1/6/04

Fit Kids (1)
I read three related news stories on AOL this morning that are sending me to my soapbox. They all had to do with fast food and childhood obesity. It all started here AOL News - U.S. Teens Fatter Than Peers in Industrialized Nations. That's something to be proud of huh?
As one who struggled with weight as a child, I can't help but feel pain for these children. I was not obese, and I was very active but I was always one of the heavier kids in the class. My mother was a "you MUST clean your plate" parent. For those of us who have been there, we know how detremental this is to one's self esteem, and how it can take a lifetime to get over. It's psychologically damaging enough, but now we are facing the problem to such an extreme that the physical damage cannot be ignored.
As a parent, it's such a difficult battle. The kids are drawn to the worst types of foods by the media. Fast food, soda, candy and high sugar cereal. It's a crime how these products are marketed to children. And while the child isn't the primary purchaser of these products, the companies are relying highly on the "nag factor" that we all suffer with and fall victim to.
It seems wherever I look, those who should take some responsibility are turning a blind eye. In my area, the school lunches are a joke nutritionally. Chicken fryze? French toast sticks? Nachos with squeeze cheese? These are the entre offerings. They should be ashamed. My kids pack. How about soda machines readily available in the school corridor? How about teachers who use candy as an incentive? How about sweet snacks at every scout meeting, every Sunday school class? You can't be on top of them all the time, monitoring what they put in their mouths - how can you fight this crap when it's everywhere!Written by sunflowerkat321 .

This entry has 5 comments:
I come from a family of big and tall people. I am almost 5'10". My girls are tall but they are not the teeny tiny girls you see on the street. They are what I would call normal. Try finding clothes for "normal" girls. The XXL t-shirts would fit a 3 year old. It's so heartbreaking for them. They are athletic and beautiful and the media tells them to they are too big. We need a happy medium somewhere.Comment from karensull12 - 1/6/04 9:05 PM

I was thinking the same thing today. Is McDonald's responsible for our obese children? Absolutely not! I think we as parents have to teach our children what and what not to eat. Maybe we shouldn't have sugar in our house, and stay away from refined foods. PACK their lunches and stay on top of things. Remember, sugar makes us fat! You brought up some real good points :))Comment from redbaron1216 - 1/6/04 7:33 PM

I already put an entry in but it didn't take. Today kids get rides everywhere. Let them use the feet they were born with and walk. And, with my kids I made them think vegetables were a treat and they didn't get any unless they were good. The love them still today. : )Comment from readmereadyou - 1/6/04 4:17 PM

Preach it, sista! I'm not a parent, but I know I'd do things differently than what my sister does. She has three boys -- and I can't count the times she's let them have a can of Mountain Dew just before bedtime. And that's just scraping the surface.Things have definitely changed since we were kids. Pop machines in the school? Never.Comment from andreakingme - 1/6/04 3:55 PM

The school lunch thing brings up a whole other point, because, for some of my elementary school years while my dad wasn't working, I received free lunches. What do those parents do when they can't pack?Comment from hyjeanne11 - 1/6/04 12:51 PM