Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well, I'm really not trying to be defensive so I'm sorry if that's how it's coming across. As I said, we have a neighbor with whom we are quite close and I see what they have gone through with their daughter. And I see posts that disdainfully refer to "the fat kid" they see here or there and how they shouldn't be allowed to do this or that and I guess I just see a face to "the fat kid" and know some of the other issues, like some other posters have mentioned. Yes, of course we all ought to eat better and healthier and live a more active lifestyle. I abolutely agree with that. But it really does make me feel sad when I see the judgement and disdain from people who seem to think it's only the "fat kids" who need to change.....
I'm sure personal feelings and experience skew what's written. Nothing I can do about that.
Well, that's certainly not the case for me, and while it may color how others here feel about the subject, there's just no excuse for some of the rude observations and ridiculous suggestions being made here.
It's always so much easier to look into a problem with rose-colored lenses when it's someone else's problem, and make suggestions based only on one's ignorance of it.
Hearing things like "holy crap that kid is fat. He has no business being in a restaurant. His parents are negligent. If that was my kid I'd make him walk home" is neither helpful nor polite. It's nothing but mean-spirited ignorance, which seems to be readily available in vast quantity in our society today.
In general yes it's the parents' own laziness and ignorance.. but there's societal factors too, that parents really have to fight against. And yes there were very few fat kids (rarely obese) up until the 90's it seemed. Processed food, widely available fast food, convenience stores everywhere and food machines everywhere, now in the schools.. kids are stuffing their faces 24 hours a day! And so many Moms don't even know to cook or feed themselves or their families anymore (they see it as a form of liberation I guess??)-- which astounds me. No one seems to walk anywhere now (part of the reason is that sadly it's not safe),, we all gave to get into our cars and drive. Big food corporations spend billions of dollars marketing junk food to kids. And not only TV but now computers and video games? And kids no longer play outside..? That's really done them in.
Parents can get rid of the tv. The Wii. The XBox. Limit internet time. The parents can get their kids outside. Kids don't want to go outside, start assigning jobs around the house that require some elbow grease-washing the kitchen floor by hand, cleaning the bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming and so on.
And it is possible to eat healthy no matter what your income. It takes a ton of work as mostof us cannot stop off at our local organic food store that sells celery for $5, but it is possible. NO ONE is forcing parents to buy all that crap that is sold in stores. Instead of chips, buy some celery and peanut butter. Instead of cookies, buy apples, grapes and some dried cranberries. It can all be done on the lowest income scale. Healthy foods are not expensive. They start to become expensive if they go to waste since many times they are perishable unlike a bag of Doritoes which can sit in the pantry for 3 years.
"Fast Food Nation" is a great book. Really informs on how we've gotten to this point.
I can't afford Starbucks & after working there for 5 years, refuse to pay the prices b/c it's a scam. I don't like McDonalds (minus their coffee and sweet tea) nor do my kids. The only thing they want to do is play in the Playland which is a whole other topic...
Schools make a profit off of the soda machines and candy machines.
But more and more are starting to ban those and trying to enforce healthier food choices.
I guess I was lucky b/c I came from a home that encouraged moderation. We also never had cable until I left for college & where required to be involved in extracurriculars. My parents monitored my tv time when I was in high school as I come to think about it. It's was an hour.
Unless a child has a genetic challenge and/or is obsese, I think it is very dangerous NOT to teach moderation. To expect a 14yr old to live off of spinach greens and some arugala is just as unhealthy. Moderation.
Like mentioned above, blaming "fat kids" (which is just an ignorant term to use IMO) and their parents is just the tip of the iceberg. It goes beyond what so many think is simplistic.
I was watching this show on PBS several months ago about the homeless and their search for jobs. And one woman was fascinating in her response: "Why don't I just go and get a job? I don't have any clothes. I don't have any money for the bus. I don't have a physical address to put on an application. It's not as easy as saying: Just go & get a job".
Think same thing can be said for children who are obese and/or struggle with weight. It's not as clear cut as saying "Just don't go to Dairy Queen". It's a lifestyle that has been taught to them by their family,society and media.
This post is a good example of the personal virtue argument. The thing is that the argument sounds good, because there's truth in it. Personal responsibility is a valuable trait, but it fails to take into consideration the daily assault on our self-control and self-image perpetuated by our country's commercial culture. Yes, there are healthy, affordable foods in the grocery, but they're most often obscured by unhealthy, processed products that have a higher profit margin for the store. It's like running a gauntlet just to buy a gallon of milk!
For example: right now, immediately inside the door of my local Safeway, there is an absolutely huge display of discounted Valentine's Day candy... with free samples! If you get through it, then there's the aisle full of processed, sugar-laden breakfast items. Of course, the worst offenders are on sale, and there's a coupon dispenser right above the shelf of artificially-colored, puffed sugar bombs. The plain carton of oatmeal is tucked behind a cardboard display of another nutritionally-devoid breakfast "food," so it's difficult to see. Once you get the milk and back to the front of the store, you're faced with a check-out stand piled with candy and junk. Every twenty feet there's some tasty morsel tempting you, and the bakery is pumping the smell of freshly-baked cake through the air.
I'm all for personal responsibility, but I think it fails to consider the daily assault on any effort to eat a healthy diet from an industry that is bound and determined to thwart us at every opportunity. I'm a generally strong person with a solid knowledge of nutrition and a SAHM with time for cooking to boot, but even I have trouble withstanding the onslaught.
