Snacks are the cause of overweight people

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majope

Portion size and inactivity. That's what did it for me.

A_Fit_Mom

I have kids as well and it is up to the parent to not have them bring cookies and junk as their snack to school.


Our school discourages it, but I am sure some still send it. Snacks are not the problem, kids can have healthy snacks. They have snack time in the afternoon, and I always send a healthy snack for him.

He is definitely one of the smallest at only 37 pounds for almost 6 years old. He is an active child and has always ate healthy. It all starts at home and making the right choices.

DancingDreams1234

I see where you are coming from, I do. However, kids tend to be pretty active, so I feel that snacking on fruit or a granola bar is acceptable.

XXXMinnieXXX

Not true... I've smacked every single day of my weight loss. It's the quality of what your eating snacks and meals, not the fact your eating snacks. Snacks actually help me to not get so hungry at meals that I eat unreasonable portions. Snacking is key to my weight loss. The problem is many people snack on crisps and chocolate all the time. I've just had some strawberries with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Healthy, nutritious and filled the gap between lunch and dinner.

Zara

Ohnoes

no. my kids are VERY active. they would crash and burn if they didnt eat every couple of hours. so much of their mood depends on hunger. as long as the snacks are healthy i think that kids should eat when they are hungry and learn to listen to their bodies. i allow unlimited fruits and veggies between meals, and heavier snacks if they seem like they need it. if a kid seems to be asking for a snack out of boredom, i offer an apple or a carrot... a hungry kid will take it, a bored kid will go play

elyelyse

the apple I grabbed as a snack didn't get me fat. my typical 1200 calorie meals were probably the culprit. probably also the way i used to order a whole pizza, wings, burger, onion rings and soda just for me that would be gone by the morning.

ziggiezambi

I think it also has to do with life style.
As a kid I ate like a horse and stayed slim but that was back before the internet was really big.
If I wanted to go see a friend we walked to see each other and a past time was playing outside with friends climbing trees, building forts, wrestling, riding bikes and having sword fights.
Now kids are more likely to go online to talk and socialize, and online gaming has taken over.
No more air soft wars outside in the woods building your on forts just turn on your Xbox or Ps3 and play some COD.

mistesh

So who eats healthy snacks? Would it be those who eat healthy meals that keep them fuller and for longer? These healthy people also know that it's not good insulin-wise to eat when you're not hungry. That makes no sense that they would snack. Maybe an apple in the mid-afternoon, no harm in that, but not much beyond it.

Oh sure, we all get a little stressed or bored at times, not to mention cold or tired. It's so easy to reach out for a bit of mindless snacking. We aren't really hungry of course, we just want to shake off the feeling of restless discomfort. But we once know, drinking some water, hot tea or taking a walk may be a better way.

And the nervousness too. Who doesn't occasionally grab a bite to calm yourself down? Might there be a hint of instant gratification in it too? Everyone's having a sweet tooth once in a while. Nothing wrong in it, unless it becomes a habit. Or could being hungry come from meals consisting of mostly processed food?

Food used to be less processed of course. There was a time when a bag of potato chips wasn't the standard side order with every meal. When that happens, digestion gives you withdrawal between meals that may feel as hunger, but isn't. Snacking of course is a band-aid solution to that and kicks the can down the road.

Is willpower of any help? When you're out in the nature, standing next to a sign that says not to feed wildlife or they'll die, how often don't you still let your kids do it when no one is looking or even when they are? It's so sweet connecting with the animal here and now. How far away is that from snacking sweetness?

I know people who drink water on long distance flights. They bring cut up vegetables and low sodium crackers from home, and that's good as long as that's not the only time they do it, because it's important at any given time. Yes, hydration is vital in the dry air of an airplane, but if the experience spills over into your daily life, that's better. Maybe fewer compliments and not so glamorous, but still.

Meanwhile we hold on to our snacks like never before, like it's some sort of right that must be defended at all cost. Of course we can do it anyway, it's not illegal or anything close to it. We are free to do it whenever we want to. Maybe it's just that we don't feel right about snacking unless publicly perceived as okay.

