Kindergartner's book aims to educate other kids about obesity, bullying
A small child tackles a problem head on and serves as a role model for all children facing bullying, problems, or experiencing being different in any way. In charming and sometimes touching first person the author shares the secret world of a child suffering from a medical condition and from peer taunting. Rich in faith, the lessons shared by her parents serve to strengthen not only the child but also the parents. A blunt and open must read for children pre-school to fifth who face medical conditions, being differently challenged, or other issues. It is also a good introduction for all children and parents about the issues and impact of bullying.
From the press kit -
Chicago Tribune
By Dawn Turner Trice
Children began teasing LaNiyah Bailey about her weight two years ago when she was in pre-kindergarten. She told me they called her "fatty-pants" and "big, fat elephant girl." Some kids said LaNiyah's distended abdomen looked like she was carrying a baby. One adult, a former day-care provider, even called her "fatso."
LaNiyah's mother, LaToya White, said that although most adults don't say anything, many do stare when she and her daughter are in the grocery store.
LaNiyah is now 6 and weighs 115 pounds, about 70 pounds more than the average child her age. "People look at me like, 'What are you feeding her?'" said White, 34, who works for a property management company. "When we're in the store, they look in my shopping cart expecting to find a bunch of junk food. But she's always eaten healthy." So, as this west suburban Berkeley, Ill., child finds herself at the intersection of a couple of hot issues - the country's epidemic of childhood obesity and the destructive effects of bullying - her parents are determined to make sure neither erodes her self-esteem.
White said that she and LaNiyah's father, Songo Bailey, first noticed their daughter was gaining an abnormal amount of weight when she was 3 years old. The family met with a nutritionist who put LaNiyah on a strict 1,800-calorie-per-day diet. They hired a personal trainer, but LaNiyah's weight continued to increase. She gained 30 pounds during 2009. "The personal trainer said, 'Something is wrong,'" White said.
"One doctor told me, right in front of LaNiyah's face, 'She's just fat because you're feeding her the wrong things,'" White said. "She became so self-conscious that she doesn't wear jeans at all. She wears sweat pants, and I buy her cute tops. Or she'll wear dresses because she's a girlie-girl."
Outraged and frustrated, LaNiyah's parents continued taking her to doctors until one ordered an X-ray, which showed LaNiyah had a swollen colon. Other tests have shown evidence that she may have a hormonal abnormality. She now is being treated by an endocrinologist and a gastroenterologist.
"We want people to know that childhood obesity isn't always food-induced," said Bailey, 33, a firefighter. Dr. Rebecca Unger, a pediatrician at Children's Memorial Hospital and a member of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children, said it's unusual for children to be obese because of issues not directly related to overeating. But it does happen.
"By far the most common cause of childhood obesity is the imbalance between calories in and the amount of energy expended," said Unger, who is not LaNiyah's pediatrician.
"But even when a child's weight gain is because of medical reasons, the goal is to get it under control so there aren't other adverse physical and psychological effects."
White said that while LaNiyah's health was her biggest concern, she worried about how the weight was affecting LaNiyah's self-confidence. So she and her daughter decided to write about it. The result is LaNiyah's new book, "Not Fat Because I Wanna Be," self-published by her mother. LaNiyah said it explains how the teasing made her feel as well as how "you can't judge a book by its cover." "I came home crying to my mom and dad when I got teased and bullied," said LaNiyah, who is an effervescent and cute little girl. "I want people to learn that bullying isn't cool to do to other people.
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