America is getting Fatter

iplayoutside19

So the CDC says:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-03/obesity-tops-30-in-nine-states-triple-2007-total.html

Now, before we blow up the messenger. I understand they used BMI, and other unscientific ways to determine this. However, I have a hard time arguing that this report is not true. Unless you live in CO, and apperantly DC, just take a look around.

There are a million different opinions on how to reverse this trend. My wife and I have fought this problem in our own family, and succeeding (still have some work to do), we're coming up on a year at MFP. Seeing some of the BS that comes out of the "nutrition/fitness/weightloss" Industry. And Given you cannot out excersise a bad diet. I beleive that Nutrition/Food information should be a mandatory subject in school. Of course then I'm leaving the same organization who thinks BMI is a good standard be in charge of that.

Regardless, However the information is brought to public. Nutrition/Food/Calorie content should be brought to the forfront of this fight against flab. I beleive that is the key.

Samantharose8akaDebbie

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

amg_89

I totally agree with you that food/nutrition should be required in school--and i don't mean the modernized version of home ec! Kids really really REALLY need to know these things because with education comes action. I am going to be an art teacher, but I also plan to get certified to teach a health class. And instead of focusing the ENTIRE semester on "have sex and die" like my school did, I will include a unit on living a healthy lifestyle. I feel that my generation has BEGUN to become more educated and I want to be a large part in educating the next generation. By the time kids are in high school, yes, they have established habits that are hard to break, but they also buy a lot of their own food and if i can make healthy eating interesting and intriguing to them maybe they will use their lunch money to buy a turkey sandwich instead of a big mac.

imagymrat

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

I don't know if parents are lazy...I use fast food outlets all the time, i'm not lazy, my kids aren't fat. They exercise all the time. I can't always be available to cook for them, they can cook on their own, but sometimes a grilled chicken wrap from McD's along with a tossed salad we made at home isn't the reason society has an eating problem. I think it's about choices, you choose to put garbage food into your body the result will be a body that's fat. You can make just as many unhealthy dishes and meals in your own home in your own kitchen, then you can eating out. It's a learning process, educating people is the key, slaving over the stove for your family isn't necesserily the healthiest option....my granny was obese, diabetic, amputation, never ate out a day in her life, her cooking was apalling, everything fried and sauced up..just saying, it's about educating.

SouthernBell86

I think that considering a lot of us would admit that we've been emotional eaters, and that when that happens it is usually alone, and not with friends, perhaps one problem is just that American culture has shifted so that we eat alone more often than in the past. Whether it is fast food, at home, or a little debbie in the car, there is a huge potential to eat a lot more when you are alone and emotional than feeling happy in the company of others.

Of course, there are families that eat together all the time and are all overweight, in which case, obviously the content of what they are eating is suspect, but for a lot of us it is just about being content with who we are eating with so we don't have to make up for it with food.

Can you teach that in school? Maybe...but probably the US Government just needs to run more ad campaigns about the benefits of eating home cooked meals together.

Amandac6772

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

Exactly right, stop sitting your kids in front of a TV with bag of chips to babysit them...geez. Drives me nuts.

kimberly428

I wouldn't go that far...unfortunately more homes now are duel incomes so there are less time for sit down home cooked meals. I wouldn't call that being lazy though, just more busy.

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

Exactly right, stop sitting your kids in front of a TV with bag of chips to babysit them...geez. Drives me nuts.

Laceylala

I think a lot of it has to do with money. Food Inc. made a really good point in the documentary of following a family to the grocery store to see what they buy on their very limited budget. When you can go to the boxed food aisle and buy a meal for $5 and a head of broccoli and a couple of pears cost the same, what are you going to buy when you have to feed a family of three or four? When you can go to McD's with $10 and feed a family?
I think some people may be lazy, but more people have limited funds and boxed processed food is cheaper to feed a family on.
We can all say "well these families need to make the change and feed their kids healthier options so they live longer" but sometimes reality isn't that simple.

It is truly sad that these huge food conglomerates can make refined *kitten* food for so cheap and yet the very grains, vegetables and fruits that are the base of each of these foods can't be bought for less than the box itself? That is backwards.

I am thankful I have enough money to be able to spend on fresh foods for my family, but I know I am lucky in many regards.

Education also plays key....if you grew up eating hamburger helper and canned corn at night, it can be really hard to try to change those habits and teach your kids something new.

