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Elementary School Gym teachers telling kids to restrict calories!
Replies
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HeliumIsNoble wrote: »I wouldn't think she was giving appropriate healthy eating advice to adults, and her "advice" is even less suitable for children, who have very different nutritional needs. As it is, I find that sensible, nuanced advice on nutrition given to an eight-year-old will be interpreted in a terribly black and white way ("if I EVER eat Pizza, I will become fat" style), because that's what children do.
Adults at a healthy weight they're satisfied with need to keep their weight stable, but children, are, er... growing, and so certainly do not need to be burning off every meal with extra physical exertion. Calorie restriction without medical supervision could lead to nutritional deficiencies, potentially with lifelong effects.
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-many-calories-do-children-need.aspx
Great post.
Slightly off topic I know but I'm amazed by the values.
I'm a father of two girls, but even so I've never even considered their calorific needs (and I'm not going to start now - we're happy with their intuitive eating) but it's interesting to note that (not mentioning any names here) there are grown men posting on these boards that they routinely eat less than the recommended requirements of a 7 year old girl!
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Believe me, the same thing passes through my head every time I see that kind of post. Still, it's a kind of refreshing dieting insanity. I started using this forum recently (in addition to the actual calorie counting database), because I was sick of women on another forum telling me I couldn't possibly need more than 1200-1300 calories, because that's all they needed.StealthHealth wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »I wouldn't think she was giving appropriate healthy eating advice to adults, and her "advice" is even less suitable for children, who have very different nutritional needs. As it is, I find that sensible, nuanced advice on nutrition given to an eight-year-old will be interpreted in a terribly black and white way ("if I EVER eat Pizza, I will become fat" style), because that's what children do.
Adults at a healthy weight they're satisfied with need to keep their weight stable, but children, are, er... growing, and so certainly do not need to be burning off every meal with extra physical exertion. Calorie restriction without medical supervision could lead to nutritional deficiencies, potentially with lifelong effects.
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-many-calories-do-children-need.aspx
Great post.
Slightly off topic I know but I'm amazed by the values.
I'm a father of two girls, but even so I've never even considered their calorific needs (and I'm not going to start now - we're happy with their intuitive eating) but it's interesting to note that (not mentioning any names here) there are grown men posting on these boards that they routinely eat less than the recommended requirements of a 7 year old girl!
Check out the needs for teenagers. It's so much higher than popularly credited.3 -
A quote for the ages: "... there are grown men posting on these boards that they routinely eat less than the recommended requirements of a 7 year old girl!" @StealthHealth11
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I am shocked if she is really telling the kids they need to try to burn off every meal with exercise. Hopefully that is not what she is telling them. I already question the whole issue of teaching kids this young to count calories, but if she is giving them wrong information like "You need to exercise to burn off every meal," that's going to be extremely detrimental.6
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OP, it's worth getting to the bottom of this, as stated it is worrying, but from experience with my kids I can say that "what my kids say the teacher said and what the teacher actually said are not always the same thing"
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JeromeBarry1 wrote: »A quote for the ages: "... there are grown men posting on these boards that they routinely eat less than the recommended requirements of a 7 year old girl!" @StealthHealth
To be fair though, said seven year old is growing, in bones, organs, skeletal muscle, everything. Said grown men are trying to go the opposite direction, most preferring to lose primarily adipose tissue, and only need enough calories to maintain said said bones, organs, etc. while working to undo years of excess consumption.
That being said, much like many people here, children all vary. Not just in their caloric needs, but in their hunger signals, satiety response, etc. This is how we have kids who are within their healthy range, and kids who are like Captain Potato and weigh 300+ lbs. by age eight. Pretending that it's somehow uncalled for to begin the education early is absurd. I will agree though, if what the child says the teacher said is accurate, the lady could use a bit of dressing up in her examples, even if she isn't incorrect. A lot of people will use a small amount of nuts before bed, due to gastric emptying timing of a food that is primarily fats and fiber.5 -
^^true. Growing requires XS energy.0
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Education is key, and the earlier children are taught, the better.
