Where Do Parents Fit In the Childhood Obesity Puzzle?
Former New York Times food critic and professional fat guy Frank Bruni asks in a recent Times piece what role parents play in raising unfat kids. Should they closely monitor every meal and snack, or let kids make their own choices? Should parents speak up about bulging waistlines and after-workout ice cream or keep their mouths shut? Is modeling desired behaviors (translation: regular exercise, healthful meals) the key?
Yes and no and, maybe, actually, none of the above.
The thing is, researchers, experts, parents — even former fat kids — can’t agree on what’s making kids fat. Nobody knows how to prevent childhood obesity (though commenters on Bruni’s article, Kate Harding’s Broadsheet post on the topic, and commenters on my recent piece, certainly believe they do, usually amounting to, “Fat is a personal, moral failure. Do better.” Um, okay.)
Bruni’s memoir Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater describes his childhood eating habits as “compulsive and expansive” from a very young age. But why? Was he born that way? Did his parents make him that way? Could it have been prevented? Was it inevitable?
In the Times, he offers up a bit of research but mostly talks to parents, who, among other things, have the complicated job of getting their kids to be aware of what they eat without making them obsessed with it.
Bruni doesn’t come up with any hard answers, since there isn’t consensus. He does, however, find some common ground among the experts: parents can model sensible eating habits and regular exercise, provide healthy choices, serve dinner, get kids to help shop and cook. Great! Except then he goes and undermines all of that consensus with anecdotes of two kids he knows whose eating habits and parents’ lifestyles predict that they’ll act the opposite of how they actually do around food.
Granted, Bruni’s article wasn’t meant as a thesis, but he looks at obesity the way most people talk about it: as an invididual problem. Finger-pointing at the individual (or the individual’s mom) is where this discussion inevitably goes. (Well, that and soda in schools).
What about the broader environment? It’s not exactly a lean world out there. Food and food service and cues to eat and opportunities to eat are, truly, everywhere. Especially for kids. I don’t just mean eeeeevil food corporations with their ubiquitous ads and manipulative product placements in all areas of life, not just on TV. I mean our society. It is all about food.
So who cares if the girl Bruni describes struggles with whether to eat French fries and the boy shovels it in to his parents’ horror. My point is, there are fries and shovel-loads of food just sitting there, waiting to be eaten. Ahhh, but it’s up to the girl and boy to resist or look away or choose an apple. Somewhere an individual has failed if a fry gets eaten.
We don’t ask for that kind of accountability with other health issues (except, maybe, lung cancer). Unlike air pollution or asthma or breast cancer, the obesity discussion starts and stops with the individual. We don’t tend to blame Katie Couric’s deceased husband for getting colon cancer, but Al Roker’s weight problem is Al Roker’s and no one else’s. Your weight problem is your fault. And until your child turns, what, 16? 18? Her weight problem is your fault, too.
Is there a chance parents are rather helpless when it comes to regulating food for their kids? Aside from slapping a granola bar out of their hands, or chastising them in front of friends, what can you do? We laugh at parents who are exasperated by the ice-cream truck at the park. We think this mother’s crusade against school cupcakes is self-serving and an imposition. I’ve insulted any number of friends by, on behalf of my kids, declining their food offerings or trying to set ground rules in advance. I’ve even left group activities that begin displaying the signs of a pre-dinner binge, which sounds just about as weird as it feels doing it.
What’s the other option? We’re told that, as parents, we’ve failed if our kids don’t make the “right” choice — that is, it’s on us if our three-year-olds want a Bomb Pop and our six-year-old’s don’t say “no thank you” to a third cupcake that week.
Bruni’s piece falls for this idea that the individual is completely in charge and, therefore, at fault for any undesirable outcomes. What should parents do? How about: what can parents do? Very little. Food. Is. Everywhere.
