WEIGHT OF THE NATION on HBO

13

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
    The first episode is good, watching it now. They present 7 criteria for ideal cardiovascular health:
    1. Optimal cholesterol
    2. Normal blood pressure
    3. Absence of diabetes
    4. Lean body mass index
    5. Not being a smoker
    6. Participant in physical activity at fitness level
    7. Healthy diet.

    The shocker is that less than ONE PERCENT of individuals in the United States meet these criteria!!

    I am one of those who do.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    The first episode is good, watching it now. They present 7 criteria for ideal cardiovascular health:
    1. Optimal cholesterol
    2. Normal blood pressure
    3. Absence of diabetes
    4. Lean body mass index
    5. Not being a smoker
    6. Participant in physical activity at fitness level
    7. Healthy diet.

    The shocker is that less than ONE PERCENT of individuals in the United States meet these criteria!!

    I am one of those who do.
    Yeah, being in the 1% for all 7 takes some effort. Glad I'm there too!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kokaneesailor
    kokaneesailor Posts: 337 Member
    Bump:wink:
  • Hmrjmr1
    Hmrjmr1 Posts: 1,106 Member
    def a bump
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
    I also informed them that we are trying to prevent juvenile diabetes, & everyone is very understanding & cooperative.

    Just so you know, you might want to avoid that term.

    "Juvenile diabetes" is actually "type 1 diabetes" and can't be prevented. It's an autoimmune disorder, like Crohn's, celiac, or MS. It tends to show up as a child but adults can get it.

    "Adult-onset diabetes" is actually "type 2 diabetes" and correlates strongly with weight and lifestyle.

    The problem today is that Type 2 is starting to now show up in children, because they are getting obese at a younger age. But this isn't "juvenile diabetes". It's just type 2 in children. Which is scary and should be prevented!

    Yes, the terms are confusing.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't know....I live in the Houston area which is factory central. The majority of people are shift workers. Again, there have always been shift workers. Isolating the main reasons why obesity is increasing as such a rapid weight doesn't come down to factors that have been around since we were kids. I promise you, it's laziness and the increasing ease it is to be lazy. Games to babysit our kids are coming out at younger ages and there are more and more fast food options. Lack of importance is the same as laziness.

    I'm not trying to be a b here (it's hard to translate a nice tone in typing), but are do you currently have younger kids? I have 3 so I'm around parents/their kids every single day of the week. These are people that have the means to have healthy children -- I think that's where the ball is being dropped.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
    This kind of program is exactly why I'm so open and honest about my weight struggle with my children. I know that they're kids and they like candy and junk, but I make it known to them that those are treats... we don't have sugary desserts every night, we don't go out for ice cream once a week, we don't sit down to the pizza buffet on Sunday after church and eat until we need to be rolled to the car. Most nights, I ask them to choose the vegetable we're going to have with our dinner. I know they don't like some of the veggies I cook, so they get to 'help' by picking something that they love and will eat. Some nights, we have something they don't like and it's a struggle, but they make an honest effort to eat what they are given. Of course, we do have those times where everyone is choking down some baby lima beans LOL All in all, I think my kids have a pretty good grasp of the difference between healthy foods and non-healthy foods.

    I actually had to have a conference with one of their teachers when they were doing a healthy foods section in their science class. The pictures showed children eating different types of food and they had to paste it under the Healthy section or Not Healthy section on the worksheet. Both of my children got a big red X on the same picture that showed a child eating a dinner roll, mashed potatoes with butter, green beans, and a leg of fried chicken with another leg of fried chicken on the plate. My boys had tried to explain to the teacher that we don't eat that much starch at one meal (a roll AND mashed potatoes) and that the chicken in the picture was "bumpy" (they meant to explain it as fried versus smooth chicken legs that would be roasted or grilled) and that they would not consider that a healthy meal especially since both the chicken legs were "bumpy". The teacher corrected that on their paper and apologized to them. I mean, it wasn't a huge deal, but for two 7 year old boys (one of which is a special needs child) to understand that a cartoon drawing of a bumpy chicken leg would mean fried chicken and that we "don't eat that way".... well, let's just say I was proud of them for arguing their point.

