Children obesity, A concern for parents

[markdavis0011]

The post states:


"A new poll released today shows a large a gap between parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight and expert definitions. According to their parents, 15 percent of children are a little or very overweight, while national data suggest more than twice as many, or 32 percent of all children, are overweight or obese. The poll was conducted by NPR,the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

In addition, only 20 percent of children in households that participated in this poll had a parent who was concerned that his or her child will be overweight as an adult. However, it is estimated that 69 percent of adults are overweight, including 36 percent who are obese and an additional 6 percent who have “extreme obesity.”1 Together, these results indicate that parents may underestimate their children’s current risk for being overweight or obese, and how that risk could continue to impact them as adults."

{edit}

[The Atheist]

Newsflash: parents are idiots.

Fast food, soda, lollies and too many carbs along with too little exercise. These things are so obvious that the only can be lousy parenting.

[markdavis0011]

That is true. But calling those parents idiots looks hilarious seriously. :)

[Charles Darnay]

They are idiots, but that's not the only cause. A fast paced life for parents plus stationary existence for kids. It equals out.

[Helga]

It also has a bit to do with money, when you get a big and cheap meal at burger places but vegetables, fruits and lean meat is expensive it is easy to go with the big mac.

But in the end it's probably the parents, they often give in before the kids make a noise. I was at the supermarket a while back and a lady had a kid around 2 years old and before she even started shopping and the kid sat quietly in the cart she found a bag of chips and opened it and gave the kid. She didn't even have the excuse of a screaming kid.

[cafolini]

I think since time immemorial pleasurable food has been a good substitute for the pain of thinking. But as long as thinking is available, progress is being made in human evolution. Obesity has not necessarily increased. The reporting of it has, just like everything else that was there before appears to be new with the advances of the reporting media. Earthquakes, Inundations, Loss of Life, Obesity, you name it. Good job on the part of dieticians who work at revealing these facts.

However, diets that prohibit things instead of cutting down the eating, are not acceptable to me. So with the case of people that can control smoking to 2 or 3 cigarettes per day. Sugar is a big enemy, but 1 or 2 tsp per day is not. Caffeine could be a big enemy, but 140 mg per day is good for anyone, including many people with heart decease using alternative medicines. Eat to live well. Don't live to eat.

[markdavis0011]

I think since time immemorial pleasurable food has been a good substitute for the pain of thinking. But as long as thinking is available, progress is being made in human evolution. Obesity has not necessarily increased. The reporting of it has, just like everything else that was there before appears to be new with the advances of the reporting media. Earthquakes, Inundations, Loss of Life, Obesity, you name it. Good job on the part of dieticians who work at revealing these facts.

However, diets that prohibit things instead of cutting down the eating, are not acceptable to me. So with the case of people that can control smoking to 2 or 3 cigarettes per day. Sugar is a big enemy, but 1 or 2 tsp per day is not. Caffeine could be a big enemy, but 140 mg per day is good for anyone, including many people with heart decease using alternative medicines. Eat to live well. Don't live to eat.

Well this is the rightest thing you said. We should look to cut down, not entirely avoid. I can add a simple sentence to your statement that "access of everything is bad even if it is milk"

[The Atheist]

They are idiots, but that's not the only cause. A fast paced life for parents plus stationary existence for kids. It equals out.

That would make sense if the obesity was a child-only problem, but we know for certain that adult humans are the fattest they've ever been, and that about half of the ones in the western world are overweight or obese.

The pace of life is a myth - people work far fewer hours than they used to, and many of the hours they do work is actually spent playing with their smartphones (http://au.businessinsider.com/smartphone-usage-2013-3), or other non-productive tasks.



It also has a bit to do with money, when you get a big and cheap meal at burger places but vegetables, fruits and lean meat is expensive it is easy to go with the big mac.

Sorry, but that kind of comment makes me extremely angry.

It is utterly false and is a sop to lazy, lousy parents. Fresh food is NOT cheaper than fast food. I spent a lot of time proving that beyond any doubt a couple of months back, because the argument makes me sick. I can cook a healthy, filling meal for five people for well under $20 (http://charman.co.nz/investigations/povertynzrecipe.htm). Now try to feed a family on any fast food for $20.

