Obese Children

chgudnitz

So it is okay for school to offer poor choices? It is okay for schools to take the cheap way out?

It is not wrong to blame schools for part of it.

I knew many children in poverty whose parents both worked hours which prohibited them from making breakfast and dinner. They would get breakfast (crappy high-fat meal) from school, lunch from school and had to get a fast food dinner or microwave something. Some parents do not have the luxury of making meals for their children and must rely on the schools.

The school is the steward of our children and should be more responsible as well.

None of that gives parents an "out" for not making good choices themselves. Im a working mother and my husband works, we are involved in church and sometimes we just dont have the time! But its still our fault if our children eat crap!.......just my opinion!

I agree 100%. Breakfast and dinner can be pre made if needed. To say a parent is to busy to feed their kids is an excuse and not a reason.

As a parent, if I see my kid is getting unhealthy food and become "obese" from school food, I think I will FIND TIME to make sure they are healthy. Kids don't go from healthy to obese overnight. Parents need to look out for the best interest of their children, for them to miss their kids becoming obese just means they don't pay attention enough to their kids. Just my opinion of course...

PedalHound

I have to say (at the risk of sounding very controversial and pissing some people off) that if parents are SO BUSY that they cannot find the time to make sure their children's nutritional needs are looked after for even ONE meal a day, why on earth did they become parents in the first place. Love, nutrition and safety are the three paramount responsibilities of parents and there can't be anyone so busy that they can't find some way to get some decent food into their child. That said, it is also ridiculous that schools should be anything but the most optimal nutrition possible. It's awful that they cheap out and go for junk. But it's not just kids in North America who are obese... it's population-wide. If the adults were so worried about nutrition or thought so poorly of the junk foods their kids are being fed in schools there wouldn't be an obesity epidemic in the first place. When the blind are leading the blind solutions can be a lot harder to come by.

BrendaLee

The schools here (NB, Canada) did away with junk food, and only offer healthier options. I think that's the bare minimum that should be happening in all schools. What can parents do? Send a lunch or a small amount of money- don't send more lunch money than they need that could go to extra junk. I know my daughter can get a piece of pizza and a milk for 2.10, so that's what I send her with. It's not as healthy as a salad, but the chances of her actually choosing a salad at school are minimal. lol

The Dr Phil show...that woman really p'ed me off. She was so far into denial...As an overweight mom, it's been really a hard struggle keeping my daughter at a healthy weight, and I've had to say no more times than not, but it has to be done. Some kids will eat everything in sight if you let them. She's 14 now and weighs about 145 (she's doing MFP with me), and she's thankful I have kept pretty tight reins on what she eats.

thumper44

My opinion, Parents 100%.

The kids are not becoming obese because of this one meal a day from school.
How long does it take to pour a bowl of cereal and pour milk?
Make 2 pieces of toast with some fruit. Make lunches the night before.

I've seen many kids have money when they go to school.
<Dad or Mom> Here son, here's $10 to go buy lunch today at school as we don't have time to make your lunch.
I used to do a paper route and had my own money since age of 8/9. I didn't like the lunch that my mom gave me, I threw it out, and bought the school's lunch.

My point. If the kids don't have any money when they go to school, they won't buy schools lunch. What do kids need money for at school anyways?

After school, on weekends, it's parents responsibility to make sure there's healthy choices for their kids, both nutrition and physical activity.

I can't remember the show, but I watched a mother who said she was going to try and be more active in her kids lives, and took them to the park. The two boys, didn't know what to do with themselves. They hung around the bench that mom was sitting at. They were "lost" to be outside and enjoying themselves.

FireMonkey

This is a complex issue. It's easy to blame the parents, but if that were the case, why is it such a widespread problem? I can't believe almost half the people have not heard about the problems of obesity, or don't know what healthy food choices are. If they don't, what the heck where their parents and teachers doing while they were growing up?

I think a lot of it has to do with the way our food is being produced. Meat animals are being fed growth hormone, so they gain weight faster and are ready for slaughter faster. Then we and our children eat that meat, and it's not supposed to affect us? I've also read that obese children become sexually mature at younger ages - is that caused by obesity, or are the same factors responsible for obesity and early maturity?

In this society we are always quick to blame the individual. I hope there is some serious research going on to look at all the factors, and not just take the easy way out.

ilmommkc

the parent has the final say of what the child eats most of the time.

But what is a parent supposed to do if the school lunches are so poor? I remember my school offered Dominos and Chick-fila for lunch! I could easily get a slice of pizza and a coke for lunch, every day. The 'healthy' options were almost always over processed veggies in a tin can or fruit covered in syrup.


Pack your children a sack lunch? Help kids exercise--bike rides, sports, playing catch in the yard. Red light, green light, etc.

ilmommkc

I can't wait to have kids and send them to school with left over pot roast, grilled chicken breast and steamed veggies! :bigsmile:
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There's a problem with that though. The lunches are usually not kept in a refridgerator and normally the kids dont have access to a microwave. I would send that kind of food with my daughter also but I worry more about keeping the food at temperature. Our school does not allow us to take food to the kids during the day. They must take it with them in the mornings.