    It's hard to be a parent of small children and help them to know the difference between what "our family" eats versus all their little friends at school. I just saw a class picture the other day and I would say 10% of the children in First Grade are already overweight and there was one child that is much taller, but I would venture to say is already nudging the obese category. I make it a point to tell my kids what that weight does to their bodies. Sometimes how it would physically feel to be that overweight at thier age (I know from first hand experience!!!) and what it biologically does to your bones and your organs and such - how hard your body has to work to support all of that weight.

    It's still a struggle, but I want my kids to be armed for the seemingly impending super obesity epidemic. I'm running the opposite way from that and taking them with me!
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Bump for later
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't know....I live in the Houston area which is factory central. The majority of people are shift workers. Again, there have always been shift workers. Isolating the main reasons why obesity is increasing as such a rapid weight doesn't come down to factors that have been around since we were kids. I promise you, it's laziness and the increasing ease it is to be lazy. Games to babysit our kids are coming out at younger ages and there are more and more fast food options. Lack of importance is the same as laziness.
    Demand for education is higher now than before. My 7 year old knows way more now than I did in the same grade and at the same age. And lack of importance ISN'T the same as laziness. I don't find gardening important at all and don't think that puts it in the category that I'm lazy about it.
    I'm not trying to be a b here (it's hard to translate a nice tone in typing), but are do you currently have younger kids? I have 3 so I'm around parents/their kids every single day of the week. These are people that have the means to have healthy children -- I think that's where the ball is being dropped.
    We're having a good discussion here, so I don't considered it being a b. And yes I am a stay at home dad to a 7 year old (been staying at home since she was born) and work part time as a Personal Trainer/Group Fitness instructor. I also create and enforce conditioning and strength programs for a swim team and volleyball team that come to my gym to workout. I'm at the school everyday, and volunteer to help when I have time. I happen to be in a VERY good school district and live in a city that takes a higher income to live in (avg. home is about $500,000). Many of the parents I see are overweight, but the majority of the kids are average with very few being overweight or obese.
    Food and activity DO have a direct effect, but then so does stress, genetics, access to facilities (play grounds, after school sports, etc.) and environment. How do you get kids to play at a playground that's unfit? Or leave kids to play outside in an area that has higher crime? People who live in great neighborhoods fear their kids going out by themselves. Time also plays an issue. How does one who works full time, commutes, then still finds time to be the "ride" for kids activities (scouts, piano, etc.) then still have enough time to come home, cook, eat, get kids schooled and time spent with them, then also find time for themselves (exercise, "my time")?
    Just saying that "laziness" isn't the only reason. If it were, I know lots of lazy people who are fit. Half of them can't even rerack the weights at the gym.:laugh:


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't know....I live in the Houston area which is factory central. The majority of people are shift workers. Again, there have always been shift workers. Isolating the main reasons why obesity is increasing as such a rapid weight doesn't come down to factors that have been around since we were kids. I promise you, it's laziness and the increasing ease it is to be lazy. Games to babysit our kids are coming out at younger ages and there are more and more fast food options. Lack of importance is the same as laziness.

    I'm not trying to be a b here (it's hard to translate a nice tone in typing), but are do you currently have younger kids? I have 3 so I'm around parents/their kids every single day of the week. These are people that have the means to have healthy children -- I think that's where the ball is being dropped.

