Children + Obesity: What's the real problem?

[ladymacbeth]

With all of the stories coming out about children and obesity, and the law suits directed at McDonald's and such, I was wondering what the real problem is...

My take on things at the moment is that it's NOT the food that is the problem. I've worked with a lot of kids through the United Way and YWCA, and I've seen the absolute SHIT that they get in their lunches...those terrible lunchables things with doughy pizza and cheese and snickers bars, sugary soda and fake juices, double helpings of cookies...

Ok, Ok, but man, my parents weren't health conscious when I was a kid either. I ate unbelievable amounts of food and stayed skinny as a mofo, because I swam and even without that, I was running around like a little squirrelly kid all day long until I was too exhausted to do anymore. All of my friends were too, and none of them ever had a weight problem...

Sooooo, my question is, what has happened to the importance of physical activity?? I don't think that the food is truly to blame with the child obesity problem, I think it's the lack of activity...what's happened? A lot of the kids I've had as campers or whatnot who were overweight were also the ones who were tired all the time, or who complained about hikes through the woods or water balloon fights, which would usually drive most kids into a frenzy...what do you think? I think that young people are naturally spunky and rambunctious...

I think a lot of it has to do with the whole ritalin--add thing. Not only are kids all drugged up much of the time, but showing any kind of crazy, outgoing personality is frowned upon, and those kids are singled out by other parents and teachers as being "problems" when they are, in fact, perfectly normal...questioning authority, painting on the walls, throwing the dodgeball too hard...they're KIDS, and everyone seems to think that they should be wee little adults...so, maybe the overweight adults only wish to have chubby little proteges, sleeping in their wake.

Tell me, what about it??????

(I know these are personal experiences I'm mentioning, but I'm sick of the same old bullshit "here's full documentation and proof for everything I said" threads. I want to hear some honest opinions, people!!)

 

[Robert Jan]

the problem is that many people fail to see that health is one of the most important things is life... something im extra aware of right now as im an intern in the hostpital in the operating room... and those that do see this often fail to see that being fit is very much the same as being healthy....

and of course the huge mass ignorance we all know about

 

[Y_lifter]

In order for your young child to get good physical exercise, it usually takes the parents involvement.

Driving them to the Y or to Ball practice or the park and staying there and participating.
Or paying for the activity but still needing to drive them.

A lot of parents are so caught up in their own lives that it's easier to just let their kids be in a Coma in front of the TV or Video Game.

 

[ladymacbeth]

A lot of parents are so caught up in their own lives that it's easier to just let their kids be in a Coma in front of the TV or Video Game.

This is my biggest problem. I had a mom tell me once, when her kid forgot to get his ritalin at lunch time (they had to go pick up the pills from a nurse) "What am I going to do? Now I have to deal with him..."

I get absolutely livid when I see perfectly healthy children being wasted away by the telly or drugs, when they could be living a real life. Instead, their parents treat them like pets, to be medicated and fattened up to please their time constraints or own particular tastes.

 

[Y_lifter]

I have just one 10 yr old Daughter.. I can only imagine what it must be like for those people with 3-4 kids.

Me and my wife have basically put our lives on hold for the most part to raise her.
I wouldn't trade a single Minute of the time I spend together as a family. She goes everywhere we go for the most part.
I think in the 10 years, my wife and I have gone to maybe a dozen places just the 2 of us.
We made a decision to restrict the number of children so we could give them more. We ended up with only 1.

 

[frorider6]

Me and my wife have basically put our lives on hold for the most part to raise her.

I think that's the wrong attitude. Cherish your time with your kids. If you're concerned about "putting your life on hold" then you shouldn't have them. My family will BE my life.

 

[bigschweeler]

Technology.

When I was growing up all we had was Pong, then later Atari (I killed Space Invaders, but I digress), and even later Apple II (I still love that old Oregon Trail game). We didn't have Game Boys, Game Cubes, X-Box, Playstation, a million choices on TV. So our entertainment was playing sports in the yard, and riding our bikes.

I remember being called to dinner while playing football outside and being disappointed because it ended our game. Then I would go inside and drink five glasses of milk with dinner, and run back outside to play.

It seems today instead of physical activity kids are either playing with their technological toys, on the computer, or watching TV. They aren't getting the physical exercise because there are so many diversions that are more fun to them.

 

[frorider6]

Technology.

When I was growing up all we had was Pong, then later Atari (I killed Space Invaders, but I digress), and even later Apple II (I still love that old Oregon Trail game). We didn't have Game Boys, Game Cubes, X-Box, Playstation, a million choices on TV. So our entertainment was playing sports in the yard, and riding our bikes.

I remember being called to dinner while playing football outside and being disappointed because it ended our game. Then I would go inside and drink five glasses of milk with dinner, and run back outside to play.

It seems today instead of physical activity kids are either playing with their technological toys, on the computer, or watching TV. They aren't getting the physical exercise because there are so many diversions that are more fun to them.

EXACTLY what I've always said about this!!!!!!

 

[gymnpoppa]

Parents....ultimately responsible.

And it doesn't make a real difference whether they're well off, or mid/poor class, the parents don't want to, or don't spend the time to educate themselves, let alone the kids.

 

[saint808]

i blame internet chat boards... we got a lot of kidson here rather than playing with themselves outside.