OBESITY

The Price of Childhood Obesity

Why the costs could be 'catastrophic' if we don't stop the epidemic now.

By Jennifer Barrett | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Dec 5, 2007 | Updated: 4:54 p.m. ET Dec 5, 2007

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Posted By: sctxmom @ 06/02/2008 8:13:19 AM

Comment: Wow, I am completely floored by some of the horrendous and unfeeling comments here. I have an overweight 6 year old daughter - not horribly obese, just overweight - and I am working to help her maintain her weight as she grows taller. It hasn't escaped my attention, and I'm not in some denial about it. She's still very young, and you don't just put a 6 year old on a "diet" and call it quits. But please, people, this is NOT some clear-cut issue of bad parenting! My husband & I are well-educated, healthy adults. I have been a vegetarian for over 16 years. My children don't even know what the term "fast food" means. I am at the gym 3-4 times a week and work with a personal trainer (and have done so for years). I have 2 other children of normal body weight. I am of a normal body weight. I compete (and win medals in!) numerous local 5Ks and am currently training for a half-marathon. And guess what? My "overweight" 6 year old daughter recently ran a 5K with me - and won a medal for her age group! Some kids simply grow at different rates. And some people think that just because their kids start off thin they will remain thin, but that is ridiculous. I can't tell you how many obese parents I see who have thin kids that eat stuff I would NEVER feed my kids. Those kids won't stay thin forever. Stop focusing on just the "overweight" kids. EVERY child needs to learn about how & when & what to eat. Believe me, I'm more confident that my daughter will end up healthy and athletic than I am the numerous skinny kids that I see running in & out of McD's all the time. You negative critics need to take a look at the other aspects of parenting that are detrimental to your children - such as teaching them about passing judgment without understanding circumstances. Personally, I'd prefer my daughter be a little round but empathetic and compassionate, rather than negative and single-minded.
Posted By: Gmom @ 05/21/2008 12:20:21 AM

Comment: I was a fat kid. My Mom wasn't happy being a Mom and it showed. We ate the same junk she ate to numb herself. When we were in High School my sis and I revolted. We lost weight. My Mom never stopped elbowing us until the day she died. It was such a big deal to her because we were thin. When I had kids I vowed things would be different and they were. We had daily "play time" in which we all (me included) went outside to get fresh air, sunshine, ran around, climbed trees (yes, I climbed them, too). Today my kids are healthy, active adults and tell me all the time they want to be a parent like I was because their childhoods werw so much fun. I played with them, read to them, I valued them. Looking back I can see the real difference between my childhood and my kids and why they never had weight problems. My Mom didn't want to be there and I wanted to be there for my kids. Parents need to take the limited time they have with their kids so seriously. It's too short to ignore them by buying junk food and buying every etoy they want. They need to experience the good and beauty in life so they'll be able to enjoy it when they're adults. Hopefully healthy ones.
Posted By: helenxhelen @ 04/01/2008 9:29:01 AM

Comment: When I see very young children in the school yard finding it difficult to move and run around it bothers me greatly. And as long as society continues to look for answers in papers and research and as to why it???s happening, when we all know it certainly in 80% of the cases, sheer overeating and eating the wrong foods.

I recommend a book to school children and their schools called ???PLEASE DON???T CALL ME FATTY??? a true story written by a teenage girl tormented by her overweight problem. This can be read by both the adult and the child. It helps parent understand how awful it is for the child to be overweight. It helps overweight children realise they are not alone with this problem and there are way to correct it.
Posted By: helenxhelen @ 04/01/2008 9:28:13 AM

Comment: When I see very young children in the school yard finding it difficult to move and run around it bothers me greatly. And as long as society continues to look for answers in papers and research and as to why it???s happening, when we all know it certainly in 80% of the cases, sheer overeating and eating the wrong foods.

