Parents Please Wake Up

raw_sugar

What are you talking about I live the village and I feed my self on like 50 bucks a week....

This indicates to me that you live within walking distance of healthy food options? Would I be incorrect in that assumption? There are people who are miles and miles away from the nearest grocery store, and may not have access to transportation.

Ask anyone who has ever tried walking to and from a grocery store, to a bus stop and from a bus stop home with a week's worth of groceries for a family of four how easy that is.

gorgeouss9

I have no children, but I do have 7 nephews and 6 nieces, from 4 older sisters. One thing I've noticed is that every one of my sisters is raising her children/young adults very differently.

Oldest sister: she takes her kids to fast food, puts them in sports activities, rarely cooks b/c she and her husband are always working, when her husband cooks (he does most of the cooking) he doesnt cook healthy foods (although its very delish!!). At the same time, she tells her kids they are FAT and need to lose weight!! It drives me crazy!! She'll buy the packaged foods filled with sodium and fat and tell them to make something when she and her husband are running late @ work during the work week. Two of her kids are chubby (not obese) and one is stick thin. My sister herself was chubby as a kid- she was in middle school and she was 145 pounds, at 5 feet. When she got married, she became anorexic and saw food as evil. She is now 115 pounds about. I keep telling her to teach her kids to be HEALTHY and to not buy processed foods or take her kids to fast food, but she doesnt listen!

Second sister: her kids came after herself and her ex-husband: they are all in sports and health conscious (to a limit). They eat fast food, but their metabolism is very high so and they rarely eat it. They all prefer cooking at home. The kids don't like junk food. I remember them (as kids, 7 yrs old) asking for rice and meat and not for junk food- wow!!

Third sister: As a family, they all love to eat out at restaurants and food food chains. My sisters kids are all over weight. My sister herself is at a normal weight- she isnt thin. Her husband is also chubby. My sister cooks sodium filled foods and didnt teach her kids to be physically active or eat more healthy until we were all like WOAH your kids are too big for their ages! (three are in high school and one is in elemenetery school). The two oldest kids are the heaviest- 17 and 16 yrs old and weigh around 160 pounds, and they are short too!

Fourth sister: Parents are health conscious and so are the kids. My sisters kids are very small (7 and younger) and she doesnt feed them sweets, juice (they have water in their bottles), or candy. The oldest is starting to like chocolate, but she gives him just one, and he's satisfied with that. She's a nurse and her husband works in medicine too so thats probably part of the reason!

vs1023

As a mom to 2 kids I try very hard to give them healthy meals. I have a 6 year old who is very picky and who I believe to have some sensory things going on (ie doesn't like the way certain foods feel in her mouth). My husband is also picky and has texture issues. Neither of them eat vegetables at all. Believe me i try, i've tried sneaking it in, etc. I eat a wide range of food and veggies so she is exposed, but getting her to try anything turns into hour long tantrums. I know I was a little picky as a kid, but it got better since now i eat everything. I can only hope it improves so in the meantime I try to give her foods she likes and make sure it's organic or has a good nutrional punch for what it is.

My son is only 11 months and doesn't eat anything by mouth yet except bottles due to being intubated so long as a baby, but we're working on it. I do see he likes flavor so I am hoping he will be my good eater once we get over him gagging on everything.

So I whole heartedly agree with the OP, but sometimes it's not always that easy although coke and fast food is a joke. Luckily my daughter does not like soda. She drinks some juice, lots of water and a little milk. My mom cooked a lot of processed stuff when I was a kid, but when I lived with other family members I was exposed to lots of vegetables and good for you stuff.


I agree that many people that do eat a lot of fast food, soda, processed stuff is because it is cheap and media displays a lot of processed food as it now being healthy with whole grains when it's just a load of crap. Growing up we didn't watch much tv and just went outside to play all day. I'm always pushing my daughter outside to play, but she watches tv too. I think it should start in schools too. School lunches are awful.

