Girl gets bullied, does something (constructive) about it

[siah1214]

Breanna Bond weighed 186 pounds by the time she was 9 years old.

The extra weight made it difficult for her to breathe and move around. The California girl soon became a target for bullies. ?Everybody at school would call me names,? she said. ?They would call me fatty, they would call me fat head.?

Breanna?s weight gain began when she was a baby, reaching 100 pounds by the time she got to kindergarten. She couldn?t keep up with the friends who were running while they played.

?Her pediatrician always said that she?d grow into her body and then, after a while, we went and got other doctors? opinions,? Breanna?s mother, Heidi Bond of Clovis, Calif., said today on ?Good Morning America.? ?We had her tested for everything from thyroid to diabetes ? her endocrinology got tested ? allergies, and everything came out fine so we knew at that point we had to step things up.?

Bond and Breanna?s father, Dan Bond, decided to take matters into their own hands. Heidi Bond designed an exercise routine for her daughter and the entire family. They began to walk the 4-mile trail near their home.

?There was nothing that stopped us,? Heidi Bond said. ?We went at night, in the rain, in the hail, in the fog, nothing. We had a zero-tolerance policy. We?re doing the walk, no matter what.?

Before long, Breanna had lost 37 pounds. In less than a year, her weight loss totaled 66 pounds.

In addition to following a diet that limits fat to 20 grams per day, Breanna also began using her home treadmill for an hour and 15 minutes each day. She also started to play basketball and joined the swim team.

?[That] I can be involved in sports and I can keep up with my friends when we?re playing,? Breanna said on ?GMA? of her favorite aspect of her weight loss. ?I can just move more.?

Heidi Bond said Breanna inspires her every day.

?She is an inspiration to the world and all children who are having weight issues across America, that you can do it with a pair of tennis shoes and motivation,? Bond said.

The Bonds offered three tips for other parents who are looking to keep their children healthy: start as soon as possible, exercise and enforce healthy eating habits.

?Don?t be afraid to do the tough love,? Dan Bond said on ?GMA.? ?It?s worth it in the long run. It?s their life that?s at stake.?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/12/10/breanna-bond-9-loses-66-pounds/

IMO this is the way to fight bullying: not with a cheesy youtube video, but by actually doing something about it.

[linsook]

so she had no predisposition to weight gain. how'd she get so obese to begin with? 100lbs before kindergarten? what were the parents feeding her geez.

[shakey]

so she had no predisposition to weight gain. how'd she get so obese to begin with? 100lbs before kindergarten? what were the parents feeding her geez.

Apparently fat kid with parents who weren't watching what they were feeding her and how she got exercise. Magically.... they put her on a good diet and exercise and she is becoming normal.....

You don't make yourself look like something that is not normal if you don't want to be talked about. Don't like being called big or fat, do something about it. You can't shut up the chatter unless you give them nothing to talk about.

[Davo]

You fight bullying by not doing what they bully you for? Good logic. Except until they move onto something else. Bullies live for power, not because they're against something out of principle.

[redfish]

You don't make yourself look like something that is not normal if you don't want to be talked about. Don't like being called big or fat, do something about it. You can't shut up the chatter unless you give them nothing to talk about.

You shouldn't do it so you're not teased, you should do it for the sake of it if its good, which in this case it was. People can bully or tease you and be wrong about their opinion of things, too. Entirely the wrong reason to do anything in life.

[shakey]

You shouldn't do it so you're not teased, you should do it for the sake of it if its good, which in this case it was. People can bully or tease you and be wrong about their opinion of things, too. Entirely the wrong reason to do anything in life.

Never said it should only be done to not be talked about, just said it was a reason. Not the only reason. Lets broaden our scope of understanding.

[The Rev]

Yes, one's weight is definitely something you can change... But "doing something about it" doesn't always work... Would they suggest plastic surgery to combat the "ugly" comments some kids get? "Reparative therapy" (aka making gay kids straight) for kids who are gay? I'm sorry, but bullying is largely a societal problem... Kids shouldn't have to change to meet society's unrealistic expectations on beauty, or body type, or sexual orientation, or whatever else. It's great that she worked on her weight to feel better about herself... But she and everyone in the US need to understand that weight, beauty, bust size, penis size, and all other things compared from person to person, do not in themselves define whether a person is good or bad.... Anyone who thinks they DO is wrong.... and ignorant. And this particular girl is not responsible for the ill behaviors of the kids. That is all on them and their parents' guidance (if any)...

[shakey]

Yes, one's weight is definitely something you can change... But "doing something about it" doesn't always work... Would they suggest plastic surgery to combat the "ugly" comments some kids get? "Reparative therapy" (aka making gay kids straight) for kids who are gay? I'm sorry, but bullying is largely a societal problem... Kids shouldn't have to change to meet society's unrealistic expectations on beauty, or body type, or sexual orientation, or whatever else. It's great that she worked on her weight to feel better about herself... But she and everyone in the US need to understand that weight, beauty, bust size, penis size, and all other things compared from person to person, do not in themselves define whether a person is good or bad.... Anyone who thinks they DO is wrong.... and ignorant. And this particular girl is not responsible for the ill behaviors of the kids. That is all on them and their parents' guidance (if any)...

If your kid is pushing 100 lbs before kindergarten, there is more than "unrealistic expectations of beauty" going on here. While it isn't on the kids fault, it is on the parents. Still, if you dont want to be fat, then yes, do something about it. There are tons of safe options, but sitting day by day not changing a single thing except a salad every other week isn't going to work. People can define what ever they want as good or bad when the facts are there that prove one side.. especially when obesity is a very bad problem.

[Growled Member]

All I can say is good for her.

[Shiranui]

The bullies remain ######, but at least something positive came out of it - in this case, encouraging the girl's parents to actually do their job.

Obese people need to realize that they will never receive the same sympathy as people with other problems, due to one simple fact: you cannot get fat without overeating.

[Charisma Veteran]

You shouldn't do it so you're not teased, you should do it for the sake of it if its good, which in this case it was. People can bully or tease you and be wrong about their opinion of things, too. Entirely the wrong reason to do anything in life.

True, but you can only see the negative about it, or you can turn it into a positive form of peer pressure. If they have a valid point, use it to help motivate yourself. Honestly, if teasing is what it takes to make a person live healthier, do better in school, or any other positive benefit to their life, they'd probably thank the bullies later in life.

Case in point--I got made fun of for a lot of things when I was younger, but as an adult I really like myself now and am very comfortable with who I am and what I'm doing. So I wouldn't change anything about what happened in my life, it all contributed to the present. Some things were really bad, but if life had always been cushy and peaceful I'd have never grown.

Basically, there are always going to be negative things in life in some form or another--you either let them get you down, or you stand on them and get higher because of them.