Some fresh food can be expensive, but mainly due to being out of season. In season, vegetables and fruit are the cheapest food one can buy.


But in the end it's probably the parents, they often give in before the kids make a noise. I was at the supermarket a while back and a lady had a kid around 2 years old and before she even started shopping and the kid sat quietly in the cart she found a bag of chips and opened it and gave the kid. She didn't even have the excuse of a screaming kid.

This is more tripe.

If you don't start giving kids junk food, they never get used to it and don't scream for it.

You have, however, provided superb evidence of what I'm saying about parents being stupid. Thanks for reminding me I forgot to add "lazy".

[cafolini]

Well this is the rightest thing you said. We should look to cut down, not entirely avoid. I can add a simple sentence to your statement that "access of everything is bad even if it is milk"

I take it you meant "excess," not "access."

And yes, it's the excess. Skim milk is very healthy. 3 hours before going to sleep, a tablespoon of almond butter with two 8 oz. glasses of skim milk (protein balanced with the almond) is very good, for example. For one meal, earlier, chop 3 of the following: baby carrots, snap peas, broccoli, spinach, red bell pepper. Add 4 or 5 cloves of chopped garlic. Make a pocket with two pieces of aluminum foil and put the stuff inside, then fold it by closing all sides. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 F, then turn it over and grill another 10 minutes. Pour it into a warm wholewheat tortilla and enjoy. The same grilled vegetables could be used for making some pasta primavera. If you use semolina pasta you are in the right track. You can use a little powdered butter to give it some good flavor, and a little heavy cream to simulate Alfredo sauce.
There are many alternatives. In the morning you should have the heaviest meals and a portion of fruits, like pineapple, apple, some banana (not very ripe), grapefruit, etc. Well, live well.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Have to agree with Atheist clearly the parents, how could it not be? End of conversation.

[cafolini]

Have to agree with Atheist clearly the parents, how could it not be? End of conversation.

LOL It's the parents' parents and Mongo Aurelio.

[LitNetIsGreat]

LOL It's the parents' parents and Mongo Aurelio.

Ha, ha, no it is the parents', parents' parents fault to be sure. It's the crap parenting cycle; keeps on riding.

[Ecurb]

I blame those silly Botticelli cherubs! Those fat little babies have become the ideals of cuteness.

If only Boticelli had consigned them to the Bonfire of the Vanities, we'd have a healthier society today.

[Delta40]

Do you think there has been a change in the sort of freedom children have to just run around and play? By that I mean I come from a generation where my parents kicked us out of the house to join the other kids and we didn't come back till dinner time. We walked the 2km to the beach, swam for hours and then walked back. This is now considered abuse or unsafe not to supervise your kids. Parents are under this pressure to know where their kids are at all times. Couple that with the technology of gaming and there is a more sedentary lifestyle. Throw the accessibility of fast food into the mix which was not an economic choice before - just like two cars weren't and it seems reasonable to me that obesity would be on the rise.

[LitNetIsGreat]

No. If you let your kid munch burgers all day while sat in front of the X-box then whose fault is that? A parent should have the common sense to provide at least some sort of balanced, healthy lifestyle. If there is a change in the freedom given to children then whose fault is that again? Five year old kids should not be obese, and if they are, the fault doesn't lie with the five year old.

[cafolini]

I blame those silly Botticelli cherubs! Those fat little babies have become the ideals of cuteness.

If only Boticelli had consigned them to the Bonfire of the Vanities, we'd have a healthier society today.

Natural. You are an ancient seraphim. How could you not be jealous before the plumpy little ones?

[Darcy88]

Do you think there has been a change in the sort of freedom children have to just run around and play? By that I mean I come from a generation where my parents kicked us out of the house to join the other kids and we didn't come back till dinner time. We walked the 2km to the beach, swam for hours and then walked back. This is now considered abuse or unsafe not to supervise your kids. Parents are under this pressure to know where their kids are at all times. Couple that with the technology of gaming and there is a more sedentary lifestyle. Throw the accessibility of fast food into the mix which was not an economic choice before - just like two cars weren't and it seems reasonable to me that obesity would be on the rise.