I recommend a book to school children and their schools called ???PLEASE DON???T CALL ME FATTY??? a true story written by a teenage girl tormented by her overweight problem. This can be read by both the adult and the child. It helps parent understand how awful it is for the child to be overweight. It helps overweight children realise they are not alone with this problem and there are way to correct it.
Posted By: Pamela Gould @ 01/03/2008 11:30:14 AM

Comment: So many of these comments are negative, with words like "control" and "sacrifice!" Who wants to live that way--or parent that way? Almost nobody. The obesity epidemic will continue until we, as a culture, create patterns of living that combine enjoyment of food and play with nutrition and fitness. I have found that, contrary to popular belief, most children very much enjoy at least some healthy foods that are prepared well and served in a fun and relaxed way. Also, studies have proven that most children do not need parents controlling portions, but are able to self-regulate calorie intake when they are eating a (mostly) healthy diet. Likewise, normal children will play actively when given the chance (ie are taken to the park or pool or sent into the backyard). As parents, the message seems to be that we have to make a choice between two terrible options: be harsh health-nuts...or be a fun "normal" parent and let the kids be fat. It's time to take a new path by looking for the many places that health and pleasure intersect. If our kids learn to "love what is good" they will grow up to be healthy--and happy.
Pamela Gould, author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family
Posted By: Kbrn93 @ 12/29/2007 1:32:48 AM

Comment: Feed your kids healthy foods, expose them to numerous choices and get them outside to play with other kids and run around. As a parent, set a good example for portion control, eating slowly and not eating late at night. No matter how busy we are as parents, or how many hours we work, there should always be time set aside for healthy well balanced meals. Fat kids are the result of poor parenting - bottom line! Make the time, make the sacrifice, do whatever it takes to instill healthy habits in your children. And PLEASE, turn off the gadgets, TV, video games and spend time being a parent!
Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 12/14/2007 9:46:05 AM

Comment: When I was a kid, a class typically had just one fat kid. We didn't have cable TV and had to run around outside for fun, and we didn't have convenience stores or fast food restaurants everyhere. We tended gardens and played sports. Guess what? We were skinny! I'm still skinny to this day.
And honestly, I don't care if kids of today are fat or even if other adults are fat. I really don't--it's not my responsibility. There's a simple correlation: too much junk + too little exercise = fat. It's that simple, any monkey can see this. Just look at kids rasied in homes that encourage sports....are they fat? Hmmmm, hardly ever. Wow, could it be the physical activity? Or the healthy food? Could it be the parents instilled healthy habits in these kids?
Posted By: besposlen @ 12/13/2007 4:35:08 PM

Comment: In my kid's preschool class there are 3 obese kids and a few more overweight ones. I tried to bring that to their teacher's attention, hoping she will warn the parents about the issues those kids face in the future. She said she didn't know how to tell the parents and not offend them. Are those parents blind, ignorant, lazy or stupid? Or perhaps all of the above. I'm saing this because I had some very interesting experiences with some kids that sometime come to my home to play with my kid. In different occasions kids asked for a snak and when I would offer them what I ussualy give to my child (fresh or dried fruits, whole grain crackers...), they would make faces and ask for potato chips or gold fish. Once a kid came to my place for lunch, and when I served him vegetable soup and whole wheat bread he said that he didn't like vegetables because they "taste like poop"!!!!! Than the kid asked me for chicken nuggets or hot-dogs, and when I told him we didn't have any because we don't eat food like that, he said we were freaks!!! Where do kids learn to say something like that? From their parents? Probably.
My kid likes potato chips and chicken nuggets, too (and to be honest I like potato chips), but that doesn't mean we eat them everyday. Am I a freak for feeding my kid homemade vegetable soup and whole wheat bread? Are the parents that order pizza or get french fries from McDonald's better parents? Will those kids that think vegetables tase like crap still think the same when they get diabetes and high blood presure? Probably. And then they will blame the obesity on genetic predisposition, tyroid disfunction and other "crap".
Posted By: sketckbook @ 12/09/2007 1:49:35 AM

Comment: I believe that obesity begins in the home..it al 100% the parents fault. Neglect breeds obesity and so does lack of love...its nice that all this new research has been found but parents should get a grip and do something about it before its too late. Control what goes into your child's mouth and none of this would be relevant in our lives...make wise decisions...and stop being foolish!!!!!
Posted By: William.Demuth @ 12/07/2007 8:51:24 AM

Comment: Finally! A true solution to under funded Social Security and Medicare obligations. Keep up the good work! Let them work and pay taxes, when they die early it is a boon to our economy.
Posted By: phil5678 @ 12/06/2007 5:10:32 PM

Comment: Want the truth about our food supply? Want to truly be healthy? www.westonaprice.org
Posted By: Suzanne 1959 @ 12/06/2007 2:26:08 PM

Comment: With the huge issue of childhood obesity threatening our children, II would like to share a story about the quest that my brother and sister-in-law went on to help their daughter avoid a life of obesity. They spent untold hours and personal resources to find the answer and now are trying to share it with other families. Information on the problem abounds, but practical solutions that really work seem to be hard to find.

