Woman Receives Less Than Sweet Responses For Her Halloween Handout
NORTH DAKOTA (KDKA) -- Everyone knows the feeling of being a young trick-or-treater and not receiving the sweet treat you desired, but very few expect a letter.
A woman in Fargo, N.D., has decided to take childhood obesity into her own hands with a letter she plans to hand out to children she believes are "moderately obese."
"I just want to send a message to the parents of kids that are really overweight. I think it's just really irresponsible of parents to send them out looking for free candy just 'cause all the other kids are doing it," the Fargo woman says.
The woman is passionate about the issue, even calling in to a morning radio show to defend her idea.
"They were chatting today and got a call from her out of the blue who really wanted to voice her opinion about obesity and that it really takes an entire community to solve the obesity challenge."
"I'm contributing to their health problems and really, their kids are everybody's kids. It's a whole village," the woman says in a radio interview.
An assistant professor at North Dakota State University, Dr. Katie Gordon, studies eating disorders and says that children and adolescents in particular are very conscious of fitting in with peers.
She says the letter might hurt more than help.
"It's just that kind of thing that for some kids, if they're vulnerable, might trigger major problems," Gordon says.
Reactions to the woman's "Halloween Handout" are mixed.
"This is more of an issue that parents should be working with kids on. It seems inappropriate to me," a Pittsburgher says.
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