Why do people let their kids get Fat!!?! (1 Viewer)

[Johnny_M]

im sitting here at my computer looking out the front window when one of the little neighbor girls walks by. this kid must be 180 lbs!, and i am guessing shes about 10 years old! part of me wants to walk over their and slap the hell out of her parents. my guess is that they are big folks also, poor kid.


Johnny

 

[Michael Mathius]

 

[Mark Sherman]

Its never the parents fault, you should Know this by now. Its always the fast food co. that are to blame here. Shame on you for blaming the parents cause its never the kids fault.



I was walking around the mall a few weeks back and all of the kids were pushing triple digit weights. It was pathetic.


Here ya go Johnny instead of taking the time to prepare you a well rounded Lunch Im gonna shove this Lunchable in your over weight back back so that you will fit in with all of the other overweight backpacking heffers in your third grad class. Now run along so mommy can think of where she is going to order dinner from.

 

[Adam.Heckman]

Not sure. Sometimes it's an actual problem with their body and glands and stuff. So, it's not ALWAYS their fault. However, I do think that 90% of the time people could definately control their own (or their kids) weight.

Do you have kids yourself? How are they doing?

Mark, good call on the people shirking the responsibility on the fast food companies and anyone else that's scared of a lawsuit. Personal responsibility has gone out the door!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

There are many reasons for childhood obesity, one of which (of course) is parental enabling, apathy or neglect. But cut the kid some slack. She could be suffering from a hormonal or glandular problem, have some other disease that requires massive doses of steroids (think Jerry Lewis) or a dozen other reasons. I am not some PC "calorically challenged" advocate and often criticize the "Oh poor baby, the kids made fun of you? Here have a twinkie!" style of parenting when I see it, but to prejudge without knowing the whole story is unfair.

 

[Johnny_M]

i have a 5 year old, and if anything else he could probably eat a little more. i dont buy the whole "glands" thing, most kids that i know would rather be playing outside, or even sitting in front of the tv, instead of eating. by design most kids wont eat until they are actually hungry. their brain doesnt crave food like adults do. to get that fat somebody has to be forcing food down their throat. i mean even if your metabalism is very slow, you still have to eat 180lbs worth of something to get that big. if people were genetically built to get fat, why dont you ever see fat ethiopians?

Johnny

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Johnny, you may not buy it, but the overwhelming medical evidence states that some cases of obesity are due to hormonal or glandular problems. Not all, not half, probably a small fraction, but some. Some are also due to treatments needed for other ailments (Jerry Lewis was a skinny guy most of his life and I knew a girl in High School that went from 110lbs to over 250lbs due to steroidal treatment for a bone disease). I agree that it's easy for some parents to blame an overweight child on "glands" when it is actually due to a poor diet and overindulgence and very many do. But to single out a child and make a diagnosis without knowing anything about the child is unfair.

 

[Johnny_M]

well, im speaking in general really. her walking by just made me want to post this. you must admit tho, 90% of over weight kids have over weight parents. i think that should be illegal. if i were smokin pot all day and giving it to my son they would throw me in jail, in my eyes obesity in kids should also be a crime. and even if there are other reasons to be over weight, im talking mainly about these ones.


Johnny

 

[mark alan]

Unfortunately, there are many, many kids in America who spend their entire childhood parked in front of the tv, and eat basically nothing but fast food and junk food. Their parent or parents (usually there is only one) is not there, doesn't care, and does not want to spend any time playing with or stimulating the minds of their kids.

These parents (and I use that term very losely) destroy both the bodies and minds of their kids. However, you can't even blame the parents, as they were doomed to failure by their parents.

Unless we change the way children are raised, we will be forever writing off half the population of this country.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

Today I'm supposed to shoot a bunch of B-roll footage of and I quote "more obese kid footage, we need more fat kids!".

It is for this public health PSA about the growing trend of 'chubby' children.

 

[JustinCleveland]

I was at a pizza place that also offered a buffett... saw a little girl bragging to her server that she'd eaten 5 ice creams, and the mother was encouraging her. The little girl was disgustingly fat, and the mother more so. Sorry, that's not glandular, that's child abuse.

I'm a fat guy, but I know how I got that way, because I like to eat sweet things and after high school, I quit wrestling, running, and working out. It's my fault, I was a decently-in-shape child. But those kids don't know any better. I don't remember where it's from, but I do remember the line, "Your kids don't need a friend, they need a parent" and it seems damned appropriate.

 

[Johnny_M]

good point justin, i have no problems with adults wieght. my best friend and his wife are severly over weight. they love to eat and make no secret about it. Theyre parents are over weight, probably their grandparents too. BUT they have 3 kids, all of which are very skinny. They love to eat, but they are very conscious about what their kids eat because they want them to grow up healthy. as an adult, some adults like big people, they are attracted to it. but as a kid they are making it very difficult for that kid to socially function in school and elsewhere, and that damage will follow them forever.