I think you hit the nail on the head. When I was a kid there were almost zero fat children around. We used to get out from school and then me and my best friend or a group of friends would go out into the forest or to the beach or on our bikes and simply enjoy being active outside. Then when I was about 11 or 12 years old gaming technology took a large leap forward and computers became common and instead of going outside after school we'd sit in front of a screen.

Your other point is spot on as well. Parents these days are afraid to let their children out of their sight. When I was a kid we would roam far and wide, hike or bike for hours. We'd take row boats out into the sea. Nowadays I almost never see children outside. I go for a walk or a run everyday and never encounter a single kid. The river used to be crowded with kids when I was young. Now its ever vacant, except for adults in the summer time. It amazes me how quickly and drastically this shift has occurred.

My generation may have been the last to live as children without overly-anxious parents and almost always before a screen.

[JuniperWoolf]

There are still practically no fat children where I'm from. The obesity "epidemic" (doesn't that depreciate the meaning of the word?) hasn't hit the sticks.

[Darcy88]

The one silver lining for me with the obesity epidemic is that in the event of a zombie apocalypse fit people like me will have the advantage as the zombies will go for the slower fat people first and all the resultant fat zombies will be easy to outrun.

[Emil Miller]

I don't have much contact with children, so I'm not overly aware of their obesity problem, but surely obesity is a massive social problem among adults. It's depressing to see the streets full of rambling fatballs who are, for the most part, simply greedy or careless about the amount and type of food they consume. What I find surprising is the lack of self respect shown by people who have ceased to resemble a human being and have taken on the appearance of whales.
A few years ago there was a TV fitness programme in which selected fatties were incarcerated for several weeks in a boot camp under a strictly controlled diet. They were weighed regularly but as they were allowed home at wekends, they usually returned heavier than before. The exercise regime was rigorous but too much for some who simply couldn't do much but wobble around at a snail's pace. The crowning moment of failure came when after splashing around in the pool, they were ordered out, but one man was so huge he actually broke the rungs on the steps and had to be hauled out of the water by the others, where he lay gasping with the effort on the side of the pool. If Captain Ahab had seen him he would have been harpooned immediatly .

[Ecurb]

Nice diatribe, Emil. Obesity is (acc. Emil) not a "health problem", but a "social problem". Why? "It's depressing (to Emil) to see... fatballs..."

It's all about you, isn't it Emil?

[Emil Miller]

Nice diatribe, Emil. Obesity is (acc. Emil) not a "health problem", but a "social problem". Why? "It's depressing (to Emil) to see... fatballs..."

It's all about you, isn't it Emil?

Yes it is all about me, everywhere I look I see it. But if you live in a sparsely populated region, rather than one of the most heavily populated cities on earth, it's probably not so noticeable.

[Ecurb]

Poor little baby! So many fat people annoying your sensitive sensibilities!

Here's Henry Vth's take on Emil's infatuation with outward appearances. Henry is dismissing a herald who has offered him terms of surrender:


....Tell the constable
We are but warriors for the working day;
Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirched
With rainy marching in the painful field;
There's not a piece of feather in our host
(Good argument, I hope, we will not fly)
And time hath worn us into slovenry;
But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim.

[Emil Miller]

:lol:

'But, by the mass, our hearts are in the trim.'

You have obviously never had a drink in a Wetherspoons pub.

[Ecurb]

Good one. I'll even grant that when Henry made his "hearts are in the trim" quip, we had yet to discover cholesterol.

[JuniperWoolf]

The one silver lining for me with the obesity epidemic is that in the event of a zombie apocalypse fit people like me will have the advantage as the zombies will go for the slower fat people first and all the resultant fat zombies will be easy to outrun.

Hah, I've never though of the zombie apocalypse in light of modern obesity. Good call. Also, if we become zombies, we'll have more food per kill.