Of course the individual bears some responsibility for his and his child’s own health. But we humans are servants of our brains, and our brains are telling us: eat. Not only that, but really smart people are in charge of figuring out how to tell our brains to tell us to eat, and no, I’m not a conspiracy theorist writing this from my chicken coop. Advertising, people! Marketing! There are real smarty pants out there figuring ways to get us (and our kids) to buy their food, which another set of smart people have carefully designed to have the right balance of fat, salt and sugar to make you want more, more, more. Hell, one of these smart people writes essays for Babble! (Self-empowering food? Did the Gay Uncle come up Lunchables?)
I’m sure we all agree that there is no magic bullet when it comes to childhood obesity, and a lot of folks (including me) are skeptical of the one-size-fits-all growth chart percentiles and BMI scales. Smaller numbers don’t mean better health. They only mean smaller numbers. So we are talking about a lot of different things when we talk about the “nation’s weight problem.” We (collective, macro “we”) have a problem with food and overeating and overweight and lack of regular exercise in the U.S. And it’s not just a problem for those sporting a muffin top or more. It’s a problem for many of those who struck gold in the genetic lottery, too.
I haven’t read Bruni’s book, but I wonder if he concludes that only he is to blame for being a fat. I hope not. Because I think the reason is probably, excuse me, bigger than that.
More Posts
Vintage Ad Reminds Us Girls Used to Just Be Kids
Duggars Might Go For More. But Why?
Haiti Disaster Ignites Breast vs. Formula Debate
How Bread Could Cause Miscarriages
Where Half of All Pregnant Women Get C-Sections
Doc Who Raised Vaccine Alarm Found Unethical
Supermodel Gives Birth at Home
Reservist Pumps Milk for Haiti’s Babies
Woman Drives 3 Hours in Labor So Husband Can Attend Birth
U.K. Couple Endures Decades of IVF
Photo: New York Times
Related Posts:
Related Posts:- They Say: You’re Making Your Kid Fat
- They Say: Running Not So Bad After All
- Sebelius Shares Ideas to Fight Obesity
- Fat? Your Kid is Too
- How Much Sugar Is Really In Soda?
Tags: BMI, childhood obesity, diets, Frank Bruni, growth charts, health, healthcare, Madeline Holler, New York Times, obesity, overweight, The Chubbiest Baby on the Block, weight gain, weight loss
32 Comments
[...] Where Parents Fit in the Childhood Obesity Puzzle [...]
Duggars Expecting 19th Child | Strollerderby commented on Sep 01 09 at 12:41 pm[...] Where to Parents Fit in the Childhood Obesity Puzzle [...]
When ‘I Love You’ Means ‘I Control You’ | Strollerderby commented on Sep 18 09 at 4:15 pm[...] is becoming a recognized form of child abuse, and scientists have found that overweight parents beget overweight kids - not just through genetics but because of the poor eating habits handed down to the next [...]
Overweight Parents Lose Kids For Being Fat | Strollerderby commented on Oct 23 09 at 9:25 amBunny commented on Sep 01 09 at 2:55 pmI have nothing clever to contribute, but this is a great essay that makes a good and much-needed point.
Manjari commented on Sep 01 09 at 4:51 pmI don’t think parents need to monitor their kids every bite, and I don’t think they should call undue attention to their kids’ waistlines, but there are ways that parents can help their kids stay fit and healthy. Parents can at least model healthy eating and engage in physical activity to set a good example for their children. So often, that doesn’t happen. I have seen this in my own family and in observing other people.
mumus commented on Sep 02 09 at 10:14 amEllyn Satter has written some excellent material about the role that parents play in childhood obesity. According to Satter “You can help your child to avoid becoming obese by maintaining a healthy feeding relationship.” I’d highly recommend her books ‘How to Get Your Kid to Eat…but not too much’ and ‘Child of Mine.’