Johnny

 

[Mark Sherman]

Growing Up WE ( my family ) Never and I MEAN never had Soda in the fridge if we did It was for my dad and not for the kids. We had Gallons upon gallons of milk in the fridge at all times. We never went To any fast food place for dinner, maybe Pizza and Chinese food Once in a great while. There was always a home made dinner every night at my house. My mom or dad would get up and makes us all lunch for school. My folks made sure that we were well fed. A main meal a side and Veggies. My mom made sure that we were out of the House doing something not sitting in watching the TV or playing video games. ( atari back then ).

Parents Nowadays dont give a rats ass what their kids are eating. Take a look at the side of a lunchables its pure sodium, Then there are the Smuckers frozen PB and J sandwiches. How hard is it to make a fricken sandwich for little Johnny.

Its always the excuse " I'm to busy or my life style is just nuts" Bullshit, Get up 15 minutes earlier or postpone that golfgame to spend some time with the Kids. And stop blaming others for your Kids actions

Kids too fat blame the fast food place

Kids are doing drugs and drinking... blame TV and Music

Kids are having Sex........Blame Howard Stern.

No people its not anyone elses fault but your own.


OK IM DONE

 

[Julian Reville]

I have childhood pictures that clearly show that I was a skinny (normal) kid up until the age of 10 or so. Then I had my tonsils out, and for some reason or another, from then on, I had an excess weight problem.

Probably , it was due to a combination of too much food and too little exercise. I know I have always loved to eat, and I grew up in an "eat like a farm hand" household.

Since then I have proven several times that I can get the weight off through diet and exercise, keeping it off is the hard part.

 

[JonZ]

Both of my g/fs kids are overweight. One is very overweight.

They eat becuase theyre bored and they dont get enough exercise.

Tues I was given antibiotics for a respitory infection.I had to take it with food. I said the hell with it and pulled into McDs since its probally been a year or more since Ive had it and was basically looking for a quick fix.I could not how believe these people looked. Women that had to be 300 pounds standing there ordering Big Macs and such.

I left and got a sandwich instead.

"but the overwhelming medical evidence states that some cases of obesity are due to hormonal or glandular problems."

For some this is very true. There are people out there who cannot control their weight no matter much help or effort they put into it. But I believe these cases are rare - for most its laziness.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Mark,

Funny, I grew up in Weymouth and it was the same thing. Soda was non-existent unless we had pizza once or twice a month (from Frank's in Caldor's Plaza). Every night was a home cooked meal and until my parents could afford to eat out (we had 7 kids), a very special occasion was chinese food (The Aloha near Hingham). We did not have Atari and weekends and summers meant you were gone for hours outside, not in front of the TV. I spent more time barefoot and sunburned, running around Pond Meadow State Park than I spent at home. Nowadays parents will slather on sunscreen like library paste but won't take the time to put a good meal on the table. Luckily, my nieces and nephews (no kids myself) have parents that feel the same way as me and they have healthy diets and are all pretty fit. But to see some of their friends makes you want to weep.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

JonZ,

That's why I said "probably a small fraction" are due to other reasons. I just refrain from public judgment if I don't know the person's history. I have my own ideas, of course, and I know the reasons for the obesity of kids I know personally, I just refrain from public ridicule. Not that this forum is public, but there are feelings present here and I try to keep that in mind.

 

[JonZ]

Yea, there are people who can eat anything and not gain weight. Peopl ewith fast metolisms that burn everything up.But most have to work at it.

Working out isnt my favorite thing to do. But I have a very slow metabolism and pack in weight easily. Its work.

Of course people work 2 jobs, dont have time, etc. But as the saying goes,you make the time. People should be comfortable with themselves,proud of who they are, not ashamed of their bodies,etc. But theres also a self respect factor.You dont have to spend 2 hours in a gym to get exercise. ANYONE can do something to be healthier if they try.

As for children, most will have babyfat they loose as they get older. Thats not a problem, but a country of obese children (and parents)is different.

It is a problem and one I think should be addessed.

Look at this pic. Should this kid be eating Mcds? http://www.rolandblais.org/archives/00000043.htm

 

[Mark Sherman]

It must be a south shore Thing I grew up in Hanover but I now live in weymouth. We used to get the Aloha on special occasions and pizza night was the only night we were allowed soda. Wednesday my dad would bring home Chocolate Chip Cookies from Angelo's in Hanover which is now office max and Kitchen ETC. But that was the extent of sweets in the house.



Thank god that rubbed off on us.

 

[Doug:Li]

Bad parenting for sure.

BUt i also blame HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP as well. Its real bad and its in EVERYTHING. I think that contributes to the problem as well.

But parents really need to take care of what goes in thier kids mouths. Its a shame to see such large little kids.