There needs to be a consensus though, between the parents and school authorities, on how it is taught. This teacher is clearly out of line and you are right to be upset, and it is good that you are meeting with the principal and teacher.
If it were my child, I would seek counseling for him. You say he is very thin and not eating much. There is a problem beyond what the gym teacher said.
BTW, gym teachers taught health when I was in school and my daughter had health classes with her gym teachers too.5 -
Okay, here's my opinion.
(1) I'm an adult who went back to college. I had to take a physical fitness class this year. The person who taught the class also teaches high school gym/physical fitness/soccer and other sports (as well as college in the evening). Fitness includes nutrition and basic knowledge about our bodies, calories, food, health, etc. This was college, not grammar school, but I think the same things would apply to kids except in simpler way.
The professor/teacher I had did indeed mention how sad it is that many kids are overweight and probably headed for diabetes -- they already have telltale streaks on their skin. We have an obesity epidemic in the United States. I see it every day. I don't think you need to scare kids, but they should be educated that they can make healthier choices.
(2) You're hearing things filtered through kids and other parents. Why not set a meeting with the teacher and ask her directly what she is teaching? Bring of list of things you've heard and ask questions. Is what she's saying factual? Does it match school approved curriculum? Tell her your child comes from a family with eating disorders and you are concerned about creating food anxiety in him.7 -
Yes, talk to the gym teacher, ask about the curriculum, talk to the principal about your concerns. A lot of parents do not pay much attention to the PE curriculum and bad health advice gets passed on that way.
No 2nd grader should be expected to count calories...they can't typically add 3 digit numbers. And a lot of them think that fruit roll-ups as actually fruit and that ice cream is a food group.3 -
I think you're doing the right thing getting in touch with the school, especially seeing them in person to talk about it. I think you have a legitimate concern, so there's no reason not to address it. I also see everyone's point about the information being filtered through a child. However, you know your child and are in a better position to make judgments about whether he's giving your accurate or skewed information about what's happening than we are. I think it's going to be a difficult - or maybe delicate is a better word - subject to broach. I think it'd be wise to do everything you can to go into this meeting in a calm state of mind because I don't think anger is going to be productive, at least in the beginning.3
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Yeah, I would say there is a realistic possibility that the teacher did not say what the children think she said. However, that would still mean you should meet with the school. As far as the results are concerned, it doesn't matter what great things she's trying to teach them, if she's saying it in a way that is being misunderstood so easily.
Best case scenario: she needs to adapt her message so that they hear what she's actually saying. But she needs to know there is a problem to do that.
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Woah theo166... sensitive about how mom and Dad are about food? I said that I was bulimic mAny years ago. And my ex husband was. I don't count calories, I don't talk about weight. Don't diet .. I don't restrict food for myself or my kids. I do eat healthy but I certainly don't act in any way toward food that would make my son self worried about calories . His teacher is the one talking about going to bed hungry becuse she reached her calorie limit.
Op, you don't count calories and you don't "diet" (I understand why) and you just started your account on 3/15. You start a thread complaining of calorie counting and getting third hand information of what your kid's teacher said. I find this very odd.7 -
I would love some input and advice from other parents.. or anyone who has an opinion on this subject!
So, for the past few months I have been very concerned about my 11 year old son. Hes already very thin and has been talking about how fat he is. He has been eating much less, wanting to eat low carb bread over the whole wheat white bread he normally eats, and the last time I had lunch with him in his school he only ate 2 bites of his food. He said he was saving his appetite for popcorn in class.
A little background about me ( was bulimic and anorexic for 12 years) His biological father also was bulimic. So I already know there is a good chance my kids will have eating disorders.