Lleldiranne

Young or old we eat what we want. Filling the refrig with fruits, vegs, low fat whatever, Isn't going to stop school trading and just plain not eating. How healthy is not eating at all? Children are influenced more out of the house then in. It's called fitting in or finding persons like themselves. At any age we can decide when we want to control how much we eat 14 or 40. Blaming other people for our own choices is like saying we are not in control of ourselves. "Only I can hurt me, should I choice". Power, will and choice are ours to control.

It starts with teaching a child to enjoy the good foods. That starts with the first bite of solids you give them. There will be some foods that a person likes and dislikes, no matter what, but in general kids like what you teach them to like. If you offer a one year old lots of fruits and veggies, s/he will learn that those are the foods to eat. If you give them junk all the time, then that's what they want to eat.

It can be changed when they are older, it's just harder. Two big factors are eating meals as a family (not drive-through in the car) and setting a good example by filling your own plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

And don't forbid any treat. Advice from my pediatrician! When a food is forbidden, it becomes more desirable and the kiddos will sneak it when away from home.

stcar

I love how people blame so much on there child hood when they have been out of it for so long. If you are over 18 and you are on this site worry about yourself take responsiblity for your own actions and move on

Seconded.

Also, I love how people who are not parents can even think they have any clue what its like. MYOB, IMO.

I agree, my parents ate a ton of junk, fried food, big portions (still do) and neither my sister nor I have ever been close to 300 or even over 140 pounds for that matter. Some people have emotional issues that they cover with eating and some don't. some have bad metabolisms and some don't. some are raised with junk, but when they open their own eyes to the real world at 18 or whatever, decide to make healthy choices on their own because they find such unhealthy eating disgusting.

bens_momma

It starts with education, in my opinion. The vast majority of people don't honestly know enough about nutrition to create a truly healthy diet for their children.

This! When I talk with my mother on a regular basis about nutrition and how I'm eating healthier, she questions on occasion why I'm still eating bread and cheese, because obviously carbs and fat are the spawn of Satan! We grew up eating cheap food (Ramen, packaged dinners, etc.) and very little produce, because it was easier and cheaper. No wonder I had such unhealthy eating habits my entire life! It's something I'm still struggling with today, but I won't make the same choices for my son.

Whereas people I know with a child my son's age (almost 20 months) are giving their kids chips, candy, fast food, etc., we feed our son pasta, rice, chicken, fruits, and veggies, and he doesn't argue. We haven't ruined his palette yet (and I still don't understand why a 20 month old kid needs chips!). On very rare occasions, I'll put 5 semi-sweet chocolate chips on his high chair tray.

One day when my mom was babysitting him, she went to McDonald's and got him chicken nuggets, and I about came unglued. We'd never fed him fast food before that, and we weren't about to start, and she knew that. Her logic? "He needs a treat once in a while!"

And that's where the mindset all starts. A BABY doesn't "need" a treat, he needs consistent, excellent nutrition, not "treats." To me, his health is far more important than him "missing out" on a "treat" that he won't even know exists for another couple of years.

Mhaney

I agree, I was a bit overweight in elementary school and both my parents are very obese. Quite honestly I am sick and tired of hearing them complain about how bad they feel all the time yet they do nothing about it. I have tried to help. I live here, so I buy a majority of the food that comes into the house but every time they leave, they come back with 3 boxes of donuts and they live off that. It's really pissing me off too because my children are here and while my son loves vegetables, my daughter is getting overweight because my parents buy nothing but junk. I have gone so far as to hide it, and I've thrown it away when they aren't looking, but more comes in every day. I could cook every meal and buy the best food in the world, she's not going to even look at it as long as there is sugar in the house. Both of them are in martial arts and I have her work out with me to try and minimize the damage but she's in for a rude awakening when we move out, as soon as the VA gets their paperwork straight with my husband's disability case we are outta here. Nothing I tell her sinks in. I have just stopped short of saying "do you really want to be fat and lazy like your grandma?" She's gone so far as to ask my mother if she can have something instead of asking me when I'm standing right there because she knows I'll say NO. She'll whine and pitch a fit when I try to make her eat real food until my mom goes and gives her some junk to shut her up. I seriously lost my cool with her one day about that and knocked it out of her hand. Since then, she doesn't do it in front of my face but I can almost promise you she does it when I'm not looking. The kid isn't going to let herself starve. When she gets hungry enough she'll eat what I give her.