Coming from a family with a history of obesity, Lisa saw her daughter heading down this same path. Desperate to find a solution, finding nothing suitable for children, she and her husband scoured public resources to build a program. They found the solution hidden in dozens of resources scattered about the web and in print, and used it to build a weight loss program for their daughter. It worked, and their 11-year old daughter avoided the pitfalls of childhood obesity. Today Krystal is a happy, healthy 16 year old who is still in her healthy weight range.

But that???s not where it ends. Friends and family encouraged Lisa to share her success with others, to take her battle for her daughter to a larger front, the battle against childhood obesity. That was the genesis of the 45Pounds program. Lisa got her certification as a Kid???s Nutrition Specialist, and with the help of her husband built a program designed especially for kids.

Kids have special challenges and special needs, and the 45Pounds program addresses this through an individualized and holistic approach, educating the parent and child on the principals of healthy nutrition and exercise, and giving them the tools and encouragement needed to succeed.

If you would like more information about their program as well as photos and testimonials you can find it on their website: 45pounds.com. If you would like to speak to Lisa you may contact her at Lisa@45pounds.com or by phone: 254-725-4224.
- Posted By: dewcooper @ 12/07/2007 10:29:11
  
  Comment: The International Youth Conditioning Association also has a certification program for those interested in learning how to train children and teens, including physiology, kinesiology and nutrition especifically for young people. If you are intersted in getting a Youth Conditioning Specialists certification or in just learning more about working with children, go to www.IYCA.org
Posted By: dewcooper @ 12/06/2007 2:03:56 PM

Comment: I am sorry, but this is not a political issue, but a PARENTAL issue. Who is feeding these kids this garbage? Their parents. Who is buying these kids the video games? Their parents. And who isn't making these kids exercise? Yep, you guessed it, their parents. Schools are not to blaim, the government is not to blaim, and food manufacturers are not to blaim. These kids are obese because their parents are too selfish and too self centered to do anything about it. Many of these parents are looking for companions to share in their own obesity, not caring about the damage that they are doing to these children that they are responsible for protecting. It is time to stop blaiming others and to start taking responsibility for your own actions and how these actions are damaging your children.
Posted By: mominohio @ 12/06/2007 9:23:39 AM

Comment: I have one word for our obese children and it does not cost a thing "RECESS". My child has not had recess since 4th grade. The only exercise at school is the 3 to 5 minutes between classes and gym 2 times a week. The benefits from a 20 minute recess far outway the drugs that our children are on. The exercise and the emotional benefit for our children would be a great start in the fight against this enemy. The energy that builds up in their bodies need to be released. Can you remember the recesses: running, kicking a ball, swinging, jumping, and playing chase. Think of the muscles that we used and did not even think about it because we were having fun doing it. The kids can't think because they have to sit in a classroom all day (which equals to 5 hours or more in a chair in a classroom inside). Not to mention the fresh air would be great for the kids. We adults need to be adults and let the kids be kids. No exercise and no activity equals obesity.
Posted By: preventvscure @ 12/05/2007 7:51:15 PM

Comment: All of this is inspite of the fact that less than 4% of US 'health' care dollars go to our public health departments - the ones charged with fighting these issues. Why is it that the US is bent on an acute care reactive focus? We have over 2800 local health departments in the United States that are grossly underfunded - especially for prevention programs. The infrastructure is already there. Why aren't we using it as a focus of the system rather than the 'sick' institutions such as acute care offices/clinics and hospitals? My guess is that there is no money to be made. I am not a doctor, but I have noticed that the physicians that practice public health in our health departments seem to be some of the only ones in it for the right reason.