The sad thing about the school systems - they have to change WHAT they feed the kids before they can teach the kids HOW to eat right, IMO anyways. They get fed cr@p food there too...

themommie

I agree that alot of parents eat fast food way too much and sit kids infront of the tv with a bag of chips , but also in schools there is a problem. The schools have cut PE , we used to do PE everyday now they only do it once or twice a week. I have 2 kids in special ed and not only do they only do PE 2x a week, but they have movie days every friday where they have snacks and watch movies. They also have containers full of snacks and one full of toys and the kids get to pick something out of the container every time they make a positive or good decision. They also got double scoop banana splits for finishing their testing and for turning in their homework every 2 weeks. They also have a daily socialization time where they have a snack and play a game. All this extra eating at school and less exercise is a problem, then the kid comes home from school and has a snack and watches tv . GEESH

iplayoutside19

There are a lot trends that are being fingured for the blame here. And for everyone I can think of an exception. And certainly there is "some" truth in all of it, because sterotypes come from somewhere. I just think it's a perfect storm.

I think the largest problem is we have generation caught in the middle of a societal transition. You will notice the "fattest" states are states that are agricultural. And I'm sure this trend is the same in most of these states; but for the most part, my generation is 1st or 2nd generation that doesn't live on a farm. Where they made high calorie meals because you had to have high calorie meals. Then people moved off the farm and into offices. The only way they know how to eat is what they're parents taught them. AND NOW there is a McDonalds on every corner, and on the other side of the corner is a C-Mart selling fountain drinks. Human's aren't dumb or inherently lazy...for the most part. People don't like feeling and looking like crap. That's why people come to this website. I just think we need a generation of people teaching their children how to eat in our "new" world.

glfprncs2

I'm a middle school teacher, and I'm absolutely appalled at what my students bring to school (from home) to eat during lunch. The school cafeteria menu also leaves a LOT to be desired. Truly, it's a huge issue.

Just basing this on personal experience, but I would venture to guess that 40-50% of the 8th graders that I teach are overweight. Many would probably be classified as obese. They're 14 or 15 years old. Clearly, we have a problem...

I'm working on getting my personal trainer certification (and Turbo Kick certification), and upon doing so, am planning on writing a grant proposal that would allow me to implement an after school program for students at my school that would focus on learning to eat healthier (part of the grant would pay for a dietician from the local teaching university) and incorporate exercise (yours truly) into their lives. I would also like for part of the grant money to be utilized to send each participant home with a fitness DVD that, perhaps, they could do with a parent, etc. There's a lot of 'ifs' at this stage in the game, but I think it's something that could get funded, especially during a time when obesity is becoming such an epidemic.

glfprncs2

I agree that alot of parents eat fast food way too much and sit kids infront of the tv with a bag of chips , but also in schools there is a problem. The schools have cut PE , we used to do PE everyday now they only do it once or twice a week. I have 2 kids in special ed and not only do they only do PE 2x a week, but they have movie days every friday where they have snacks and watch movies. They also have containers full of snacks and one full of toys and the kids get to pick something out of the container every time they make a positive or good decision. They also got double scoop banana splits for finishing their testing and for turning in their homework every 2 weeks. They also have a daily socialization time where they have a snack and play a game. All this extra eating at school and less exercise is a problem, then the kid comes home from school and has a snack and watches tv . GEESH

As a teacher who doesn't give candy or treats AT ALL in school (mainly because if they're in my room, I would eat them!), I REALLY wish parents would speak out against this more often. I see treats used more and more as extrinsic motivators for kids, and I think it's total B.S. And you're right, it's part of the problem!

lisawest

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

Ok, intelletually I realize that you were not attacking ME, but as the OP's wife and mother of his 2 children, I FELT attacked when I read this comment.

For years we ate out a couple times a week, and cooked at home every other night. Yet we BOTH managed to gain great amounts of weight while eating at home. The problem is not WHERE you eat, but rather WHAT you eat. Most restaurants have begun to offer healthier options, and if they don't, we no longer eat there.

It is still necessary for us to eat out one or two nights a week. It is NOT because I am lazy, it is because I teach band and choir in a small rural school district (30 minutes from my house) and my husband works in the city (45 minutes in the OTHER direction). On nights where I have school events, or church meetings, or community events, we may not be able to get to the house, fix dinner, eat it, and still get to the event. Many other parents of my acquaintance have the same problem. It does not mean that they don't love their children, or that they are lazy, it means that they both have to work in order to afford to live and/or be happy. Could we live more frugally so that I did not HAVE to work? Yes, we probably could. Would I be happy without my job? No, I would not. I've been there, tried that. I was NOT a happy human, and I don't care to go back to that.

This does not even touch on the problem of expense.

As I said, I realize that you were not directing this comment at me specifically, but this is a statement that always gets my goat. As a teacher, I KNOW that there are lazy parents out there. (Believe me, I have their children in my classes!) But I also know that (at least in my district) the majority of parents are NOT lazy. They are hardworking, caring people who are doing what they need to in order to get by.