Debbe2

Should be taught in school from a very early age! There's no reason to learn more about the world at large than about our own bodies and how to keep healthy and fit. Both subjects are crucial and important! Many people are completely in the dark about the science of nutrition and many also need to get food on the table for their families affordably. If education started young I believe people would have more of a preference or at least know what and how much to eat as well as having movement and some sorts of activities in their lives.

bcattoes

Eating healthy isn't cheaper. Fresh veggies and fruits are VERY expensive. You also have to consider the time and energy to prepare this healthy food. It's to be encouraged, but it IS difficult, and expense reflects more than price.

Fresh fruits and veggies are not the only healthy foods. Frozen fruits and veggies are much cheaper and just as nutritious. Many types of fish are cheaper than the cheapest cuts of beef or chicken. Brown rice and oats are very cheap, *kitten* are dried beans. Low sugar whole grain cereals are usually the same price as those that laden with sugar. Eggs are healthy and cheap.

It takes less time to throw dried beans and water in a crockpot and add some veggies and brown rice later than it does to go out for fast food. Even if you are driving right by the fast food joint, it's stil less time. Omelets can be prepared in less time also. Fish cooks in minutes. There are thousands of healthy meals that can be prepared for less $ and in less time than it takes to go out for, or order in, prepared food.

CaptainGordo

Family activities are good times to share knowledge and strengthen family ties.

We like to make pine cone bird feeders together.

My friend shared the instructions with me. In the spirit of Christmas, I now share it with you.

What you'll need:

Pine cone
Paper plate
Butter knife
Smooth peanut butter
Birdseed
Ribbon or yarn
Scissors


How to make it:

Cut a long length of yarn or ribbon to hang the bird feeder.
Tie the ribbon in a knot around the pine cone near the top (about 3 sections down).
Tie a knot in the end of the ribbon.
Use the knife to get a large clump of peanut butter on the paper plate.
Use the knife to spread peanut butter inside the pine cone and around the edges.
Sprinkle the birdseed over the pine cone.
Roll the pine cone in the birdseed that is on the plate.
Hang the bird feeder on the tree.
Enjoy watching the birds eat their treat!

kmcgrath1

I had two different grandparents who loved to spoil me with food. One would take me every Friday after school for a large mint chocolate chip hot fudge sundae, of course loaded with hot fudge, whip cream and a cherry.

The other would constantly make me cookies and never let me leave the table until I finished all the food off of my plate (which she loaded on there), I never picked my portions. She also was a very large Italian woman!

Then there was me...both my parents worked so when I got home from school I was hungry. I wanted a snack, but a snack wasn't just a snack. A snack was a sandwich and chips or a bowl of ice cream with pretzels. So, it's a combination of everything... It's what we're taught, then it becomes what we're used to.

brittanyleigh05

Well I have to be one of the few who TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. When I married my bodybuilder husband, he was super healthy (still is, of course). I still don't eat as healthy as he does, but at least I don't eat junk all the time or eat fast food (hardly ever). We vowed that our chidren would BE TAUGHT...as PARENTS SHOULD DO...what's healthy, what's not, how much to eat, when to STOP, and staying active and exercising daily (even if it's just for a bit).

Our daughter is the healthiest child in her class at school...but we don't buy her the "easy" school lunches (which would save me so much time). I make her lunch every single night for school the next day, and you can be darn sure that it's VERY healthy...but also VERY good-tasting. I've been doing this every single day of her life since she was born...starting around 12 months, while she was still exclusively breastfeeding. She self-weaned at about 20 months of age, so she's had a "homemade lunch" (haha, literally!) since the day she was born.

And I wouldn't have done it any other way.

PARENTS...wake up. You are giving your children a death-sentence. They are learning from YOU. They want to be like YOU. They want to please YOU. Give them a positive role-model to look up to...you're #1 in their book!

Could not have said it better.

Obviously, we are all here because we want to be healthy ourselves. So, it stands to reason that all of these readers who are parents want the same thing for their children...to teach them healthy habits and raise them to be able to make healthy choices for theirselves and for their future children.