Rosana commented on Sep 02 09 at 2:39 pmI think that eating habits are learned and that parents have the responsability to feed their kids healthy foods until they are able to make their own decisions. My 22 month old has never had a lollipop, because they do not have any nutritional value at all, so what’s the point, however, during summer he has ice cream once a week because at least that has provides him some nutrition. My point is, do not ban kids from all foods, but make sure they eat the french fries, ice cream and foods alike, once in a while as a treat. I always only follow two rules when feeding my boy. I have the power to decide what is he eating and how much (now that he is a toddler) but he has the power to decide when to eat.
mumus commented on Sep 02 09 at 4:23 pmEllyn Satter, on the other hand, says ‘Parents are responsible for the what, when and where of feeding. Children are responsible for the how much and whether of eating.’ It seems to me that we are born with the ability to regulate our food intake. Infants that are fed on demand don’t overeat. A poor feeding relationship, where, for example, parents insist on children cleaning their plate or subtly try to limit their chubby toddler’s consumption, leads to poor eating habits. (I’m not a spokesperson for Ms. Satter, by the way. It’s just that her books have helped me to raise two great eaters.)
lp commented on Sep 03 09 at 3:37 am“The thing is, researchers, experts, parents — even former fat kids — can’t agree on what’s making kids fat”—–Ummm, I am fairly certain we have determined that cramming too much food in your pie hole, particularly the “wrong” kind of food, and then not exercising is the culprit.
Absolutely, our bodies are programmed to want to eat in case the next meal doesn’t show up. Sure, food marketers are trying to get us to buy their products, just like toy markets, drug dealers, movie makers,and the guy hawking the “sham wow”. And yes, we may be emotionally motivated to eat because we’re happy, we’re sad, we’re stressed, daddy didn’t pay enough attention, or because mini sirloin burger look so damn yummy. SO WHAT?!?!?
Blaming all the factors that contribute to poor eating habits doesn’t diminish their power or change the fact that the solution requires individuals to make hard choices and often say no to what they want. Bummer, I know, but this is not a new concept. We expect children to share, husbands to remaining monogamous, ourselves not to strangle bad bosses…all in spite of overwhelming desires to the contrary. Practicing good eating habits is no different! The justifications and excuses expressed in this article may sooth the egos of some but ultimately do them no favors.
It would be great if eating healthy was always fun and something kids and adults alike WANTED to do…but it’s not. We owe it to ourselves and our kids to fess up to this. It is okay to say that practicing good eating habits isn’t alway fun or what we want to do but is important to staying healthy and avoiding/escaping obesity. We need to equip kids by acknowledging the thoughts and drives that people have about food WITHOUT giving those desires undue power.
Ann Bush commented on Feb 03 10 at 11:16 pmI believe the more you try to control your childs eating and making it an issue the child then can start hoarding food because he is not allowed to have it. i myself have most of my life had a weight problem, but my children were given their 3 meals a day and snacks. they are both slim because food was never made an issue in there lives. and most important they were always active outside kids. they never sat in front of the tv or played video games all the time. yes it is the parents responsibility just don’t make a big issue of it. because then it becomes like the forbidden fruit. maybe i was just lucky that my children were never fat. my mother always made us clean up our plate. i gave mine a little less then if they wanted more they could usually they were full. If they didn’t eat their dinner there was no dessert. never did i make them clean up there plate because i believe it contributes to overeating.
Humits commented on Feb 03 10 at 11:52 pmComments
Interesting that no one has mentioned the GRANDPARENT card, “try this, eat this, everyone loves chocolate, I made it just for you, there is still some left-don’t you want more,I’ll wrap that up for you, it’s a treat -your mom does not have to know.” Then father says, “don’t waste money or food- clean your plate.” Now an obese young woman (about 300 lb)was once a thin hyper-active child and fit teenage athlete. And her brother has made a point of becoming a little too thin in reaction to overweight sister. So, what is a mother to do? Obviously nagging does not work. Oh, and for the self righteous among you, healthy modeling and will power work mostly for yourself. You have control over what your baby and (maybe) what your toddle eats, but beyond that there are some very strong influences and temptations. As with drugs etc. those who can “just say no” already do in our self-indulgent society. And , the opposite of self-indulgence is self-sacrifice — anorexia? What ever happened to moderation and moderates? I think I’ll go for a walk now. Walking works for me.
