Children come in all shapes and sizes. We should know that by now. And yet, even though we should all use our manners and keep our opinions to ourselves, people love to comment on other people's bodies. A favorite way for many to comment is through body-shaming. Shaming someone for their body is intrinsically wrong, but when you start to comment on a kid's body, you have officially crossed a line.
A TikTok mom knows all about internet trolls as they've had a heyday commenting about her son and his size. The mom, known as @bigboysworld.alaska on TikTok, has been sharing videos of her son, "Big Boy," since birth. And yes, he is literally a big boy, but his mom says that it is because of his Samoan ancestry and that he is perfectly normal.
Big Boy was an average-sized newborn.
Big Boy's TikTok account isn't chronological. Instead, his mom shares videos of him from various stages of development. Followers immediately took note of his larger build and began to ask questions about his size at birth.
His mom shared a video from the delivery room that shows his newborn stats. He was born premature and weighed 7 pounds. The video's caption jokes, "Went from NICU to University."
As he grew older, he got much bigger.
Though his mom doesn't detail his exact age in the videos, it is not difficult to surmise that he's been smashing growth charts. Even as a toddler, he is towering over the room. Several videos show Big Boy flashing a mouth full of teeth at such a young age that people can't believe it.
"Let me guess, he 6 weeks old in this video huh , "someone laughed.
"Now this is 1 but them others he 27 with all his adult teeth," another person wrote.
People refuse to believe that Big Boy is as young as his mom says he is.
In one video, Big Boy is in a diaper and dashes out of sight. Despite his size, he sounds just like a toddler, which has many people confused.
"That boy already paying his taxes and drives a car," someone joked.
"I genuinely don't believe he's 2. I refuse," a follower agreed.
"2 years before the NFL Draft," another person wrote.
"He can't be 2 with a 5 o'clock shadow," someone else wrote.
He may be a big boy, but he is just a little kid.
Big Boy is larger than most kids his age, but when we see him play, it is easy to tell that he is a little kid. He walks out in the snow in his socks, just like a toddler. He plays games and is silly. He sings songs and laughs at his mom. Big Boy truly is a little boy.
"OMG. am obsessed with his baby. i honestly wasn't expecting a baby voice ," someone wrote.
"He . Is . So . Adorable .. ," reads another comment.
Big Boy's mom might not be too far off.
Despite the naysayers, Big Boy's mom may be correctly attributing her son's size to his genetic makeup. A recent study of 5,000 Samoans found that a single gene increased the odds of obesity by 40%. The gene is found in nearly 25% of Samoans. There are other reasonable factors that contribute to obesity, but the genetic link is of note to researchers.
"Other factors include diet and physical activity. Indeed, the globe's shift to calorie-rich processed foods and more sedentary lifestyles has contributed significantly to the elevated rates of obesity among Samoans. But as this new study points out, their genetics are also working against them," Gizmodo asserts.
No matter what is causing Big Boy to be so big, people need to keep the comments light-hearted and free from shaming. He is a happy kid who is always smiling. There is no reason to break that kind of spirit.
