From Fat Dad to Fit Dad
By Scott Hutcheson
Reporter columnist
Writing this week’s column I felt a little bit like the middle-aged man who cried wolf. Over the last few years a couple of different times I’ve pledged before you readers that I was going to lose weight, exercise more and begin living a healthier lifestyle. With all of the best intentions I’ve headed down that road only to make a U-turn.
I am now once again attempting to become a fitter version of myself. This time, however, I decided to wait on the public announcement until I had already made some progress. I’m happy to report that I’ve dropped 40 pounds since the first of the year. That’s a little less than halfway toward my goal.
I’ve been overweight for most of my life. I started to gain weight in early adolescence and spent my preteen years dressed in “huskies” from JCPenney, and suffering the gym-glass humiliation of being the only kid who couldn’t do even a single pull-up. As a high school athlete, I still carried an extra 20 to 30 pounds. I slimmed down during my early 20s, long enough to snag a woman, and then started gaining again.
Part of my motivation for losing weight this time has to do with my children. I ran across some research linking overweight fathers to overweight children that really caught my attention. Being overweight is certainly something I would rather my children not have to experience.
According to a University of Western Australia study, Body Mass Index in sons and daughters is consistently higher when fathers are overweight or obese, and obesity of fathers is associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of obesity of sons and daughters. Another study reported that obese children are less likely to report that their father’s were physically active than were the children of non-obese parents. This determinant was not found for mothers. There is a whole host of research backing up these claims and others about the relationship between a father’s weight and fitness and that of his children.
So why am I concerned about the potential future weight of my fit kids? In the grand scheme of things, wearing huskies and not being able to do a pull-up are not a big deal. But those aren’t the only limitations that being overweight can bring with it. We now know that one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese and that carries with it significant ramifications. Problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — once adult problems — are now being diagnosed in children. Overweight kids usually become overweight adults and many will die earlier than their thinner counterparts.
My kids already have genetics working against them. We Hutchesons are a stout bunch and have to work harder than most people to maintain a healthy weight. But apparently the example of a fit father goes a long way in making sure kids stay fit. In their youngest years, my boys have seen their dad eat a great many burgers and fries and witnessed him sitting on the couch way too much. For the last few months and from now on, I hope, they will have a dad who watches his portions; eats plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats; and walks, runs, bikes and plays soccer way more than he sits and watches TV.
So for now, I remain motivated and am doing everything I can do stay that way. My boys are fit as little fiddles now, but I know the most difficult days are before them. If I can help increase their chances of being fit adults and living life to its fullest, I’ll gladly make the journey from fat dad to fit dad.
Used with permission of the author
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