    I was an overweight child and I can say that it's not always the parent's fault. My mom cooked good food and encouraged me to go out and play. My stepmom tortured me about my weight and was always criticizing me about what I ate and did when I was over there. My stepmom had more negative effects on me than my mom, but it turns out a lot of my weight issue had to do with undiagnosed medical problems that I am just now getting under control as an adult. My parents were NOT lazy- they did what they could in the only way they knew how.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't know....I live in the Houston area which is factory central. The majority of people are shift workers. Again, there have always been shift workers. Isolating the main reasons why obesity is increasing as such a rapid weight doesn't come down to factors that have been around since we were kids. I promise you, it's laziness and the increasing ease it is to be lazy. Games to babysit our kids are coming out at younger ages and there are more and more fast food options. Lack of importance is the same as laziness.
    Demand for education is higher now than before. My 7 year old knows way more now than I did in the same grade and at the same age. And lack of importance ISN'T the same as laziness. I don't find gardening important at all and don't think that puts it in the category that I'm lazy about it.
    I'm not trying to be a b here (it's hard to translate a nice tone in typing), but are do you currently have younger kids? I have 3 so I'm around parents/their kids every single day of the week. These are people that have the means to have healthy children -- I think that's where the ball is being dropped.
    We're having a good discussion here, so I don't considered it being a b. And yes I am a stay at home dad to a 7 year old (been staying at home since she was born) and work part time as a Personal Trainer/Group Fitness instructor. I also create and enforce conditioning and strength programs for a swim team and volleyball team that come to my gym to workout. I'm at the school everyday, and volunteer to help when I have time. I happen to be in a VERY good school district and live in a city that takes a higher income to live in (avg. home is about $500,000). Many of the parents I see are overweight, but the majority of the kids are average with very few being overweight or obese.
    Food and activity DO have a direct effect, but then so does stress, genetics, access to facilities (play grounds, after school sports, etc.) and environment. How do you get kids to play at a playground that's unfit? Or leave kids to play outside in an area that has higher crime? People who live in great neighborhoods fear their kids going out by themselves. Time also plays an issue. How does one who works full time, commutes, then still finds time to be the "ride" for kids activities (scouts, piano, etc.) then still have enough time to come home, cook, eat, get kids schooled and time spent with them, then also find time for themselves (exercise, "my time")?
    Just saying that "laziness" isn't the only reason. If it were, I know lots of lazy people who are fit. Half of them can't even rerack the weights at the gym.:laugh:


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    People rerack weights at your gym? Totes jealous.

    I think it all comes down to where there's a will, there's a way. Like I said before, I'm not pillar of health when providing my kids meals ALL the time. Not only do we have a kid activity everynight, but I also have had to tote around babies with me and my husband coaches all the 9 year old's activities (the 4 year old does dance/gymnastics on 2 seperate nights as well) so it's been up to me to wrangle them AFTER working all day. It takes effort and I can totally see why the obesity levels are rising b/c like I said, it's getting easier and easier to be lazy.

    I thought about posting this very topic a couple of days ago when I saw another baseball mom who is a total MILF. She stays at home (both kids are in school), religiously goes to the gym (full make up of course), clearly very healthy yet she has an overweight child. UM....WTF? There is absolutely no excuse to feed your child something you wouldn't eat yourself -- because it's easy or it's what they want because they're "picky." Yeah, my kid would love chicken mcnuggets every night too. This situation is becoming the norm. This is the escalation of the problem. The people that have the means but not the will.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    I DON'T want to watch the children one. Nothing makes me more mad than seeing an overweight child. I have 3 kids. Nobody is busier than I am so let's not go down the road of blaming it on that. It is NOT hard to have a child in a healthy weight range. It just isn't. People are lazy. My kids eat healthy but I'm not a food nazi or anything. They get dessert every night but instead of it being a huge bowl of ice cream, it's a (ONE) piece of candy or a small (100 calorie) ice cream sandwhich. Fruit at every meal. Limited TV. It's not rocket science.
    Subjective. Do you live at the poverty level? Are you a single mother who has to work 3 jobs to survive? Is the environment you live in one where cost of "good" food isn't high?
    What you may deem as "busy" may be light work to someone else. While I agree that we can't really blame anyone else, we also can't expect people to not take the easier route when they are just looking for a way to survive. What it comes down to is that we as a nation have to work in conjunction with others to help solve the issue. Demographics have A LOT to do with the obesity rate.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Oh I completely agree. Even someone on this thread posted as they got more educated, they changed the way they fed their children.

    However, we're not just talking about the very small population in appalachia here. We are talking about 1 in 3. ONE IN THREE. Twenty years ago, there was still poverty, there were still single mothers that worked 3 jobs, etc. The level has grown because of laziness. Period. How much do kids play video games vs 20 years ago? What about the time in front of the tv? Those aren't poor people issues only so let's not tip toe around the guilty parties here.