mim c g commented on Feb 04 10 at 12:03 amGrew up with a parent who constantly dieted and struggled with obesity. Three siblings are morbidly obese, four others on constant diets. I struggled with eating disorders and dieting until my mom said at age 50 “I’m going to give up dieting when I’m 65″ I thought “there has got to be a better, different, way to live and eat.’ America is a fat country, we live in a toxic food environment and you have to teach yourself and your kids how to navigate IN IT. I’ve spoken to women who say ‘five minutes doesn’t go by when I don’t have some random thought about my tummy, thighs, weight problem etc. How sad - food is supposed to nourish you, cook and eat real food. Starting in the grocery store, don’t buy heavily processed food. Even shredded cheese has corn starch added so that the “shreds” will keep their shape! Educate yourself and your kids and eat happily and without guilt!
rexineg commented on Feb 04 10 at 12:11 amWhen I came home from school, my mother cooked dinner every night. My parents put me and my brothers and sisters,first. Candy was monitored and there was raw fruits and vegetables to snack on before dinner. We were free to play outside until it was time to come in and do our homework. That was over 35 years ago.! Today, I am a divorced, and my children rarely saw their father. All the responibility was on me. I had to work, so it was much easier to stop at our favorite hamberger joint. After hearing about kidnapings, murders in my neighborhood, I drove my children everywhere. They did not have the luxury of playing outside. They were latch-key kids. They are grown now,but are overweight, and so am I. I have dietbetes, high-blood pressure, and my job consist of working on a computer ten-hours-a-day. We all live in such fear about everything even monitoring what our children eat. GO Michelle!!!!!!
Suzanne commented on Feb 04 10 at 12:15 amComments
Children learn good eating habits at home. All these excuses on the part of parents are a cop-out. What is needed is nutrition education, a sense of responsibility for oneself and one’s children and heaping doses of common sense. My dear grandmother knew nothing of nutrition but her mantra was “everything in moderation.” It was unseemly to “gorge” (her word) on anything and hence we grew up in a world where we ate all sorts of things - good and bad - but portion control was the norm. We enjoyed pie in small slices (once a week), small ice cream cones (as a treat), cakes only on special occasions and a piece of fruit generally for dessert. Our cupboards weren’t stuffed with snack food and there was no soda in the fridge. We never felt deprived. There’s nothing special about our family. We all could have had weight problems but we didn’t because we never ate too much of anything. Having now raised two children of my own on the same principles and watching them move through the world on their own, with no weight issues, I see their eating habits a direct reflection of the home they were brought up in. I applaud Michele Obama for speaking publicly about her concern for her children’s weight. She should be concerned. It’s her responsibility as a parent. She is educating her children to be aware of what they eat and the connection between food and size and helping them to make healthy choices.
Tyra Platiro CPNS commented on Feb 04 10 at 1:22 amParents are the ones who purchase and prepare the majority of all food given to their children. Obesity, whether in children or adults is a result of UNHEALTHY food choices. The purpose of food in our lives is to give our bodies nutrients. Their would be no obesity if people made food selections based on the result a certain food has on the health of the body and mind. I am alarmed by the apathy displayed by the majority of parents in reguard to what they put into their childrens bodies. This is 2010. There is information available EVERYWHERE in reguard to childhood obesity, as well as the ill affects
unhealthy eating has on a childs emotional behavior as well as performance in the classroom. The very food that negatively affect a childs health and weight, are the very foods that negatively affect a childs emotional wellbeing as well as his performance in the classrooom.