[Jack of Hearts]

Nice diatribe, Emil. Obesity is (acc. Emil) not a "health problem", but a "social problem". Why? "It's depressing (to Emil) to see... fatballs..."

It's all about you, isn't it Emil?

It's both, although for Emil it seems to be an "aesthetic" problem, and reading Emil's response sent this reader bad vibes without even being obese. Because Emil's hate is toxic and pervades psychic space. Way to make the world a worse place, Emil.

Unless you think a combo of skinny parent/fat kid is likely, then please accept this reader's hypothesis of most likely fat parent-fat kid. So maybe ask "Why fat parent?" Only, do it for real. Don't just say they eat x and don't do y. That's what's happening, not why it's happening.







J

[Delta40]

No. If you let your kid munch burgers all day while sat in front of the X-box then whose fault is that? A parent should have the common sense to provide at least some sort of balanced, healthy lifestyle. If there is a change in the freedom given to children then whose fault is that again? Five year old kids should not be obese, and if they are, the fault doesn't lie with the five year old.

You're missing my point. Parenting, like everything else is a fashion. It simply isn't acceptable to let your kids roam without supervision. While I'm not stating the wrong or the right of it, I am endeavouring to understand it. Both parents if there are two are usually working to pay off a mortgage and other so called luxuries. Call it the Jones' Syndrome if you like. Often they're not home when they kids finish school or they go into out of school care which doesn't promise physical activity so much as more gaming till the parent picks them up. Fast food is more available and cheaper than it has ever been - I'm not saying it's economically cheaper than a home cooked meal but in terms of convenience, it has its advantages for a busy working family and remember it doesn't have to be on the menu every night so your statement letting a kid munch on burgers all day long is likely an exaggeration.

While many parents may have their kids involved in a local sporting or arts club, many don't because the truth is, they're buggered and/or they can't afford it. Add to that the odd point that their generation grew up without such foods which may have had a reverse effect.

Life events which affected them in such a way that they resort to food as a form of comfort and pass this behaviour down to their children e.g the loss of a loved one, child abuse etc. Instead of a poor diet, they could just as well become underweight or resorted to drugs or alcoholism. Obesity is quite often an emotional issue so to be blase about it is because it offends our own senses and we like to think in purely black and white terms when this really isn't the case.

[The Atheist]

You're missing my point.

Which appears to be a serious case of apologetics! (Note that I'm not having a go at you so much as having a go at these oft-stated "reasons" for parents' neglectful behaviour)


Parenting, like everything else is a fashion.

Which is a disgraceful attitude. Parenting is a responsibility. Even animals as base as crocodiles understand that their first responsibility is to their offspring. People who put fashion or personal assets & wants in front of their children are an outrage. If you breed it, bring it up properly!


It simply isn't acceptable to let your kids roam without supervision.

Why not?

As long as they are of an age to be able to understand road and safety rules, there are still very few societies in the western world where kids aren't safe during the day. Far too many parents won't let kids out of their sight because of their own fear, not because there's a real threat to the children. In fact, in the days when every kid has a cellphone, I'd say kids have never been safer.

Kids need boundaries, not shackles, which goes back to my very first comment:

Newsflash: parents are idiots.


While I'm not stating the wrong or the right of it, I am endeavouring to understand it. Both parents if there are two are usually working to pay off a mortgage and other so called luxuries. Call it the Jones' Syndrome if you like. Often they're not home when they kids finish school or they go into out of school care which doesn't promise physical activity so much as more gaming till the parent picks them up.

Yes, that is a huge issue, but it can be overcome very simply. First off, many after-school care programs are very [physical] activity based. Also, if they're working to gain assets to assuage envy....

... those parents are idiots.


Fast food is more available and cheaper than it has ever been - I'm not saying it's economically cheaper than a home cooked meal but in terms of convenience, it has its advantages for a busy working family and remember it doesn't have to be on the menu every night so your statement letting a kid munch on burgers all day long is likely an exaggeration.

Laziness.

Spend an evening cooking meals for the week and freeze them, or use alternatives that take less time and effort than fast food. A salad is ready in minutes and you don't need to drive to get it, while things like stews & soups can be ready in seconds thanks to microwave ovens.

