fail.”

  1. If you hit a speed bump, keep on’ rollin’. One thing I learned from quitting smoking is if you slip it’s ok. This does not have to derail all your hard effort.  If you have not smoked for 6 months but have one cigarette when you go out to drinks with friends are you going to let this stop you? No! Forgive yourself, and get back up on that wagon. If you’re driving and hit a speed bump, what do you do immediately after? Hit the gas! Do the same thing with your diet- you can’t move forward if you hit the bump and just sit there.

  1. If you’re not doing it for yourself, you won’t be successful. There are so many reasons to want to lose weight. Appearance being the most obvious of them all. Maybe you think you’ll have more friends or you will be liked more. Whatever. If you’re not doing it for yourself, screw it. You have to have personal accountability. If you are internally motivated by true selfish reasons, you will find your path to success paved with gravel instead of boulders. If you’re motivated by external forces like the opposite sex or cute designer clothes, when times get hard, they’re easy to dismiss and move back into your old habits. On the other hand, if you’re motivated by your true desire to feel better about yourself or to not be winded after hauling your ass up a flight of stairs- those things are ones that run deep, and you can remind yourself of them every day.

  1. Though your goal is to lose weight you still need to eat. I have watched many friends starve themselves under the guise of a “diet”. I don’t even mean the strange fad diets. I mean honestly not taking in enough calories. If your nutrition plan says you need to eat 1100 calories a day eat 1100 calories a day, or as close to as possible. You are not doing anyone any favors (especially yourself) by cutting that 1100 to 600. This is just as bad for you as being overweight (if not worse). Bodies need sustenance to function. Just remember you are losing weight to feel better. Are you going to feel better if your body is not getting what it needs to function? I don’t think so.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Sad


I am sadden and disturbed by the Georgia Obesity Ad Campaign toward “fighting childhood obesity”. Or as I think of it: Ad Campaign to “destroy children’s confidence and misplace the blame of childhood obesity”.

Look at these horrible posters they’re using in the campaign:




The message itself isn’t bad … what is bad are the photos. They are exploiting children rather than showing pictures of the obese parents waiting at drive through windows for dinner. Or maybe show the portion sizes of the food that most parents serve their kids compared to what they should be eating.

I find this ad extremely inappropriate

As someone who’s been overweight most of life and who’s parents used to push membership in the clean plate club. I can understand where some of the blame lies. I also know what it’s like to constantly called fat and who was looked down on by other parents and children I understand the emotions these kids feel and how humiliating being overweight can be. As someone who learned little to nothing about fitness and nutrition in school I can understand how this epidemic has reached this point.

If you were an overweight kid and you saw any of these posters or commercials can you imagine how you’d feel? Seriously think about that for a second …

I know most people would want to curl up in a ball and hide in your room if you saw a kid that looked like yourself in that as. Do you really think children ask their parents why they are overweight? Do you think you’re doing to suddenly just figure out what you need to change to get healthy? Do you think any parents are going to look at these pictures and suddenly have an epiphany to change their ways because they see that ad?

As a previously overweight kid I know that these photos do nothing but hurt children’s confidence and self-esteem and that they’ll certainly do little to nothing to help address this epidemic.

Now if you’d put the parents in those photos waiting in fast food drive lines, eating the crazy portion sizes, or perhaps sitting in front of TV eating dinner that’d be interesting. I’m sure they’re afraid of angering the fast food or restaurant lobbyist though so that’d never happen. Instead they choose to take advantage of children already struggling to find themselves or their place in society.

Instead of tearing children like this down, let’s build them up. Show them how to make good choices. The blame and responsibility of childhood obesity lays with the adults, the parents, and the educators, not the children.