The Price of Childhood Obesity

Biggest problem is there is No Recess at Schools or After School programs any more because of the "No child left behind" program in many states. At my kid's school, the 2 PE instructors left and now recess/gym/standing around doing nothing is the norm since the teachers have to volunteer who is going to man the yard for the day. There is no after school programs or even any after school sports of any kind. School is shut down and locked up by 430pm. And we live 65 miles from the nearest city. Crime is down to nothing here. I have my kid help me out with the meals showing them the basic food groups and variations of colors of the meal and no salt or sugars, etc. But my kid is overweight and it is because they are sitting all day long in school with NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. All the organizations like Boys or Girls Scouts are just as bad. No activities there either. My kid gained weight at school, not at Day Care where they played outside at least 3 times a day. So those out there blaming the parents...shame on you! I am really thinking about homeschooling is much better then public school. It just adds to being a widowed spouse, bread winner, parent, house keeper, maid, and now a "Nutritionist/Physical Education/Teacher for my kid. Yea! @U.

Biggest problem is there is No Recess at Schools or After School programs any more because of the "No child left behind" program in many states. At my kid's school, the 2 PE instructors left and now recess/gym/standing around doing nothing is the norm since the teachers have to volunteer who is going to man the yard for the day. There is no after school programs or even any after school sports of any kind. School is shut down and locked up by 430pm. And we live 65 miles from the nearest city. Crime is down to nothing here. I have my kid help me out with the meals showing them the basic food groups and variations of colors of the meal and no salt or sugars, etc. But my kid is overweight and it is because they are sitting all day long in school with NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. All the organizations like Boys or Girls Scouts are just as bad. No activities there either. My kid gained weight at school, not at Day Care where they played outside at least 3 times a day. So those out there blaming the parents...shame on you! I am really thinking about homeschooling is much better then public school. It just adds to being a widowed spouse, bread winner, parent, house keeper, maid, and now a "Nutritionist/Physical Education/Teacher for my kid. Yea! @U.

A portion of my comment was inadvertently omitted. As I was saying, yes, they are still some "skinny" children out there but they are quickly becoming the minority.

As a registered nurse, this is a great public health concern. It's not intended to hurt feelings, but to address concerns for the future generations. Obesity rates have risen in children as well as adults; however, the repercussion of obesity in children is just now beginning to be revealed. Many parents are in denial, which is sad. I have a granddaughter who is 6 and overweight. But I know she does not eat healthy at home, nor does she have enough activity. Her mother is a single working mom with 2 kids, and doesn't take the time to cook. Frozen pizza, pop tarts, etc., are common, unfortunately. Yes, there are still some "skinny" children out there; however, Agriculture such as high fructose corn syrup is part of the reason for obesity. The other part has to do with activity. Kids now play on the computer, on the tv, etc., when they used to go outside and play neighborhood ballgames. As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule, but the article above is addressing a huge public health concern that will only worsen if people don't take the time to become more knowledgeable about obesity and the adverse affects on children, as well as adults.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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?

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".

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!!!!!

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.

Want the truth about our food supply? Want to truly be healthy? www.westonaprice.org

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.

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.

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.