Even better, if parents use just a molecule of common sense, they can involve their kids in the cook-up, which the kids love, and they learn how to feed themselves.

Win/win.

Instead, lazy, useless parents choose the option of fast food & watching TV, enuring obesity and lack of skills.

Lose/lose.


While many parents may have their kids involved in a local sporting or arts club, many don't because the truth is, they're buggered and/or they can't afford it. Add to that the odd point that their generation grew up without such foods which may have had a reverse effect.

Those are another two common points, but I must challenge both.

Sports clubs can cost a bit of money, but if a couple is working two jobs, then they ought to be able to afford $50 for a season's sport. If transport is a problem, team parents are usually ready to help out.

The second point is also not right. I can't believe old-fashioned fish & chips, cooked in animal fats, were less fattening than McDonald's. The difference is, what used to be a treat is now the norm.

Those parents are....


Life events which affected them in such a way that they resort to food as a form of comfort and pass this behaviour down to their children e.g the loss of a loved one, child abuse etc. Instead of a poor diet, they could just as well become underweight or resorted to drugs or alcoholism.

Not wanting to minimise those things, but they will be a small minority of cases and aren't relevant to the main issue.


Obesity is quite often an emotional issue so to be blase about it is because it offends our own senses and we like to think in purely black and white terms when this really isn't the case.

Looksism is rife and fat people are the last bastion of prejudice. I have employers who openly tell me they won't employ fat people.

[Delta40]

Your welcome to your point of view Atheist. You obviously know that not wanting to minimise these things so you don't sound like a insensitive person allows you to follow on with the 'fact' that it is the small minority of the people. You know this because based on your fairy tale opinion, most fat people are fat because they choose to be - it's their target weight, there are no issues going on in their lives. Hell they just sit around eating day in day out and to top it off, they actually want their children to be fat so that when their kids go to school, they'll get picked on and teased. That's the majority. So according to you most fat people are informed and have a healthy mind. It's just the minority that have 'stuff' going on and their body fat is the symptom of it.

Bad people, very bad people and to make matters worse, they're breeding more bad people. Where the hell is Hitler when you need him?

Lol.

[qimissung]

lol, Delta. I agree that parenting is a fashion. It also seems to be the case that they are very fearful of letting their kids go out to play unsupervised. It is true that sometimes very bad things happen to kids, but I don't think it's so much that it warrants the lockdown that today's kids experience.

Also. now the word is out about how bad fast food is for you. When my kids were young I fed them chicken nuggets and soda pop. Fortunately, they are not obese or even fat, so we dodged that bullet. If I was raising a kid nowadays I simply would not darken McDonald's door. They, and all their ilk, are the devil (I still eat Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets about once a week, yum).

[The Atheist]

Your welcome to your point of view Atheist. You obviously know that not wanting to minimise these things so you don't sound like a insensitive person allows you to follow on with the 'fact' that it is the small minority of the people.

I didn't think it was necessary to prove that mental illness causes only a small percentage of cases of obesity, because the numbers speak for themselves. The number of obese people is an order of magnitude higher than those who are mentally ill, so even if all mentally ill people were obese, it would hardly change the facts.


You know this because based on your fairy tale opinion, most fat people are fat because they choose to be - it's their target weight, there are no issues going on in their lives.

This is quite a disturbing sentence, because it gives some mythical "issues" with an excuse for being obese.

Please note that I don't give a flying rat for whether people are fat or not, just as I don't care whether they dye their hair or not. As it happens, mu mother-in-law is hugely obese and has type 2 diabetes and a raft of other health problems caused by it. It doesn't make her any less a part of my family and my kids don't love her any less because of it and I have a great relationship with her.

I won't, however, accept nonsense excuses for being obese. I'm not saying people choose to be obese, but I am saying they choose lifestyles that cause them to be obese.

I will even go as far as partly blaming the medical establishment for promoting unhealthy eating for decades with their insane "pyramid" where people are encouraged to carbo-load by eating more cereals and breads than anything else.