So we participate in public to help reinforce the perception and need not being reminded of anything that doesn't support it. It certainly isn't constructive being distracted by stuff such as blood sugar that's constantly elevated, how late night snacking impacts your growth hormone or how your pancreas is overworked and may shut down in thirty years.

I don't want to hear it. If you can't say anything nice, then why bother!

melindasuefritz

disagree snacks have nothing to do with it
there are healthy snacks
even if u eat an unhealthy snack so what
it depends on the calories
overweight people are going crazy on caleries

Sweets1954

Actually those of us with diabetes and really, anyone, is advised to snack. Actually eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day rather than 3 large ones has been shown to be more healthy. It depends upon what you are snacking on. If all you are eating are sweets and other junk food, then yes, snacking is not very healthy. If you are snacking on fruits, vegetables and other healthy food than it is a very healthy lifestyle.

jsiricos

Donuts = bad
Fruit = good

Its all what the snack is, tell a diabetic they cant have their snacks, they'll either be very grumpy, or fade away

Mrs_Bones

I think nobody ever got fat snacking on raw fruits and veggies. It's entirely likely that an increase in obesity could be linked to an increase in snacking if what we're feeding ourselves and our children is loaded with fat and sugar and is nutritionally void. Which, unfortunately, it is a lot of the time. I don't think snacking in and of itself is bad, if you're choosing healthy balanced choices.

lovemitch125

I had many snacks as a child, and I was very thin. But I did like a million sports as well. I stopped sports in college, that's the reason. Not snacking.

onyxgirl17

Definitely your opinion. My husband believes the exact opposite. He snacks all the time and maintains his weight.

For me, I feel more satiated after have a "real" meal then having a snack. I also ain't got time to eat a snack like every hour or two because of work and school.

Velum_cado

I think that's BS. I eat snacks, regularly, and I'm steadily losing weight. Most of the people I know who are losing weight do the same thing.

Ladeda95

Exercise and eating a well balanced diet has never helped me become thin. I found out why when I entered my early 30's and was diagnosed with a hormone condition. In my early 20's I did experience rapid weightloss when I lived internationally in a community that served me non-genetically altered/hormone injected food. This diet was a high carb diet which is the opposite of what medical professionals are telling me to eat. I suspect hormones and chemicals are having a greater impact on our obesity rates than even our govt and medical professionals realize. When I returned to Canada I instantly put the weight back on even though I tried replicating their diet as best I could here in Canada and was exercising more than I did there, biking 30+ miles per day.

mlambrix

When I drop my daughter off at high school its very sad to see all the fat kids. These phones and facebook and them eating a bunch of processed crap is the cause of it. Parents are working their butts off and too tired to cook a proper meal. These pizza places are so cheap and fast its crazy!!! Kids need gym everyday in school!! We snacked all the time but it was a different time back in the 70's and 80's we were all thin most of us with the exception of a few kids.

keem88

that could be part of it. but parents also need to make their kids get out from infront of the tv and actually play outside and run around. i think a lot of factors have to do with it. the ingredients in foods, activity levels, education about food, resources, etc. its sad that obesity is such a problem. i've never been overweight before, nor have my mom or sister but my dad did gain a lot of weight after he blew his knee out, couldnt run for a bit and still ate the same (he runs multiple marathons). but we were always an active family, my dad had my sister and i running in little kid races when we were 5 years old lol and i ran cross country and track until i was 19 and couldn't run anymore because my knee was so messed up. but yes, snacking could be part of it, but we need to look at the whole picture. it's sad when i am out, and a large percentage of people i see are overweight, almost like it is now the norm.

wayray60

Snacks especially sweets and cakes are a factor for being overweight.

Renobiker

I think it is a combo of many things but when I was younger in the elementary age range, you had to beg me to come inside the house for food or anything. It was school then outdoor stuff until dark, no such thing as video games etc. Ate lunch at school no snacks nothing. Lunch was portion controlled of course. But today you cant get kids to go outside anymore too many video games, social media etc, kids today dont want a new bike for their birthday they want Halo or other games etc.

emergencytennis

At our primary school the kids eat morning tea and lunch, but they are also required to bring in a "10 o'clock snack" which they eat at their desks whilst working, and it has to be fruit or veg. Next to no fat kids there.