The other day he told me that his gym teacher has been talking about calorie counting. She told the kids that she had to eat nuts for dinner even though she was hungry because she reached her calorie limit for the day. She told them that they should limit calories. She also tells them that they're getting to an age where they need to start worrying about what they eat and that they should try to burn off every meal. She tells them that if they eat junk food they should do push ups or something to burn calories. She also talks about how they will see overweight kids in middle school next year and that they need to make choices to avoid being overweight.
I've talked to another mother with three kids in the same school and they confirmed that this is the way she teaches. Even the second graders are being told to count calories.
I'm absolutely livid!! I don't think kids need to worry about calories. No wonder my son has been not eating. PLEASE- feel free to give me some advice on how you would handle this. I've emailed the principal and teacher and am planning to meet with them.
Are gym teachers even allowed to give nutritional advice like this? I'm not about to allow this woman to be the trigger of my son's eating disorder. Although it's likely too late.
There is a difference between teaching nutrition, but telling kids she ate nuts for dinner because she was out of calories was really dumb. She could have left that part out. She also has no business telling kids to restrict calories either-and, no, that is not teaching nutrition, etc. It seems to me she is projecting her own weight issues on to the kids, and I don't blame you for being worried.
Me? I'd go to the principal and ask about this.
This teacher has no business projecting her own issues onto children like this. She is essentially shaming them. This makes my heart hurt.
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I'd be upset, not because the gym teacher is touching on nutrition, but because she is SO VERY WRONG! Focusing on fruits and veggies and the importance of a well-rounded diet are the extent of what she should talk about. Not eating nuts for dinner because she was out of calories. Sounds like a personal problem to me - 1. If I'm out of calories I'll go out and earn some more before I'd skip dinner and 2. Nuts?? High density low volume isn't the way to go. She could have had turkey with a 100-calorie flatbread wrap, mixed greens, and some avocado for the same calories as 'a handful of nuts.'
The sad truth is, many of these kids will go home with no assurance of a healthy dinner, or any dinner at all. Some of them will be lucky to get a bowl of cereal or boxed mac and cheese. More than a few will eat fast food for dinner regularly.4 -
100% in support of the gym teacher. Sounds like you're hearing what the teacher taught through a child's filter. The gym teacher should be applauded.4
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Geocitiesuser wrote: »100% in support of the gym teacher. Sounds like you're hearing what the teacher taught through a child's filter. The gym teacher should be applauded.
Except the kids didn't pull eating nuts for dinner because she was out of calories out of thin air. Her advise was at best ill-advised and at worst detrimental to developing brains and bodies.9 -
While I agree with the idea teaching children the basics of nutrition and calories in school (in fact, I think it's a very important thing to teach), the way this teacher went about it is extremely concerning to me. I would expect a health teacher to explain what a calorie (a kilocalorie, really) is, how energy management in the body works, and so on. Telling growing children to RESTRICT their calories and telling them to exercise off all of their meals is frankly horrifying to me. And the "personal anecdote" of her own calorie restriction rubs me the wrong way somehow as well, although I can't pinpoint right on the money what bugs me about it.
Just to play devil's advocate, though, since I'm a teacher... Children don't always portray the situation very clearly when repeating things to their parents, which I've seen quite a bit of in my dealings with parents. I'd talk to the teacher and find out exactly what it was she said before taking it much further.2 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I just....lololol. We have a 300+ reply thread where people talk about the need to start educating people from a young age on CICO. Now we have someone do it, and a bunch of butthurt ensues. This is the real problem with trying to fix things from the current status quo. There's always gonna be one kid who takes it too far, and suddenly it'll be the curriculum at fault.
^^ times 10
So what if the gym teacher wasn't perfect in the delivery that exercise compensates for overeating. This scenario isn't a crisis, it's basic parenting where you help them work through the good/bad and imperfect information they are picking up in the world.
Kids pick up their attitudes about food in the home primarily. If both parents had eating disorders, and one child starts to show symptoms, don't be so quick blame it all on outside influences.13 -
I agree that nutrition and stuff should be taught. But there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Stressing calories can do more harm than good, even for the obese kids.3
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