Image By: Toshihiro Gamo

When has dieting gone too far?

After reading “The Heavy: A Mother, A Daughter, A Diet,” many would say it’s when a mother puts a 7-year-old child on strict dieting regimen.

The story of Dara-Lynn Weiss and her daughter, Bea, first came to light last spring after Weiss wrote an article for Vogue magazine. According to Weiss, the issues with her daughter’s health started when Bea was only 3. By the time she turned 6, Bea was just over four feet tall and already weighed 93 pounds—making her clinically obese.

Scared for her daughter’s future, Weiss went into a dietary lock-down.

Special menus, diet sodas and 100 calorie snacks were in. For the young Bea, her new strict food regimen extended to her friends’ houses.

Momma Weiss explained in Vogue the reasons behind her decision to restrict Bea’s calories. Weiss quickly came under fire by individuals who believed she was instilling the wrong kinds of values in her daughter and damaging Bea’s self-esteem. In a recent interview, Weiss recognized the controversial nature of her choices:

“I know I look like the bad guy. There are lots of times I looked like a crazy, overbearing mom and I felt like a crazy overbearing mom. But it was the only way I found to help my daughter.”

Weiss’s book, which was released earlier this week, is meant to be an extended version of the Vogue article. Although many people continue to disagree with her choices regarding her daughter’s diet, others in the same situation with their children admire Weiss for prioritizing her daughter’s health in the face of criticism.

Is it ever too early to start dieting? Let us know in the comments below.