And to all of these people who say that the parents don't know anything about nutrition, that can't be true. Everyone knows that fruits and vegetables are good for your health...everyone knows that fried chicken, french fries, greasy hamburgers and bread that is smothered with butter is completely wrong for your body and will not only make you fat, but potentially cause clogged arteries and heart failure. Everyone knows that water, milk and juice is better for you and your children than Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper. My grandfather was obese. He always ate junk. He had a massive heart attack at the age of 68. My cousins and I had to finish growing up without him. He never knew any of his great-grandchildren. That's not what I want for my future children.

Children are sponges. They soak up everything. Be the example. Feed yourself good, healthy foods and watch your children pick up your healthy habits.

Don't give up on your children.

jcr85

What are you talking about I live the village and I feed my self on like 50 bucks a week....

This indicates to me that you live within walking distance of healthy food options? Would I be incorrect in that assumption? There are people who are miles and miles away from the nearest grocery store, and may not have access to transportation.

Ask anyone who has ever tried walking to and from a grocery store, to a bus stop and from a bus stop home with a week's worth of groceries for a family of four how easy that is.

I was merely pointing out that the monetary value of food is not more expensive in the city than outside the city. As for carrying things and walking everywhere you go I am pretty used to that. I just look at it as extra calorie burn and embrace it instead of making hardship out if it.

cottonpunk

I don't understand what some parents are thinking when they buy their kids fast food nearly every day and give them stuff like pizza, chips, candy, and coke on a regular basis. Those things should be "treats" that are had only every once in a while. So many families feed their children junk food every day, and that is making generation after generation of obese people.


These things are readily available in our home as our fresh fruits and vegetables. Yes, my children sometimes pick ice cream. Yet, they also sometimes pick apples. It's moderation. I believe in teaching my children to make good choices in the REAL world they live in when they are not under my nose. Now that they are 14 and 12, they do make good choices and are in GREAT shape. They also understand that daily exercise is important. They both participate in 3-4 different sports and get a couple of hours of exercise a day. We are a very healthy family. I personally believe that if I severely restrict them when they are in my house, they will go crazy eating what they can't normally have and binge when they are not at my house. By having stuff in my house (yes I eat it sometimes to and I have never fallen in the unhealthy weight range), they learn moderation under my guidance and don't binge away from me. Although I drink pop, when we are out my children order water so I don't believe that I've done them a disservice by allowing them to have an option.. So, that's basically my philosophy....nothing forbidden and teach them to make choices and what should be taken in moderation. So far it's work great for me and my family. I would never question others thoughts or ideas when it comes to THEIR children. These are the ones entrusted to me and I am not making them any kind of public health drain on society by allowing chips, ice cream, pop, candy......et cetera.

hypotrochoid

I'd rather teach my daughter about balance and moderation. I don't want her to have to think about food constantly. I don't want her to think that some foods are 'bad' or 'evil'. I want her to understand that she doesn't have to eat when she's not hungry.

I want her to grow up to be strong and beautiful, even if that strength and beauty isn't defined by conventional standards.

Last night she had nuggets and french fries for supper. She ate about half, put the rest in the fridge, then told me she was full and was going to save the rest for later. That tells me I'm doing something right.

Food will not be an issue in my home. Kids crave the forbidden.

gorgeouss9

I buy nearly $50 worth of groceries every week: veggies, fruit, canned foods, juice, milk, olives, frozen veggies, etc. I go to a specialty food market that sells cheaper fruits and veggies than the national supermarkets. In addition, i've been buying my meat in bulk - I just got an extra 5cft freezer for that - per pound, its much cheaper to do it this way. The most costly food items i buy is: extra virgin olive oil and lamb.

spookiewon

what about the parents that don't have access to a grocery store? or, if there's one close by, they have to take their 5 kids under the age of 10 on the bus (which costs money) and transfer a few times? or, if there's no money for the bus, they have to walk 3 miles in the snow with their kids because there's no babysitter? or, if there's a babysitter available, how are they going to pay for it when they don't have a job and are on food stamps?