Hell they just sit around eating day in day out and to top it off, they actually want their children to be fat so that when their kids go to school, they'll get picked on and teased.

I find it sad that parents allow it to happen. They know it's going to happen, then they cry when it happens - go figure. Since my own kids will neither bully nor be bullied because of weight issues, again I don't personally care one iota.

It's so easy to avoid that I can only repeat the same statement: parents, etc.


That's the majority. So according to you most fat people are informed and have a healthy mind. It's just the minority that have 'stuff' going on and their body fat is the symptom of it.

It's not "according to me" so much as starkly obvious reality. If you have a scrap of evidence that more than an insignificant proportion of obesity is caused by some kind of issue, please present it. Even then, that does not impact at all on their children, unless you think it's reasonable for those parents to push their kids into the same trap.


Bad people, very bad people and to make matters worse, they're breeding more bad people. Where the hell is Hitler when you need him?

Lol.

Godwined in this thread and Stalined in another in consecutive posts. I don't think I've ever managed that before.

Look at it this way: from my perspective, I'm happy for Darwin to sort it out. The obese will live shorter lives; their kids will be less fertile and have fewer healthy children - no need for Hitler, they'll kill themselves off in no time.

I just think it's appallingly bad form to let your kids turn into Billy Bunters. It causes them lifelong pain, illness and discrimination. In a world with 7+ billion people on it, I want my kids to have a fair start in life, not be consigned to chronic disease and derision.

[Delta40]

It's not about nonsense excuses reasons for being obese. Of course the data is out there about the health risks just as it is for undereating. As I posted before, it's about understanding reasons behind it. Some choose to say pure laziness. That's fine but it doesn't really open up a pathway for the development of solutions.

I think it's appallingly bad how many young people slice themselves up because of parental pressure to perform but for as long as we give one word reasons for it, less will be done to tackle it. In my opinion these things are a societal issue more than we're willing to admit.

If you want to take yourself out of the picture for as long as it doesn't affect your immediate family, then feel free to do so. More often than not it is only when we're directly affected that we want to see something done about it anyway.

You want the best for your children - Is the bar you set too high and will it come at such a cost that manifests of any number of physical problems and negative behaviours in your kids? Who will be at fault then?

Parenting is the toughest ride of all. Good luck but don't deep fry those who struggle with one word explanations because your kids deserve better.

[The Atheist]

It's not about nonsense excuses reasons for being obese. Of course the data is out there about the health risks just as it is for undereating. As I posted before, it's about understanding reasons behind it. Some choose to say pure laziness. That's fine but it doesn't really open up a pathway for the development of solutions.

Well, if it's solutions you're looking for, then you need to advance genuine reasons for it. In the case of child obesity, the only one I can find is that people are lazy.

Parents are responsible for feeding their kids, so they need to feed them properly. How could anything be simpler than that?

Arguments that the modern lifestyle is more stressful than in the past are bunkum. Ask people who lived through WWII. My mother faced daily bombings for a couple of years, while my father faced death daily for the entire war. Millions of others had worse.

How come there was no epidemic of obesity then? Even better, some countries had rationing immediately after the war, yet when rationing ended, obesity didn't emerge, and most economies were thriving in 1950-60.



I think it's appallingly bad how many young people slice themselves up because of parental pressure to perform but for as long as we give one word reasons for it, less will be done to tackle it. In my opinion these things are a societal issue more than we're willing to admit.

If you want to take yourself out of the picture for as long as it doesn't affect your immediate family, then feel free to do so. More often than not it is only when we're directly affected that we want to see something done about it anyway.

You want the best for your children - Is the bar you set too high and will it come at such a cost that manifests of any number of physical problems and negative behaviours in your kids? Who will be at fault then?

I don't set a bar at all, so they have nothing to live up to.

Ensuring they eat well is not that hard, and requires no performance measures to be put in place. They don't exercise beyond any kid of their age. I encourage them to do some, but they can't be bothered and I don't force them.


Parenting is the toughest ride of all. Good luck but don't deep fry those who struggle with one word explanations because your kids deserve better.

