--- title: If You're Fat, Blame Your Mom, Says Controversial PSA description: Even if you're a full-grown adult canonical: https://time.com/3107767/if-fat-blame-mom-says-childrens-healthcare-atlanta-controversial-psa/ author: Charlotte Alter article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-08-13T19:50:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:25.434Z og:title: If You're Fat, Blame Mom, Says Controversial PSA og:description: Even if you're a full-grown adult og:url: https://time.com/3107767/if-fat-blame-mom-says-childrens-healthcare-atlanta-controversial-psa/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: If You're Fat, Blame Mom, Says Controversial PSA twitter:description: Even if you're a full-grown adult twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # If You're Fat, Blame Your Mom, Says Controversial PSA > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=d727b77c-52ff-497c-8d2f-d93d8628b681&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Rewind the Future. [Watch (HLS stream): Rewind the Future.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VzYIwO64.m3u8) (1:41)  _Published 2014-08-13. Rewind the Future._  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Aug 13, 2014 7:50 PM UTC  by [Charlotte Alter](https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Senior Correspondent Aug 13, 2014 7:50 PM UTC A startling Public Service Announcement from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has a harsh message for moms: if your child is fat, it’s your fault, even if he’s not a child anymore. The video starts with a 32-year-old, 300-lb man, Jim, on the operating table after he’s just had a heart attack as life flashes backwards before his eyes. It’s a series of unhealthy choices, like ordering fast food and sitting on the couch, interspersed with warnings from doctors about his weight getting out of control. But as the flashbacks go further and further back, more of the blame gets shifted onto his mother– she took him to get fast food, she let him drink sugary juice, she even fed him french fries when he was a baby. “It’s the only thing that’ll make him stop \[crying,\]” she responds when her skeptical friend says “I still can’t believe you give this child french fries.” The PSA ends with the text: “Your child’s future doesn’t have to look like this,” placing the blame for the adult man’s weight squarely on his mom. While there are points where the mom does seem to be encouraging unhealthy behavior, like feeding a baby french fries, she also appears to care about his excessive weight gain. She buys him a treadmill, takes him to the doctor, and does other things to help him slim down. The organization even included a fake diary, called “[Confessions of Jim’s Mom](http://www.strong4life.com/en/pages/galleries/Diary.aspx),” in which she describes how difficult it is to make healthy choices for her son. It includes “confessions” like: --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- On the one hand, [numerous studies ](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2531152/)have shown that parents [influence ](http://time.com/30376/parenting-like-a-tiger-mom-may-make-your-kids-obese/)everything about their child’s weight, from their genetic makeup to their eating habits. But isn’t a 32-year old man responsible for himself at a certain point? Is it really fair to blame the mom entirely for something that an adult man has the power to change? Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta seems to acknowledge that this PSA could cause a lot of guilt. “As parents (and humans), we’ve all made decisions that didn’t look too good in hindsight,” they [say on their website. ](http://www.strong4life.com/pages/LearnAssess/RewindtheFuture/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleid=ParentingTips§ionid=Overview)“But today, right now, we have an opportunity for a life changing do-over. It’s true. We can rewind the future by doing something differently today, and literally change our story’s ending.” But is it too late for moms of obese adults? Is it really all their fault? ## Transcript Alright, what do we got? Just came in. Heart attack. 5'9 ", 300 pounds, 32 years old. How the hell does that happen? [ MUSIC ] Higher! [ MUSIC ] Can I get a Could be developing Diabetes. You have to make a change. Oh yeah. You're graduating, Watch TV. You won't even have to leave. [ APPLAUSE ] You can't do this. Yes can I get a. Yeah, no a deep dish. You have to make a change. [ MUSIC ] Good job, Jim. You got an A Plus. Here are your fries, sweetie. [ INAUDIBLE ] I still can't believe you give this child french fries. I know, but it's the only thing that'll make him stop. 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