perhaps there's not a grocery store nearby, but a convenience store that sells canned junk? that's where most of the people that i work with do their GROCERY shopping.

junk food keeps kids fuller longer. for me, a big mac meal is going to keep me fuller than a piece of fish and some vegetables. parents buy their kids junk food in the area i work with BECAUSE of this. if they have a set amount of food stamps - let's say 500 a month, because that seems to be the average around my area for a family of 5 (an adult and 4 kids) - junk food is simply going to fill them up longer. many of the families i work with, who are absolutely destitute - once that food stamp money is gone, that's it. i had a mother tell me she was going to go sell plasma to try to get her child a nice Christmas dinner. my hubby and i easily spend 400 a month on food for the two of us, and we mainly buy generics and on sale.

and activity, sure. what about the gangs that shoot people? around here, that's pretty normal. or people who just mug you on the street. there are rec centers, but they cost money to enroll. most parents that i work with don't want their kids outside unless they're home.

education is key here. parents simply need to be educated on the choices for their kids, and access to nutritious foods needs to be improved, particularly in urban areas. and calling this child abuse? no. i work with kids who have been raped by their fathers, had the crap beaten out of them, neglected, been crack babies, etc. that's abuse. this is simply lack of education and lack of access to nutritious foods. unless you've been in this situation (maybe you have, i was just too upset to read through the whole thing) don't bother calling it abuse.

/gets off soapbox

Hear hear! I think the OP that it's important to educate children about food and exercise had some great points, but the numerous comments about feeding kids fast food being abuse go over the top. It seems these days whenever we want to make a point we say things that amount to "If you don't raise your kids this way, it's abusive" because we know people stand up and take notice about child abuse. Not everything that gets labelled as abuse is.

stcar

I would argue that its not the food thats making children fat, its the lack of activity. I ate fast food, pizza etc.. growing up, pretty regularly but I played a lot of sports and ran around the neighborhood with friends. I was a skinny kid. I didnt get over weight until I got married, had kids and started working a job where I sat on my butt all day. Kids nowadays dont go outside, they dont ride around the neighborhood on their bikes. They sit in front of a tv and play X Box. When I was a kid I would wake up on Saturday morning and eat breakfast and my dad would say "go outside and play" I would go outside till lunch, then back out till dinner then back out till street lights came on. That doesnt happen now. Kids dont even walk around mow lawns anymore. adults do.

I totally agree!

Lleldiranne

I have to give a lot of love to my (kids') pediatrician. When my son was 2, she looked at his BMI and saw that it was creeping up. Now, a lot of doctors would have said it was still baby fat, or whatever. But she told me about research that showed a child's BMI was a good indicator of later obesity as early as two years old. She told me we didn't want to freak out, it was still in an "okay" range, and the last thing we wanted was to give him a complex, but that it was time to make changes. No more than 1 happy meal a week (we were less than that anyway) and that snacks needed to be fruits and veggies, not cookies (I was justifying that because they were oatmeal raisin, or pumpkin, it was okay. WRONG)

Well, fast forward. He's 10 now, skinny and active, and his go-to for snacks is generally the stock of apples we keep in the fridge (between him and his older sister and younger brother we can go through 5 lbs or more a week of apples), and he prefers steamed broccoli over mac&cheese. His siblings have similar healthy preferences (one even likes brussel sprouts! and not covered in butter either).

Like I said in a previous post, doctor's advice was nothing is forbidden (this applies to foods, not thinks like alcohol or tobacco - that's another subject entirely). We often have cookies or ice cream in the house and I love to bake birthday cakes and holiday pies. But the key here is moderation. They even get soda! But only one a day, max.

So yes, as we get older, we have the ability to make our own choices. But if parents work to teach their kids what good food is, and set a good example, how much easier are they making it for their kids to maintain the healthy habits?

beerbomber

Lets just make it simple here because its blah blah blah blah opinions are like aholes everyone has them. Your kids will pretty much do what you do because you are there *role model, number one, person they inspire to be, want to make happy, ect, ect) so if you do the right things and eat healthy and exercise I am willing to bet 7 out of 10 children will do the same. Start with yourself and the rest will take care of itself.