I can only have utter disrespect for people who deny their kids the chance at a healthy lifestyle. So parenting is hard work? I agree, but it's the price you pay for having kids. If it's too hard, don't have kids.

[Delta40]

I agree with you in principle but the government has yet to issue people with a license to breed.

Coming up with 'because' for this that and other is most satisfactory for those who just don't want to deal. Why bother with psychology and sociology when 'because' is the sufficient answer to everything.

Your standard is not the world standard and suggests that we're all born at the same starting line and not influenced by family behaviours and patterns. Good for you for the role you play. I'm sure your family dictionary doesn't even list the term dysfunction.

You obviously don't respect the fat granny you inherited. Why don't you tell her that she's a fat cow because of laziness? Is it because your kids love her and you don't want to lose benefits with your wife? When are you going to teach your kids to disrespect the fat granny and all fat people? C'mon Atheist. I get the sense that you don't really lead by example - only when it suits your needs.

[The Atheist]

Writing nonsense because you don't have a reasonable response just won't work.


Coming up with 'because' for this that and other is most satisfactory for those who just don't want to deal. Why bother with psychology and sociology when 'because' is the sufficient answer to everything.

How on earth does that relate to anything I've said? It seems to relate a lot more to your apologetics: people are fat because they're comfort eating... people are fat because they're under stress.... people are fat because they are mentally ill/depressed/grieving....

It's pretty obvious that child obesity has a cause, and it's equally obvious that the cause is the parents.


Your standard is not the world standard and suggests that we're all born at the same starting line and not influenced by family behaviours and patterns. Good for you for the role you play. I'm sure your family dictionary doesn't even list the term dysfunction.

Again, completely irrelevant to the points I've made.

My family isn't perfect by any means, but I fail to see why dysfunction is a valid excuse for ruining your children's health.

Should I be feeling sorry for the poor saps who thrust a constant stream of sugar & fat down their kids' throats?

In what way does a person's upbringing/socio-economic status/family history have anything to do with child obesity? Even blind parents can tell how fat their kids are.


You obviously don't respect the fat granny you inherited. Why don't you tell her that she's a fat cow because of laziness? Is it because your kids love her and you don't want to lose benefits with your wife? When are you going to teach your kids to disrespect the fat granny and all fat people? C'mon Atheist. I get the sense that you don't really lead by example - only when it suits your needs.

Yet again, bearing no relationship to what I said. How can you get me lacking respect when I specifically said: "I have a great relationship with her"?

It's a pity that instead of reading what I actually typed you seem to have made your mind up that I am anti obese people. I took pains to note that I don't care what someone's body shape is - I treat people the same regardless of size, shape, colour, gender, disability or sexual preference.

In the case of children, however, if parents feed them sugar and fat and allow them to become obese, it isn't a path the kids have chosen. Instead it's a path to destruction designed by parents who are too lazy to do something about it.

I think that's a damned shame.

[Delta40]

You're the one who stated it was because of laziness. I don't subscribe to a one size fits all answer (pardon the pun) and sure you can put it all onto the parents shoulders and say it is their responsibility providing all parents are operating at the standard you think all parents should operate at. But they don't. Do we bring it down to the micro and leave it there or broaden our thinking and ask if there is more involved here?

I'm not excusing obesity because I agree with you about the health risks. My kids grew up on home cooked food and the occasional take out as a treat. But I can't hide the fact that I was a comfort eater when the kids weren't around. Having said that, the proof is in the pudding and you can't hide an overweight Mum.

I was overweight till my father passed away and then it all just fell away like a great burden had finally been lifted - usually there is an underlying cause. My father did me the greatest favour. The opposite happened to my brother who now weighs in at 200kg. Funny how life events will affect people differently.

Overweight people are often filled with self-loathing even if they do present a defensive attitude because nobody wants to be fat. Sometimes they're in complete denial because they're totally out of touch about the underlying issue.

Fat is the symptom. Like I said before, the symptom could just as easily be drugs, alcohol, self harm.

When any of those problems are inflicted upon children it's a tragedy but this is the real world.

A doctor doesn't treat the spots on somebody they treat the ailment that is causing the spots. We need to do that too.

