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How would you go about handling the obesity problem in the country—especially among children—and the fact that many schools are not providing enough exercise in recess time?
The exercise issue was already addressed in the question, and Trump failed to answer how he would handle the problem.
Sports programs have never been worth much as regular exercise for most kids.
The exercise issue was already addressed in the question, and Trump failed to answer how he would handle the problem.
Sports programs have never been worth much as regular exercise for most kids.
Sports and exercise are good things obviously but by themselves don't do much to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Fat people and fat kids simply take in too many calories. Fast food. Junk food. Sugary drinks. Etc.
1) I would not be so quick to criticize Trump for providing what I think was actually a good answer even if it was not in the format that some would like (but he was not wrong) and provided in a less than scripted way. I have heard Obama stammer many times over answering a question or when his teleprompter doesn't work - and oftentimes his responses were nowhere near as good as Trump's was in this case. While these politicians should be prepared to answer questions if they take them (and he did), I am not sure that a Q&A session required him to spend half an hour and spit out a 'policy' formatted answer to this one - since it doesn't seem to have been the main focus of that particular event. Correct me if I am wrong, please.
2) It costs me less to feed myself than it does to feed my dog and I can eat quite healthily for less than $5 a day (after I purchase some staples of course) most of the time, even organic when I can get it. I don't eat a heck of lot of meat but I am not vegetarian either (though I eat a lot of vegetables). It is mostly because I cook for myself - and I technically live in what can be termed a food desert - 70 miles to a decent grocery store, one way. Gas to get to the store costs more than my groceries most of the time. I don't know if many people on SNAP can't cook or don't want to - but I am pretty sure many of them could do better with what they are given for food. I wish we would mandate cooking lessons for those who receive SNAP.
3) You can try to deny that the 'free breakfast' type programs are serving food that isn't healthy but that would not be true - they are in many places, perhaps most. Lack of oversight. Funding for other things dependent on providing this service. All sorts of reasons why I am sure this is happening, but, it IS happening. I have seen it, heard about it, read about it. And I have also seen kids flooding into the convenience stores after school - these same kids that apparently don't have any money to buy 'real food' - to buy chips and sodas. No matter how many carrots and celery sticks you mandate that convenience stores must carry, the kids will not buy those - even if the store someday is told they are not legally allowed to sell them crap food under the age of 18. There will be 'black markets' for junk food if that happens or the store owners will ignore the law.
4) Kids aren't getting the kind of exercise they need for the most part. Recesses, fewer stupid rules about playground activities, sports activities all would help with that. I am not that big on the sports stuff (and many times there are 'equipment' and 'facility' costs for those - not to mention more injury potential - but they are good in some cases for 'exercise' purposes, some sports are better than others in that regard - as long as all players get the opportunity to actually play and don't just warm the bench.) In many neighbourhoods, kids go inside after school and don't emerge till it is time to go to school again. Perhaps they have home gyms but if you are on SNAP, the way some talk, they wouldn't even have a can of fruit to lift in there. But, they do have TV's and video games it seems. I am guessing but I would say that there is a good chance they are not weight lifting except to go get the popcorn from the microwave.
5) Exercise is important of course but that is not all that is going on here. The types of foods these kids are eating has a lot to do with the obesity problem too. And yes, there is a genetic component as well - some are ectomorphs naturally, others are endomorphs is part of that, but not all of course. There are probably not just types of food issues but composition of foods - but you don't want to hear my theories on that right now I am sure. Suffice it to say that although one might say a potato can be healthy in moderation, one can eat potatoes many ways (deep fried, baked, boiled, etc.) and those potatoes could also have been grown with a lot of pesticides that we just don't have enough research about yet to truly understand what effect those may be having on the body long term, etc.
6) I would rather see kids study more about nutrition, etc. than gender studies in the early grades. And start teaching THEM to cook too, even in kindergarten. Life skills are not a bad thing - and cooking incorporates a lot of other more 'academic' subjects as well - one can learn about weights and measures/math, one can 'read' recipes, one can be creative (art), one can study where the food comes from and how it is grown (science and geography). We teach kids the wrong way in schools imho because we focus on those darned tests and having to discipline kids who cannot be controlled because their parents didn't teach them how to behave, and to have respect for authority.
I could go on but that is enough for now. That was an 'off the cuff' answer from me. Darn, I think I should be running for President. But, I would be criticized for being more wordy than Trump was, while actually telling you not much more than he did.
My bad though .. this was an 'attack Trump about a miniscule point' thread, wasn't it? I am sorry .. I should talk logic somewhere else I am sure.
This is a disjointed, rambling, diatribe that has virtually no coherent content. Sometimes when Trump talks it is like he is half asleep or drunk - I don't get it. He's trying to make a point but I'll be flummoxed if I can sort out what it is. The more he goes off the teleprompter the slimmer his chances of winning in November.
He's going to 'open that up' just like he's going to 'open up the water' in California.
It's been 8 years of Obama. If the Dems knew cared about child obesity, we wouldn't have so many fat kids running around. What do you fatties have to lose?
I love it how everything is a school's fault. Just like everything is government's fault. I noticed it's a common trend, and it's prevalent across the political spectrum: lack of responsibility. It's always somebody's fault that we don't have jobs, health insurance, or that our kids are overweight.
It sounds like kids only eat at school, and what their parents feed them doesn't matter. Even those on SNAP and with a free breakfast and lunch have parents, you know? Give them tools to eat healthier on a limited budget, and you will see improvements. Ever heard of food deserts? Ever heard of programs that help urban poor population get access to fresh produce? And yes, Michelle was right too.
Childhood obesity has been steadily falling for a few years now, but progress doesn't happen overnight. We are on the right track, and that's what Trump should've said, if he had any clue at all.
Now, regarding that 220 lb athlete... My child was an athlete in school. No way he could ever survive on what school was serving in the cafeteria. Of course, he always packed his lunch - healthy stuff I cooked the night before. And it wasn't anything expensive, but then I know how to feed my family healthy on a budget. Teach America how to cook again, and you see obesity disappear in a few decades.
I love it how everything is a school's fault. Just like everything is government's fault. I noticed it's a common trend, and it's prevalent across the political spectrum: lack of responsibility.
I would LOVE it if our country implements a policy of personal responsibility, but that would mean eliminating all forms of means-tested welfare such as SNAP, free school meals, etc. Are you on board with that?
Sports and exercise are good things obviously but by themselves don't do much to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Fat people and fat kids simply take in too many calories. Fast food. Junk food. Sugary drinks. Etc.
Sports programs in schools don't do much as regular exercise for most kids.
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