    Kids don't need top-shelf food to maintain a decent weight. They have big bags of store brand cheerios just like they have the big bags of store brand fruit loops.
    There are lots of factors that do attribute. Lack of activity, higher calorie cheap food, and being uneducated at how to eat within calorie limits to name a few. What I do believe is it's a myriad of things. It's just not about laziness because there are a lot of people out there who work 10-12 hour shifts for work and I don't think they could be called lazy. Lack of importance may be on the list though.
    I'm with you on the food though and I do know that many parents cave into their kids to keep them content rather than fight with them on better eating habits.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I don't know....I live in the Houston area which is factory central. The majority of people are shift workers. Again, there have always been shift workers. Isolating the main reasons why obesity is increasing as such a rapid weight doesn't come down to factors that have been around since we were kids. I promise you, it's laziness and the increasing ease it is to be lazy. Games to babysit our kids are coming out at younger ages and there are more and more fast food options. Lack of importance is the same as laziness.
    Demand for education is higher now than before. My 7 year old knows way more now than I did in the same grade and at the same age. And lack of importance ISN'T the same as laziness. I don't find gardening important at all and don't think that puts it in the category that I'm lazy about it.
    I'm not trying to be a b here (it's hard to translate a nice tone in typing), but are do you currently have younger kids? I have 3 so I'm around parents/their kids every single day of the week. These are people that have the means to have healthy children -- I think that's where the ball is being dropped.
    We're having a good discussion here, so I don't considered it being a b. And yes I am a stay at home dad to a 7 year old (been staying at home since she was born) and work part time as a Personal Trainer/Group Fitness instructor. I also create and enforce conditioning and strength programs for a swim team and volleyball team that come to my gym to workout. I'm at the school everyday, and volunteer to help when I have time. I happen to be in a VERY good school district and live in a city that takes a higher income to live in (avg. home is about $500,000). Many of the parents I see are overweight, but the majority of the kids are average with very few being overweight or obese.
    Food and activity DO have a direct effect, but then so does stress, genetics, access to facilities (play grounds, after school sports, etc.) and environment. How do you get kids to play at a playground that's unfit? Or leave kids to play outside in an area that has higher crime? People who live in great neighborhoods fear their kids going out by themselves. Time also plays an issue. How does one who works full time, commutes, then still finds time to be the "ride" for kids activities (scouts, piano, etc.) then still have enough time to come home, cook, eat, get kids schooled and time spent with them, then also find time for themselves (exercise, "my time")?
    Just saying that "laziness" isn't the only reason. If it were, I know lots of lazy people who are fit. Half of them can't even rerack the weights at the gym.:laugh:


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    People rerack weights at your gym? Totes jealous.

    I think it all comes down to where there's a will, there's a way. Like I said before, I'm not pillar of health when providing my kids meals ALL the time. Not only do we have a kid activity everynight, but I also have had to tote around babies with me and my husband coaches all the 9 year old's activities (the 4 year old does dance/gymnastics on 2 seperate nights as well) so it's been up to me to wrangle them AFTER working all day. It takes effort and I can totally see why the obesity levels are rising b/c like I said, it's getting easier and easier to be lazy.

    I thought about posting this very topic a couple of days ago when I saw another baseball mom who is a total MILF. She stays at home (both kids are in school), religiously goes to the gym (full make up of course), clearly very healthy yet she has an overweight child. UM....WTF? There is absolutely no excuse to feed your child something you wouldn't eat yourself -- because it's easy or it's what they want because they're "picky." Yeah, my kid would love chicken mcnuggets every night too. This situation is becoming the norm. This is the escalation of the problem. The people that have the means but not the will.
    I do believe it does come down to will and way too. If people REALLY want to do something about an issue, it can get gone. Problem right now is that people DON'T want to really take care of the obesity problem. In a few years when kids are dying off before their parents, then maybe people will take more of a stand, but as of now people just want to live their lives the way they see fit. Food is the number one issue and overconsumption. Till it can be relayed and understood (for some reason people still don't get it) completely, obesity will be an issue.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • CheleLynn44
    CheleLynn44 Posts: 339 Member
    Bumping for later!!
  • jessw1823
    jessw1823 Posts: 24
    bump
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    Got into part 2, but haven't finished it yet. Couple of points I saw that stuck:

    If 2 adults are currently at the same weight and height with one having got there by a 20% loss from being overweight and the other who just kept the same weight since childhood, the adult who lost 20% of their bodyweight will have to eat 20% less in calories than their counterpart. So where the one eats 2000 calories in day, the other would have to eat 1600 calories TO KEEP at the same weight or eat 1800 calories and then do 200 calorie burn of exercise to comp.

