Did you see the kid's arteries???

[elliemom]

OMG,
did anyone see the video of obese kids arteries. They are comparable to a 45 year old man!!! These children fro age 8-13 are obese and are loaded with plaque. How sad. This may be the 1st generation ever, where children will live shorter life spans than their parents. That is just sad and scary.

I know obesity is a touchy subject but it's time we did something about it. They are putting kids as young as 8 yrs old on Statin drugs. That's a disgrace. I understand that parents are working and busy and healthier foods may be a little more expensive, but come on! This is serious stuff!!!

I am 44 and grew up eating pretty healthy food. We were always full, but we did it by adding extra lettuce/tomato to our sandwiches, not eating french fries. We drank water and juice, not soda and iced tea. My boys are 4 and 7 and they don't even know what that stuff is. Because I am in control of what food they eat because I am in control of what comes into the house!! They obviously aren't doing the grocery shopping. I cringe when I hear parents say "he will only drink soda" with dinner. Who the heck started that???

Why not do the video fitness for kids. We all do it right??? I can't get to the gym so I do Cathe workouts at home. Any reason why kids can't do the same??? Oh, not Cathe but something for their age????

I recently had to tell a very dear friend that her 12 year old 200 pond son was obese and needed to see a doctor. He was having nosebleeds that I knew were blood pressure related. She was furious with me, but finally did take him and his BP was thru the roof. Can you imagine a stroke at 12????

I think it's time we woke up and realized what damage we are doing to our children. They are too young to have diabetes and high blood pressure etc

eliemom

 

[orphylea]

Nope, didn't see the video but I am also a big believer in improving kids' diets. I have a 3 year old and 1 year old and I worry about when they go to school. School cafeteria lunches are AWFUL! I am not necessarily slamming the school districts, most are dealing with budget issues and all sorts of internal pressures I don't necessarily understand. BUT, why in heaven's name do soda machines need to be in schools? And french fries! Why? I hate that. I wish schools could afford to offer healthier selections. I know that I can and plan on packing my kids' lunches, but man, facing options and alternatives like that makes it tough!

OK, off the soap box for now.

 

[janiejoey]

Eliemom,

I hear and share your passion with the dangers of Obesity. You have fantastic suggestions. IMO people are obese because of the addiction of processed food. I'm sure there are also other reasons, but to add to your suggestions, perhaps eating foods in their original state. Fresh greens, fruits and vegetable, legumes, grains and daily vitamins and most of all the correct serving of these foods. If eating meat, then, lean pieces. Also activities need to be in place for our children. Throwing a ball around the yard, basket ball in the driveway or school, picking a sport in or outside of school...Seasonal sports.

I'm also very concerned about our health in America. We have just got to get off the processed foods once and for all and start exercising. I guess start it in our own homes, then talk to neighbors, families, friends, co-workers...be examples to the people we talk to.

It is so scary about our childrens future in health. It is such a huge issue, I can only hope that people get it eventually. What else can we do?

Janie

 

[bitmover]

Hmmmm, soda machines are banned from schools in California. I think it's all of California -- I thought it was everywhere, but apparently not, so maybe it's not even all of California. No vending machines.

My kids' school is too small for a cafeteria -- they have a hot lunch program on Mondays and Fridays -- it's organic, healthy food delivered by some local vendor. The hot dogs are Neiman Ranch fearless franks (no nitrates), and they are served with fruits and veggies (ok, and one cookie). It's awesome! I'm so glad I live where I live. We also have an awesome PE teacher who makes 1st - 5th graders run a timed mile every month. There is a noon-time jogging program where we track how many miles the kids have run (combined) and they chart it out on a map of the US. It's very cool.... we are so lucky!!

Ok, I'm going to put in my third plug for some ambitious lawyer to take up the class action lawsuit against the high fructose corn syrup manufacturers. Come on, anybody with a law degree? Can you say "Erin Brakovitch"?

-Beth

 

[goldenrun358]

Has anyone seen the commercial about HFCS being made from corn and not being that bad? I nearly hit the roof!! It's two teen aged boys sitting at a kitchen table, one eating processed junk cereal, the other makes a comment about HFCS being bad. The one eating the cereal replies that it's made from corn and where is the research that it is not good for you.

Seriously, with this kind of advertising, you can expect more resistance and misinformation.