Ok, sorry. I apologize for hi-jacking your thread, DH. I'm done now. Back to the regularly scheduled programming!

cynthials

Personally I think it is all the hormones and additives in our foods. Added to the "we are busier" reason (i.e. more processed foods) and voila, we have many overweight people as a result.

Mina133842

thanks Lisa! I'm a mom, and I don't get off work this week until 7:30pm, so then you add commute, and cooking time, and guess what, my child's bedtime is 8:30 - he'd be eating right at bedtime... SO, my hubby does most of the cooking, and we rarely eat out anymore, but I also agree that if you make wise choices, this wouldn't be an issue. I was raised in a family that both parents worked full-time, and in fact, my dad was a manager and often wasn't home until well after I was in bed, because he worked 80 hours a week- my mom taught us how to make hamburger helper, and a can of green beans and a can of some other veggie, so yeah, not raised on the healthiest stuff, but she did what she could. I'm trying to do better, I feed my son lots of fresh fruits, and we have a small garden my husband started this year. I know there are lots of lazy parents out there, but don't group us all together. Sure, after work, I'm bushed and mindlessly watch tv when I should be doing other things, but my son is in bed at that point....

jenism

I totally agree with you that food/nutrition should be required in school--and i don't mean the modernized version of home ec! Kids really really REALLY need to know these things because with education comes action.

I couldn't agree more! I think this is so important.

david1956

Not as a total solution (because there simply is no one easy answer) rather part of the strategy, I quite like the concept of campaigns aimed at general lifestyle and health. I know that most countries have probably done similar, but am example here in New Zealand is a "Push Play" advertising campaign promoting the idea that 30 minutes physical activity a day is FUN. It promotes particularly activities as a family. For most people who really start addressing lifestyle (holistically) I think diet eventually becomes a factor.

See, about 15 months ago when I addressed diet and fitness it was because I was scared of where I was at and it BEGAN with a basic "get back to the gym and start getting real crap out of your diet or you are going to end up seriously ill!" thought. It was as I began to get a yearning to get in shape that the intricacies of diet became relevant. In fact I knew vaguely I was a "bit overweight", but I'd have never guessed that I'd go from 91.5 to 79 kg (and may end up finding that my ideal weight is even 75-77 kg). I vaguely thought I'd shed a few pounds. And after getting real junk out of my diet, I was stunned to realise over time that there was a still a lot more to be changed.

Everyone has different motivators, and if I'd got slapped around the ears by a kind of "eat veges thing" something in me would have switched off and resented being lectured to by those oh-so-holier-than-thou-left-wing-probably-wear-hand-died-wool-cardigans-to-work-and-eat-carrots-for-lunch-loonies. A bit tongue in cheek, but for some reason health-food fanatics always irritated me.

Advertising does work, continually over a long time. I mean, that's why Coca Cola is so successful and is why smoking is gradually being seen in a different light. And I think it is possible to slowly sell people on the idea of becoming active and enjoying it. Diet then becomes part of that picture. And I do think that dietary problems are part of a holistic problem.

iplayoutside19

Everyone has different motivators, and if I'd got slapped around the ears by a kind of "eat veges thing" something in me would have switched off and resented being lectured to by those oh-so-holier-than-thou-left-wing-probably-wear-hand-died-wool-cardigans-to-work-and-eat-carrots-for-lunch-loonies. A bit tongue in cheek, but for some reason health-food fanatics always irritated me.

Advertising does work, continually over a long time. I mean, that's why Coca Cola is so successful and is why smoking is gradually being seen in a different light. And I think it is possible to slowly sell people on the idea of becoming active and enjoying it. Diet then becomes part of that picture. And I do think that dietary problems are part of a holistic problem.

Exactly. Part of what took me so long to do something serious about my health is the "image" projected by our culture. I watch a lot of sports, and Anheuser-Buch, or whatever they are called now, does a good job making you think that you can't watch sports without a beer and burger. Even though, those two things are counter productive to actually playing sports.

SaveTheDrama

My thinking is that Parents are lazy and do not want to take the time to cook anymore, so they go to all of the fast food chains and load their kids and themselves up like livestock.......................

I have to strongly disagree with comment! I grew up in a house where my mom was one of those old fashioned housewives. We rarely ate out she mostly cooked from scratch, so I know good and well she was not lazy, however the food she made was southern soul food. Fried and Fried then fried some more. I mean come on in the south we will fry anything. Now that I have my own family and me and my husband both work full time fast food is something we have alot of, but I make healthy choices. Its not the fast food places fault if you order a big mack and fries instead of a salad! I am healthier now than I have ever been and eat out alot more. I guess what I am trying to say is cooking at home does not mean healthy and eating out does not mean unhealthy.

I don't believe there is one or two causes for the obesity problem in America, but rather hundreds of contributing factors in our fast paced got to have it right now society.