    Also the reiteration of a calorie is just a calorie when it comes to terms of energy.

    That diets and the dieting industry make their money having people lose some weight, but no maintenance plan to keep it off. The diet industry DEPENDS you weight regain.

    Will finish watching the rest later.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • DeadEyedSuburbanite
    DeadEyedSuburbanite Posts: 34 Member
    Just finished part one. I was worried a little at the beginning that it was going to be one of those feel good documentaries that's light on facts and heavy on propaganda but it has been totally absorbing and more than a little alarming. I am already planning to make hubby watch it later. :happy:

    jnh17: I really think you are oversimplifying the issue when you say 'The level has grown because of laziness. Period.' But even if it were down purely to laziness, it still raises the question of why people are more lazy now than they used to be thirty years ago.
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Just finished part one. I was worried a little at the beginning that it was going to be one of those feel good documentaries that's light on facts and heavy on propaganda but it has been totally absorbing and more than a little alarming. I am already planning to make hubby watch it later. :happy:

    jnh17: I really think you are oversimplifying the issue when you say 'The level has grown because of laziness. Period.' But even if it were down purely to laziness, it still raises the question of why people are more lazy now than they used to be thirty years ago.

    Like I said early, it's gotten much easier to be lazy. I'm 29 and when I was growing up, there were already simple inventions/gadgets that made things easier (ie, less work or activity) so this generation is built more on not having to do much. We can do most things from our computer. If the computer can't do things such as cutting the grass, we can either sit and do it or pay someone to do it. I was laughing at a friend the other day that wouldn't change the radio station b/c she didn't want to have to take her hand off the wheel and move it all the way to the console to press the button. There's not doubt people are more lazy. The "convenience" industry has moved just as quickly to food. It's easier and cheaper to eat out or fast food so you have a diet much higher in calories and a life style much lower in activity. There was poverty, single parents, shift workers, etc 30 years ago. What would you attribute the sharp climb to?
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member

    If 2 adults are currently at the same weight and height with one having got there by a 20% loss from being overweight and the other who just kept the same weight since childhood, the adult who lost 20% of their bodyweight will have to eat 20% less in calories than their counterpart. So where the one eats 2000 calories in day, the other would have to eat 1600 calories TO KEEP at the same weight or eat 1800 calories and then do 200 calorie burn of exercise to comp.


    Interesting! Did they say why?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member

    If 2 adults are currently at the same weight and height with one having got there by a 20% loss from being overweight and the other who just kept the same weight since childhood, the adult who lost 20% of their bodyweight will have to eat 20% less in calories than their counterpart. So where the one eats 2000 calories in day, the other would have to eat 1600 calories TO KEEP at the same weight or eat 1800 calories and then do 200 calorie burn of exercise to comp.

    Interesting! Did they say why?
    Thermogenic set point.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • blairh10
    blairh10 Posts: 37
    Thanks for this! I'm on part 1 :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    Just finished part one. I was worried a little at the beginning that it was going to be one of those feel good documentaries that's light on facts and heavy on propaganda but it has been totally absorbing and more than a little alarming. I am already planning to make hubby watch it later. :happy:

    jnh17: I really think you are oversimplifying the issue when you say 'The level has grown because of laziness. Period.' But even if it were down purely to laziness, it still raises the question of why people are more lazy now than they used to be thirty years ago.

