DEAR CHRISTINE, I AM only 16 years old but old enough to know when right is right and wrong is wrong.
What is wrong right now is my overweight mother who stands a mere five feet, four inches in height and tops the scale at 225 pounds. My mother is only 38 years old, but already looks much older for her age because of her weight.
She is a divorcee. I have a 19-year-old brother, whom my mother gave birth to before she met and married my dad.
Since her divorce three years ago, my mother just went on an eating binge which, in my opinion, is now out of hand. She joined the gym when she weighed in at 196 pounds but eventually quit. She refuses to exercise and has become a habitual “snacker”.
She eats non-stop; or so it seems. She eats anything late at night and enjoys sitting in front of the television snacking for long periods, between her work hours. She works shifts.
She would rather ask me to fetch items from the refrigerator for her, rather than walk for them herself. She even sleeps with all kinds of snacks next to her bed.
My brother and I have been encouraging her to lose weight but she gets very defensive and angry each time we try to convince her that she is eating herself sick.
We are not health fanatics but we stick to various eating habits and regular exercise. How can we help our mum?
– K&P
Dear K&P,
I commend you highly for the concern you have regarding your mother and her weight issues, but the only person who can help is she.
She must first come to the point where she realises that she has a weight problem or a possible eating disorder. If she continues on her current trend, she can become susceptible to a number of illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol problems – and the list can go on.
Perhaps her binging comes from emotional distress following her divorce, stress or an eating disorder. No one will ever know until she allows herself to be seen by a doctor and nutritionist.
Neither you nor your brother can carry this concern on your own. You will need to enlist the help of someone in the medical field – perhaps a family doctor, who would be willing to pay your mum a home visit.
The teams at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados and Diabetes Association of Barbados can also be contacted for advice.
In fact, you should consult both associations to hear their recommendations and for them to provide guidance on getting your mum back on track to proper eating and exercise.
Remember though that your mother has to make the final decision about whether she will accept the advice and help.
– CHRISTINE