Yikes commented on Feb 04 10 at 1:26 amComments: As a Mom, I have what my friends describe as a great “meat-a-bo”. I can eat anything and everything, never counted calories and struggle to keep weight on my frame. Three sons, two of them the same way, I reminded them to eat, stocked up on everything, just to keep weight on them. My youngest son, opposite direction, we could eat fresh apples, every meal, he would gain weight. I enforce exercise by making him walk everywhere instead of driving him, I have eliminated buying ‘cookies’ or anything considered junk food, cook home made meals every night. Parents do not have control over a child’s body traits. We can teach by example, encourage healthy nutrition, but we cannot govern how a body is going to metabolize calories. Punishing parents and children for how a body functions is like banks deciding no one is qualified to get a loan (after a history of determining anyone could have one). Pendulums swing to extremes so hopefully we learn the middle ground through experience, education and the results of our own stupid mistakes. Pointing fingers helps no one, solutions can change everything.
Fraisier commented on Feb 04 10 at 2:27 amComments No one is more obsessed with food than the French …and rarely overweight. They eat four meals a day, conversing about the next one…but they are aware of healthy foods, healthy sizes and walking (favorite topics). A meal may last for three hours…but all is in small portions. The children sit with the family.
juliette commented on Feb 04 10 at 2:49 amHi Madeline: I’m European and from my point of view: if you think that society is (partly) to blame… you ARE society. Change it. Your story is written as if you are a victim of big corporations (really, just don’t eat there) and social eating habits. If the food at school is bad: change it. If soccer practice ends with snacks: talk to the other parents and change it. Surely you won’t find anybody anymore who thinks obesity is not a big deal? Keep your house clean of chips and snacks: YOU do the groceries. Eating habits are called just that: habits.
kl commented on Feb 04 10 at 7:55 amComments They are not looking at the emotional aspects. Kids and adults over eat if they have/had controlling parents because it is one of the few things in their lives they can control. Also, if they are abused, it’s a subconcious way to keep people away. Parents need to let their kids know that they are loved unconditionally and I believe childhood obesity will diminish.
Barbara Sloan commented on Feb 04 10 at 8:04 amComments It is sad to hear people say that the parents should not be held responsible. So now we let children fend for themselves? It is our job as parents to teach healthy eating and lifestyle. First of all start from the beginning, don’t expect to change their tastes and habits at older ages! Then, don’t have junk food in the house. Don’t let them order chicken fingers every time your in a resturant! You do have control. My youngest who is now 13, her favorite food from 2-10 was “salad bars”. She loves salad and still does. It is harder now in HS but she still tends to make healthy choices when “she” feels she has gotten too far away from them. But, you have to live by example. Too many young parents today don’t eat properly themselves and that is the root problem.
cathy b commented on Feb 04 10 at 8:18 amComments I agree that food is promoted everywhere you look. I have a weight problem myself. I am not obese but still can’t get to where I want to be. The article mentions obesity, lung cancer. Have you noticed how many young people still pick up smoking? even when they know how bad it is for you.
JMF commented on Feb 04 10 at 8:22 amComments
Thank you! Call me a fellow conspiracy nut, but the twin evil empires of the American Food Industry and American Advertising Industry bear a lot of the blame. When my son was 3 years old, he cried for me to buy him Cocoa Puffs for breakfast. When I said I’d get them and he could have them for a dessert if he wanted, he insisted on breakfast and responded to my explanation that it wasn’t a healthy choice by quoting the TV commercial which said ‘part of a healthy breakfast’. You try explaining to a 3 year old that it was only ‘part of a healthy breakfast’ if you ate a healthy breakfast like whole wheat toast, a glass of milk and fruit first! And food is everywhere. There are no leisure time activities that don’t involve having food (and not healthy choices) there and part of the routine, whether it’s Dunkin Donuts at the soccer game or the vending machine of junk food and sodas at the (wait for it) gym. Even my son’s karate class had a vending machine of soda and Sobe (this was in the pre- Sobe0 days. Add this to technology which has gradually removed calorie burning activity from our daily routine and we have a society in which if you don’t do an hour at least of exercise or strenuous activity, you will be overweight. And who today has time to do that? Unless your kid plays an organized sport (which doesn’t suit the majority of kids who are not competitive athletes by the time their in 4th grade - have you been to a kid’s baseball game lately), there’s no way. Kids are just not built (mentally & emotionally) to accept the drudgery of slogging through an hour (an hour! how many adults can do this?) on the treadmill or elliptical. They’d rather be playing Army of 2 on the XBox. Oh yeah, more technology making the most exciting playing you can do sedentary instead of the games of ManHunt outside that in the idealized 50-s and 60’s kids played. Entire cultural changes de-emphasizing food and making lean foods attractive (and I don’t mean fake low and no-fat foods with the same calories as their much more satisfying full fat versions) is what’s needed if we’re to get our daily caloric intake down to where our natural burn rate is in today’s world.