I totally agree that something must be done about the health, of not just our children, but also our whole nation. I mean, the kids are getting their eating habits from their parents. Everyone in the household must embrace eating in moderation.

I have recently (3.5 weeks to be exact) cut out nearly all processed food. I am actually struggling to eat 1600 calories per day because the volume of clean, healthy food (fruits, veggies, lean meats) is enormous! I am floored. But, it's more expensive, and it's very time consuming.

The thing I struggle to help others (and sometimes myself) understand is that it's worth it. Our nation's health is in a dire state.

I'm also an ER nurse, and the people I see, young and old, that come in with chronic health problems I think most of the time can be linked to unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle. Just my 2 cents. But, I'm TIA with this thread.

 

[Beavs]

Why not do the video fitness for kids. We all do it right??? I can't get to the gym so I do Cathe workouts at home. Any reason why kids can't do the same??? Oh, not Cathe but something for their age????

Um, because kid spend too much damn time in front of the tv already. Back in the olden days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth we used to wild and crazy stuff, like build forts and tree houses. We ran through trails, played hide and seek, used our imaginations, learned team work, made friends, learned how to play nice, and enjoyed some unstructured fun time. The mind is equally as important as the body and I would really hate to see kids counting down reps staring at the television. Videos work for adults because it would be considered uncool to play cops and robbers in the woods after work

 

[Connie07]

Its very sad to see so many over weight children. They grow up without knowing how to eat healthy, and will pass that on to their children if they are fortunate enough to live that long. When I was in school (many years ago) obese children were rare, had a few chubby ones but not obese. Of course we didn't have computers, Playstation, and all that stuff either.

 

[Gayle]

Videos work for adults because it would be considered uncool to play cops and robbers in the woods after work

It also freaks out the neighbors.

 

[elliemom]

Um, because kid spend too much damn time in front of the tv already. Back in the olden days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth we used to wild and crazy stuff, like build forts and tree houses. We ran through trails, played hide and seek, used our imaginations, learned team work, made friends, learned how to play nice, and enjoyed some unstructured fun time. The mind is equally as important as the body and I would really hate to see kids counting down reps staring at the television. Videos work for adults because it would be considered uncool to play cops and robbers in the woods after work

Yeah Beavs I agree but my kids play for 30 -45 min outside everyday after school. They don't play video games, but in the evening on game night we do the huls hoop, running etc. on Wii Fit. My point was get their butts off the couch and don't buy the games that they just use their fingers to control. If finger exercises helped weight loss, I'd be thin as a rail after driving my car in Philadelphia!!!! One finger gets much more exercise than the others.

If the parents turn off the TV and don't buy the games in the 1st place, the kids would find something to do outside. You know use their imaginations and stuff. Mine build obstacle courses and make paths to follow thru the leaves etc. And I join in. It's setting a good example too

elliemom

 

[fit44]

Um, because kid spend too much damn time in front of the tv already. Back in the olden days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth we used to wild and crazy stuff, like build forts and tree houses. We ran through trails, played hide and seek, used our imaginations, learned team work, made friends, learned how to play nice, and enjoyed some unstructured fun time. The mind is equally as important as the body and I would really hate to see kids counting down reps staring at the television. Videos work for adults because it would be considered uncool to play cops and robbers in the woods after work

ITA about the old days. The street lights were our signal we had to go home. Many nights I ran to make the curfew!! OMG, it was like death to get grounded. You would miss out on a lot if you were kept inside.

We roamed the neighborhood on our bikes. We went trash picking to find things to build in our club house, and collected soda bottles for cash. Yes, we spent some of it on candy, but penny candy. Not, giant size candy bars!!!
In those days, the neighborhood watched you. I can't tell you how many times my neighbor threatened to get the hickory switch out. That's all it took too! We behaved because we knew we were being watched.

 

[fit44]

It also freaks out the neighbors.

This is good to know I'll have to let DH know

 

[Jacque1038]

One of the guys at work was telling me about that story. How can a kid be a kid if he can not run and play and do all that stuff? I know health care/insurance is a touchy issue with people and we have a lot of problems with it now. What is going to happen when these children get older and need to take10 pills a day and are having a bunch of operations just to stay alive? What is going on with some of these parents? Kids like what they are taught to like. I was only allowed to have soda at birthday parties and other rare occasions so I never had any trouble drinking water or juice instead. I once had a job were part of it was counseling parents on nutrition. What a joy that was. It really makes me sad to think about the whole thing.