    Like I said early, it's gotten much easier to be lazy. I'm 29 and when I was growing up, there were already simple inventions/gadgets that made things easier (ie, less work or activity) so this generation is built more on not having to do much. We can do most things from our computer. If the computer can't do things such as cutting the grass, we can either sit and do it or pay someone to do it. I was laughing at a friend the other day that wouldn't change the radio station b/c she didn't want to have to take her hand off the wheel and move it all the way to the console to press the button. There's not doubt people are more lazy. The "convenience" industry has moved just as quickly to food. It's easier and cheaper to eat out or fast food so you have a diet much higher in calories and a life style much lower in activity. There was poverty, single parents, shift workers, etc 30 years ago. What would you attribute the sharp climb to?
    But let's look at it beyond just having the gadgets. Growing up I, my parents had a good size house. Part of my chores was to clean the house and do the lawn. We still do that today (unless we're rich enough to pay someone for it) and even though some equipment may make it easier, I've gotten into a MUCH BIGGER house with a much bigger lawn. So even with better technology, I can still expend the physical activity equal to what I did as a kid because I have to cover more area.
    And again time restriction does have an effect. The freeway where I used to live didn't have much traffic when I was growing up, but now everytime I visit my parents (including on the weekends) I have to track the traffic to figure out what time to leave. Commuting has risen significantly and commuting times as well. Statistics show that longer commute times lead to less desired physical activity, higher stress and less rest time, ALL factors that contribute to obesity.
    While I do find that there is less physical activity than before, the highest rises in obesity are amongst those who just indulge in high calorie foods and several meals. Farm working is one of the hardest jobs to do physically, yet even the laborers are gaining weight.
    So like the documentary has been showing, it's not just about lack of physical activity, there many other factors (some like genetics and predisposition that we haven't even discussed yet) that contribute to the problem.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jnh17
    jnh17 Posts: 838 Member
    Just finished part one. I was worried a little at the beginning that it was going to be one of those feel good documentaries that's light on facts and heavy on propaganda but it has been totally absorbing and more than a little alarming. I am already planning to make hubby watch it later. :happy:

    jnh17: I really think you are oversimplifying the issue when you say 'The level has grown because of laziness. Period.' But even if it were down purely to laziness, it still raises the question of why people are more lazy now than they used to be thirty years ago.

    Like I said early, it's gotten much easier to be lazy. I'm 29 and when I was growing up, there were already simple inventions/gadgets that made things easier (ie, less work or activity) so this generation is built more on not having to do much. We can do most things from our computer. If the computer can't do things such as cutting the grass, we can either sit and do it or pay someone to do it. I was laughing at a friend the other day that wouldn't change the radio station b/c she didn't want to have to take her hand off the wheel and move it all the way to the console to press the button. There's not doubt people are more lazy. The "convenience" industry has moved just as quickly to food. It's easier and cheaper to eat out or fast food so you have a diet much higher in calories and a life style much lower in activity. There was poverty, single parents, shift workers, etc 30 years ago. What would you attribute the sharp climb to?
    But let's look at it beyond just having the gadgets. Growing up I, my parents had a good size house. Part of my chores was to clean the house and do the lawn. We still do that today (unless we're rich enough to pay someone for it) and even though some equipment may make it easier, I've gotten into a MUCH BIGGER house with a much bigger lawn. So even with better technology, I can still expend the physical activity equal to what I did as a kid because I have to cover more area.
    And again time restriction does have an effect. The freeway where I used to live didn't have much traffic when I was growing up, but now everytime I visit my parents (including on the weekends) I have to track the traffic to figure out what time to leave. Commuting has risen significantly and commuting times as well. Statistics show that longer commute times lead to less desired physical activity, higher stress and less rest time, ALL factors that contribute to obesity.
    While I do find that there is less physical activity than before, the highest rises in obesity are amongst those who just indulge in high calorie foods and several meals. Farm working is one of the hardest jobs to do physically, yet even the laborers are gaining weight.
    So like the documentary has been showing, it's not just about lack of physical activity, there many other factors (some like genetics and predisposition that we haven't even discussed yet) that contribute to the problem.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I swear, I plan on watching but with my kids, it'll take me a good wk/hour to get through it. So you're saying that on this documentary, genetics and predisposition plays *more* of a role now in obesity than it did years ago? I mean, I guess I could believe this if people with the "fat" gene or whatever started breeding more but it just doesn't make sense?
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    To me, it seems that they blame the problem mostly on inactivity and convenience of food.
    I would have liked for the documentary to get more into how the government played a pretty big role in the obesity problem + other strongy associated medical conditions from a nutrition point of view...subsidizing certain crops, controlling farming methods, backing GMO foods, bad food pyramid designs, the spread of misinformation about vegetable oil, low-fat foods, and cholesterol, making obesity profitable, etc.