Lynn commented on Feb 04 10 at 8:34 amComments Please, not another diatribe that “I am not really responsible, it’s society, corporations, government…etc”. If you’re saying that only if the world around us behaves,then we can behave, that is very sad. How about re-inforcing to your child that they have control over their actions? Yes, vending machines have no place in schools. Neither do most school lunches. So send your child to school with a lunch from home. Make it fabulous so that they don’t feel deprived and perhaps their classmates will start wanting to bring lunch from home. Setting positive examples as opposed to focusing on condemning poor choices is more empowering,I think.
Mary Lou commented on Feb 04 10 at 9:29 amComments
It never ceases to amaze me that people believe it is their obligation to point it out to someone that they are overweight, as if someone who is overweight isn’t already aware of it.
A child who is over weight is painfully aware of it, their peers will not let them forget it, they usually get teased mercilessly by their peers, this causes them to be less out going, and stop participating in many childhood activities. They withdraw from others and in so doing become less and less active. If you want to help an obese child, stop making their weight a major issue, encourage them to be more active , and making activity more fun than the TV, and the video games.
Annette LeMay commented on Feb 04 10 at 9:32 amSchools make sodas, candy, snacks etc accessible thru vending machines instead of nutritional foods, government allows candy, chips, sodas to be purchased on government Lonestar cards. Why aren’t we holding them responsible. Parents are not with their children 24/7. Other adults and government have them sometime. When we went to school we had to eat what the school cafeteria cooked. When government regulated feeding needy families, it was necessary foods like peanut butter, rice, potatos, etc., not candy, sodas, and snacks. Having watched these purchases in stores its no wonder a large number of children (and adults) are over weight. Everything is about making that almighty dollar and when things get out of control the blame starts to fly. No one wants to look at the ones who profited the most. If I ate three times a day and everything recommended for me in todays world, I would be obese too. What happened to common sense and listening to your body?
Sharon Hopper commented on Feb 04 10 at 9:52 amComments, I think that it is time for us to quit being so small minded to the many problems that we and our children face. I myself was never overweight as a child but as an adult a different story. And it is difficult to change years of habit. Children do not get the exercise that I did as a child. I had no TVor video games to keep me sedentary like the children today. And we had far less “fast food” to eat. It is time that we quit accusing people like Michelle Obama for her thoughts and efforts, whether they be your children or her own. What has happened to us? I remember a marriage counselor trying to save my first marriage and after awhile I asked her if she was married. She said no> And I remember looking at her and said raising children and being married is not in a book. It is real life. Folks the people saying we are hurting our childrens self esteem if we tell them they are overweight cannot possibly feel the pressure of being obese. We have to get over the fact that we are not always perfect, but like every product in the world we can be improved. Instead of criticizing Mrs. Obama lets get behind her and help all the chilren who need the help. Fat is not Happy.
Lori commented on Feb 04 10 at 10:06 amCome on! Adults and kids are fat because they shove more calories in than they burn off during the day. They don’t exercise enough! I was thin as a kid then gain almost 40 pounds as an adult. I had tried “diets” but couldn’t stick to them so instead of obsessing over my food I started walking. All I did was walk for 30-45 a day and I lost 30 pounds in 3 months! Parents should not allow video games to rule the house like they seem to nowdays. A child should get home from school, have a light snack and then go outside and play until dark or time for dinner. My mom always let us wait to do homework until later so we could enjoy the rest of the day to play at home. If your child doesn’t have a good place to play, sign him or her up for a sport or let them join the Y and make them go. I too ate chips and junk at school once my mom gave me the money to decidewhat I would like to eat, but I never became overweight until I became and adult and sat on my rear all day at work and came home and did the same thing! It amazes me that this is even a topic of discusion.