[Emil Miller]

.
Britain is “essentially a nation of lazy porkers”, a top health expert claimed today. Professor Craig Currie hit out after new figures showed the number of Brits under 40 with type 2 diabetes had spiralled by 820% in the last 20 years

[cafolini]

.
Britain is “essentially a nation of lazy porkers”, a top health expert claimed today. Professor Craig Currie hit out after new figures showed the number of Brits under 40 with type 2 diabetes had spiralled by 820% in the last 20 years

That tells me very little. I want to see the per capita rate, not the con-fusing spiral. You just presented pork-barrel politics which, most likely, is a much bigger porker interpretation than the nation of porkers Currie has for sale.

[astrum]

It also has a bit to do with money, when you get a big and cheap meal at burger places but vegetables, fruits and lean meat is expensive it is easy to go with the big mac.


All the more reason I'm happy about the increasing number of families who grow food in their backyards. If they have harvest surplus, perhaps they could barter with each other.

Also, some public libraries participate in seed borrowing programs. See more here:
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51296978

[The Atheist]

That tells me very little. I want to see the per capita rate, not the con-fusing spiral. You just presented pork-barrel politics which, most likely, is a much bigger porker interpretation than the nation of porkers Currie has for sale.

Yes, there should have been a link, as the answer was in the article:


In 1991, there were 169 cases per 100,000 people, rising to 515 in 2010.

Among under-40s, the incidence rose from 15 to 138 cases per 100,000 people.

Only the wrong kind of pork in that, sorry.

Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britain-nation-lazy-porkers-professor-1895290

[Darcy88]

What really bothers me is the fact that you'll never see a fat person in a fast food ad. They are all skinny. Yet if you walk into a Mcdonald's typically half the clientele are obese.

[Delta40]

That's because the food industry wants to transform the mythical beautiful people into fat people then we can finally have equality!!!!!

[Emil Miller]

I happen to live near a large green public space where I have often walked the two miles circumference as an antidote to a burgeoning waistline. I tend to avoid it at weekends and public holidays because it gets rather crowded, but yesterday I did the walk and was astounded by the number of people in running gear jogging the same route. Some of them may be limbering up for the next London marathon or simply trying to improve their general fitness but it was clear that the large number of overweight joggers were trying to do something about their obesity, so it would appear that more than a few of the 'lazy porkers' have taken the hint and are trying to do something about it. Their efforts are to be applauded by all who periodically take on the task of fighting the flab.

[Delta40]

Emil I hope you said 'Good oh' to them as they thundered past...

[Emil Miller]

Emil I hope you said 'Good oh' to them as they thundered past...

Well I would have had to say it constantly, given the number joggers, but I do admire those who have decided to fight back against the unsightly accumulation of fat that is such a feature of modern day living.

[Emil Miller]

Yes, there should have been a link, as the answer was in the article:



Only the wrong kind of pork in that, sorry.

Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britain-nation-lazy-porkers-professor-1895290

I would have given a link but Cafolini is on my ignore list and I didn't see his post. In any event, I would always take the word of a qualified practitioner rather than an Internet troll.

[The Atheist]

Interesting new study on the very subject: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/marriage-obesity-in-children-linked_n_3322431.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

[Emil Miller]

Here's another with a couple of salient extracts:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/dietandfitness/9796986/Were-eating-our-way-to-disaster.html


This week I went to the cinema in Washington DC. The theatre, part of the AMC chain, was selling popcorn and soda “combos” that the counter guy said made financial sense. He handed over a bag of popcorn big enough for an entire children’s party and a 54oz (1.5 litre) bucket of Coke. The Coke was too heavy to carry with one hand – almost the equivalent of five 330ml regular-sized cans.

The “exercise personal choice” and “let the food industry self-regulate” line of thinking demonstrably hasn’t worked. It has taken us to the point where, in less than 20 years, half of all Americans will be obese. And Britain is not as far behind the US as you might think – 25 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men are already in that category.

[Delta40]

Did you finish the popcorn? The megabuckets here are ridiculously huge.