This post is a good example of the personal virtue argument. The thing is that the argument sounds good, because there's truth in it. Personal responsibility is a valuable trait, but it fails to take into consideration the daily assault on our self-control and self-image perpetuated by our country's commercial culture. Yes, there are healthy, affordable foods in the grocery, but they're most often obscured by unhealthy, processed products that have a higher profit margin for the store. It's like running a gauntlet just to buy a gallon of milk!
For example: right now, immediately inside the door of my local Safeway, there is an absolutely huge display of discounted Valentine's Day candy... with free samples! If you get through it, then there's the aisle full of processed, sugar-laden breakfast items. Of course, the worst offenders are on sale, and there's a coupon dispenser right above the shelf of artificially-colored, puffed sugar bombs. The plain carton of oatmeal is tucked behind a cardboard display of another nutritionally-devoid breakfast "food," so it's difficult to see. Once you get the milk and back to the front of the store, you're faced with a check-out stand piled with candy and junk. Every twenty feet there's some tasty morsel tempting you, and the bakery is pumping the smell of freshly-baked cake through the air.
I'm all for personal responsibility, but I think it fails to consider the daily assault on any effort to eat a healthy diet from an industry that is bound and determined to thwart us at every opportunity. I'm a generally strong person with a solid knowledge of nutrition and a SAHM with time for cooking to boot, but even I have trouble withstanding the onslaught.
It's like you live inside my head, I swear. Well said. Of course your points can be countered with the argument that self control is all that one needs to be a better person. I however am confident that you will be more than capable of replying in succinct form the sparking and fragmented thoughts my poor brain struggles to put into words on the subject of self control.
This post is a good example of the personal virtue argument. The thing is that the argument sounds good, because there's truth in it. Personal responsibility is a valuable trait, but it fails to take into consideration the daily assault on our self-control and self-image perpetuated by our country's commercial culture. Yes, there are healthy, affordable foods in the grocery, but they're most often obscured by unhealthy, processed products that have a higher profit margin for the store. It's like running a gauntlet just to buy a gallon of milk!
For example: right now, immediately inside the door of my local Safeway, there is an absolutely huge display of discounted Valentine's Day candy... with free samples! If you get through it, then there's the aisle full of processed, sugar-laden breakfast items. Of course, the worst offenders are on sale, and there's a coupon dispenser right above the shelf of artificially-colored, puffed sugar bombs. The plain carton of oatmeal is tucked behind a cardboard display of another nutritionally-devoid breakfast "food," so it's difficult to see. Once you get the milk and back to the front of the store, you're faced with a check-out stand piled with candy and junk. Every twenty feet there's some tasty morsel tempting you, and the bakery is pumping the smell of freshly-baked cake through the air.
I'm all for personal responsibility, but I think it fails to consider the daily assault on any effort to eat a healthy diet from an industry that is bound and determined to thwart us at every opportunity. I'm a generally strong person with a solid knowledge of nutrition and a SAHM with time for cooking to boot, but even I have trouble withstanding the onslaught.
You know, all of this is true.
But who is supposed to take care of me? Who is supposed to take care of you? Who is supposed to take care of our kids?
It may be different for me, because I'm a man (and men & women typically shop in different ways), but I look through the online ads for our local Bakers Supermarket. I find what I'm after, then go in and get it. And I suppose it helps that I don't like candy, but I'm not the least bit tempted by those aisle end displays and kiosks. My last trip to the grocery store netted a huge pork tenderloin roast, 2 dozen eggs, and a bunch of frozen vegetables - everything being on sale.
Personally, I don't want anybody else to take responsibility for me and my family. I don't want anybody else telling me what we can and cannot eat. I don't want anybody else telling me whether or not we can eat at McDonalds. My wife & I will decide that.
Here's an interesting study in genetics versus environment...
In my extended family, there are two brothers who married two sisters. This should mean that all 7 of their children have very similar genetics. Both sisters are fantastic cooks. But one sister cooks incredible "comfort food" - and loads of it. The other sister prepares meals with a lot more fruit & vegetables, and is a little more reasonable in portion sizes. It has been this way for well over 25 years.
All 7 of their kids are grown. The kids from one family are all very thin. The kids from the other family are all obese (and I do mean obese!). In fact, the youngest of all the 7 kids is now diabetic.
Which family do you suppose produced the slender children, and which produced the obese children?
I wouldn't necessarily call parents of overweight kids "bad", it's most likely that they are just uneducated. Bad eating habits transfer from generation to generation and kids take it with them for life.
You can be "big-boned", tall and overall large, but overweight is overweight, there is no way around it. Most likely it comes with lack of portion control, processed and junk foods and lack of exercise. Although I can't say that genes have nothing to do with it either.
I also agree that our society and environment doesn't help.
I'm all for personal responsibility, but I think it fails to consider the daily assault on any effort to eat a healthy diet from an industry that is bound and determined to thwart us at every opportunity. I'm a generally strong person with a solid knowledge of nutrition and a SAHM with time for cooking to boot, but even I have trouble withstanding the onslaught.
It's never a good idea to go for groceries while hungry. If you're not hungry, you don't fall so hard for those displays.
I wouldn't necessarily call parents of overweight kids "bad", it's most likely that they are just uneducated. Bad eating habits transfer from generation to generation and kids take it with them for life.
Wow, that isn't insultive at all. What is 'uneducated' about someone who has a PhD and is overweight?
Your statement suggests that high school dropouts are who are all obese, college grads aren't as much so, and graduate degrees aren't obese at all.
OR those who aren't so diet savvy are all obese, those who know something about nutrition are somewhat obese, and those nutritionists are all thin.
No matter how you look at it, education is not a factor.
It's natural metabolism and life style.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
