Serious suggestions please!!

[Big Bren]

All that psycho-babble may well have some basis in truth wafflycat, but is it right for the lad to lose out whilst his mother wallows in cakes and self-pity?

Use some tough love - have the kid to stay and get him outside on a bike. He may well enjoy himself to such a degree that he goes home and starts to rebel against his mothers lazy lifestyle, forcing her off the sofa and out into the nasty shivery fresh air!

Bren

 

[bonj2]

Social Services. Compile a catalogue of evidence, first. But if that doesn't work, then it might be time to be cruel-to-be-kind - buy a large amount of formaldehyde, call Damien Hirst and let him get to work.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

it's not about the Mum it's about the kid. Put yourself in his shoes...he must be aware that Mum is fat and that her views are affecting him. He loves his Mum so it's going to take nerve to go against her views at his young age. Does she want to be like his friends and ride a bike etc? If so what is stopping him? Illiminate that barrier and he will do it for himself...if he wants to.

 

[Trembler49]

Her chest infections are most likely caused by her immune system being overloaded by all the crap (I typed carp at first and thought it looked a bit odd) she eats to make her 23 stone.

Whilst I agree with Wafflycat's sentimenst in that obesity is not just caused by laziness (I speak with some authority here as I am clinically obese myself), I would diagree with the statement that it is it "rarely to do with laziness". In my opinion, it is largely to do with laziness (pun intended).

 

[bonj2]

the fact that she's overweight is *not* as simple as calories in less than calories out

it never is, is it - it never is.

 

[summerdays]

What about persuading her its not for riding on roads ... just off-road trails... like the Forest of Dean etc... then once he has mastered riding and hopefully caught the bug, then he could move towards roads (but no need to mention that yet!!!). Otherwise he could end up being a very inactive adult.

 

[mr_hippo]

She has a small son, my nephew, who is 9 on sunday. He cannot swim, he cannot ride a scooter and, are you ready, he can't ride a bike I have offered to get him a bike for his b'day (he needs at least 24"),

At 9, I could not ride scooter or bike, nor could I swim. How tall is he? I am 6'4" and ride a 25" frame - he must be a giant to need a 24"!

 

[Joe24]

I dont see anything wrong with teaching the kid to ride a bike, without his mother having anything to do with it.
Maybe you could a have a heart to heart with her, tell her that the kid could turn out to be like her.
He doesnt have to ride the bike to school. Just going out on it with friends after school is enough. Going in fields and in big parks will be enough. No need to go on roads.

 

[bonj2]

At 9, I could not ride scooter or bike, nor could I swim. How tall is he? I am 6'4" and ride a 25" frame - he must be a giant to need a 24"!

I think he probably means 24" wheels.

 

[Cheddar George]

Teach him to ride a bike and bugger the consequences !
Once learnt never forgotten, its a skill for life, situations change and he might be able to make more use of it in the future.

 

[ChrisKH]

it never is, is it - it never is.

Of course it is bonj but I think what wafflycat was trying to say is there are underlying (possibly mental) reasons why she is fat. We know she eats too much, but it's never that simple. Unless you're a man.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

...tell him how much more likely he is to get laid if he wears lycra

 

[ChrisKH]

Only if he's gay btfb!

 

[wafflycat]

Whilst I agree with Wafflycat's sentimenst in that obesity is not just caused by laziness (I speak with some authority here as I am clinically obese myself), I would diagree with the statement that it is it "rarely to do with laziness". In my opinion, it is largely to do with laziness (pun intended).

What I actually said was, "rarely is it pure laziness with nothing more involved." which is a bit of a different emphasis.