    I'm sorry to say that this whole "more fruits, more vegetables" mantra oversimplifies things and doesn't work. Nutrition is more complex than that
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
    will be watching it soon
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member

    If 2 adults are currently at the same weight and height with one having got there by a 20% loss from being overweight and the other who just kept the same weight since childhood, the adult who lost 20% of their bodyweight will have to eat 20% less in calories than their counterpart. So where the one eats 2000 calories in day, the other would have to eat 1600 calories TO KEEP at the same weight or eat 1800 calories and then do 200 calorie burn of exercise to comp.

    Interesting! Did they say why?
    Thermogenic set point.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Does this ever get better over time?
  • DeadEyedSuburbanite
    DeadEyedSuburbanite Posts: 34 Member
    To me, it seems that they blame the problem mostly on inactivity and convenience of food.
    I would have liked for the documentary to get more into how the government played a pretty big role in the obesity problem + other strongy associated medical conditions from a nutrition point of view...subsidizing certain crops, controlling farming methods, backing GMO foods, bad food pyramid designs, the spread of misinformation about vegetable oil, low-fat foods, and cholesterol, making obesity profitable, etc.

    I'm sorry to say that this whole "more fruits, more vegetables" mantra oversimplifies things and doesn't work. Nutrition is more complex than that

    They get into this in parts three and four. Really interesting stuff. So glad I watched this.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    Just finished part one. I was worried a little at the beginning that it was going to be one of those feel good documentaries that's light on facts and heavy on propaganda but it has been totally absorbing and more than a little alarming. I am already planning to make hubby watch it later. :happy:

    jnh17: I really think you are oversimplifying the issue when you say 'The level has grown because of laziness. Period.' But even if it were down purely to laziness, it still raises the question of why people are more lazy now than they used to be thirty years ago.

    Like I said early, it's gotten much easier to be lazy. I'm 29 and when I was growing up, there were already simple inventions/gadgets that made things easier (ie, less work or activity) so this generation is built more on not having to do much. We can do most things from our computer. If the computer can't do things such as cutting the grass, we can either sit and do it or pay someone to do it. I was laughing at a friend the other day that wouldn't change the radio station b/c she didn't want to have to take her hand off the wheel and move it all the way to the console to press the button. There's not doubt people are more lazy. The "convenience" industry has moved just as quickly to food. It's easier and cheaper to eat out or fast food so you have a diet much higher in calories and a life style much lower in activity. There was poverty, single parents, shift workers, etc 30 years ago. What would you attribute the sharp climb to?
    But let's look at it beyond just having the gadgets. Growing up I, my parents had a good size house. Part of my chores was to clean the house and do the lawn. We still do that today (unless we're rich enough to pay someone for it) and even though some equipment may make it easier, I've gotten into a MUCH BIGGER house with a much bigger lawn. So even with better technology, I can still expend the physical activity equal to what I did as a kid because I have to cover more area.
    And again time restriction does have an effect. The freeway where I used to live didn't have much traffic when I was growing up, but now everytime I visit my parents (including on the weekends) I have to track the traffic to figure out what time to leave. Commuting has risen significantly and commuting times as well. Statistics show that longer commute times lead to less desired physical activity, higher stress and less rest time, ALL factors that contribute to obesity.
    While I do find that there is less physical activity than before, the highest rises in obesity are amongst those who just indulge in high calorie foods and several meals. Farm working is one of the hardest jobs to do physically, yet even the laborers are gaining weight.
    So like the documentary has been showing, it's not just about lack of physical activity, there many other factors (some like genetics and predisposition that we haven't even discussed yet) that contribute to the problem.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I swear, I plan on watching but with my kids, it'll take me a good wk/hour to get through it. So you're saying that on this documentary, genetics and predisposition plays *more* of a role now in obesity than it did years ago? I mean, I guess I could believe this if people with the "fat" gene or whatever started breeding more but it just doesn't make sense?
    Seems like it. And from what I've read from scientific journals, it's accurate. Think about it, when we were growing up, how many 6 foot 4th graders were there in your school? Well it's not uncommon now. Which means there have been gene mutations since 30 years ago.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,961 Member
    Okay finally gonna watch the children's segment of this documentary now.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kateprkr
    kateprkr Posts: 1
    Could you all be able to suggest me how to control on the diet6 that i am currently consuming, I need to eat after every 4 hours and i am a very big fan of junk food, I love junk food I need to control on all this but need some motivation..


    doctors excuses