Rebecca commented on Feb 04 10 at 10:20 amIt is a parent’s job to give their kids a healthy start. And I think the key is “moderation”. Exercise, eat right, and teach your kids to do the same. But don’t obsess. Also, remember that children are as different as we are which means that some may be able to eat and eat and not gain a pound and others have that tendency to put on weight. Bring them up accordingly. Being overweight is not healthy and as a parent you should do your best to prevent it like you would any other unhealthy situation for your child. You won’t help your child by tip-toeing around their weight or by embarassing them. As a parent you can keep your eye on it and make adjustments to diet and exercise as needed all without making it a big deal for your child, especially if you start early before there is a problem. But it’s ok to have a lollipop every once in a while. And I wouldn’t leave a party just because there are cupcakes there. Boycotting french fries or ice cream trucks is teaching a kind of extreme, unflexible behavior that I’m not sure will be helpful to a child as they grow up.
tac commented on Feb 04 10 at 10:44 amComments I relize food is everywere in the US. But I think the biggest problem is with the parants ability to just say NO to there kids. And there is nothing wrong with parents dieting there kids. When the US is the most overwaite country in the world should tell people somthing. Stop useing genetic for excuse, because that is a small %.
Karen commented on Feb 04 10 at 12:24 pmThis article has some smart statements, but more really stupid ones. Of course parents are responsible for their children’s diet. Kids are fat today for one reason - they eat more calories then they burn. Obesity, for the most part, is all about science. If you eat more then your body needs, you gain weight. This is not a hard concept to grasp. Also, BMI’s are designed to tell where children and adults should be physically. Higher numbers are NOT just higher numbers. It is an indication that there is a very big problem. Open your eyes people. You are responsible for what you and your children eat. The media and food companies advertise just like anyone else, and you have the option to submit or decline.
Jeanne commented on Feb 04 10 at 1:24 pmComments Every parent has a responsibility to see that their child is eating healthy foods that are known for building strong bones, teeth, cardiovascular health. Parents who constantly give in to kids who whine about wanting this candy bar and those potato chips are doing their children a great disservice. They are the parent and they tell the kids - and SHOW them - how to eat properly. Giving in to kids just becomes a large problem all around. Kids will eat what the parents say is okay to eat. If mom and dad are sitting around watching TV with soda and chips and chocolate, what kind of message does that give the kids? Eating healthy and exercising is something all FAMILIES can do together. Create meals together, create exercise time together - AS A FAMILY. When kids see that mom and dad are taking their health seriously, the kids are more likely to join in the same effort and commitment. But as parents, we need to show the kids what it’s all about and become serious in our goals to keep our kids healthy. Lessons learned at home will be taken away from home and kids will likely make the right choices even when there is peer pressure involved if they are taught that eating well is a benefit to them. Just like saying no to drugs is a campaign we all know well, the same can be done for eating the wrong foods! Parents and peers need to join forces and more commercials should be made about eating disorders - schools need to join in the fight and vending machines removed from schools - unless they contain ONLY good foods: fruits, veggies, fruit juices, milk, and the like.
andrea commented on Feb 04 10 at 3:12 pmI grew up believing i was fat because my mother was constantly putting us all on a diet. Looking back at pictures of myself i was NOT fat. I wish someone would have told me that.
I quit participating in sports BECAUSE i felt people would stare at me and how “fat” i was. If i didn’t have the body issue to begin with I wouldn’t have stopped participating in things that were good for me that i truly enjoyed and then began to develope a VERY serious weight problem which has only continued to get worse.
