Childhood Obesity and puberty

[LipsofanAngel]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/17465229/

I was just watching this story on the Today show... The primary concern for girls is that there is too much estrogen as a result of early puberty which can lead to a variety of health problems later in life.

The nutritionist right now is talking about the importance of parents being a good example for children....

Big thing- help kids avoid LIQUID calories... said that early in the morning a combo or juices or chocolate milk can give a kid over 600 calories before they've even consumed any food!

It seems that childhood (and adulthood) obesity is such a big problem (no pun intended)... what do you all think the "solution" is? There are so many factors to consider.

[iheartellisons]

a lot of it has to do with the fact that kids today lead such sedentary lifestyles....they dont go outside to play anymore, they sit in front of a tv or computer all day.

we talked about this very thing with how kids are different today and the problems it causes in my Games class - today kids think they "need" material things and such

another factor to consider is that now, both parents usually work so often supper is not a cooked at home meal anymore - fast food has taken over that family sit down meal - parents can do a better job of controling nutrition intake if they cook meals and freeze them (on the weekends).

[Astra]

I remember when I worked at Wal-Mart I would check people out who were buying their groceries for the month and it was surprising (to me) what some of them were filling their carts with. Boxes of kiddie frozen dinners and microwave pizzas... I had that stuff when I was a kid, but it was an occasional thing and not the majority of my diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are expensive, but even so I hardly ever saw canned or even frozen ones included. It's easy to buy pre-cooked microwave meals, and they're cheap, but I think a lot of people don't realize just how nutritionally lousy the things are.

I get annoyed when these studies come out because some people immediately blame video games and food advertising. It doesn't matter what the kids are eating or how they aren't exercising if the parents refuse to acknowledge their children are becoming overweight at very young ages.

I know some people with toddlers who are basically barrel-shaped and yet they keep giving the kids pizza rolls for dinner all the time, but then they complain about how stores don't carry clothes that fit the kids and that (of course) is the store's fault.

[onlyme]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/17465229/

I was just watching this story on the Today show... The primary concern for girls is that there is too much estrogen as a result of early puberty which can lead to a variety of health problems later in life.

The nutritionist right now is talking about the importance of parents being a good example for children....

Big thing- help kids avoid LIQUID calories... said that early in the morning a combo or juices or chocolate milk can give a kid over 600 calories before they've even consumed any food!

It seems that childhood (and adulthood) obesity is such a big problem (no pun intended)... what do you all think the "solution" is? There are so many factors to consider.

Solution = healthy diet and exercise :-D
If people do not consume more calories than they burn, they will not gain weight. Yes, I now there are medical reasons for obesity but let's admit it, they are very rare. Has anybody seen the movie " Supersize me"? Quite enlightening.

[iheartellisons]

but video games do have a lot to do with them bc kids are opting to not play outside - they see technology as this cool thing that they would rather play bc its more comfortable - also a lot of kids are what we call "lockkey" kids - they leave and lock up the house and come home to an empty house so they don't have motivation to get outside and play.


i do agree with you Astra in that parents need to acknowledge the problem though. they think once it starts it can't be fixed. but it can be....

does anyone remember back in the day when kids shows used to incorporate interactive exercise things...i remember that as a kid - now its just all about watching and not interacting

[amanda]

Exercise and good food are the keys. My oldest son is a little bigger than I would like. At one time, he was as skinny as his younger brother. But he contracted Gillian-Barre' at age 6 and it stopped his activity for almost a year. Once that happened, he started gaining weight and getting him involved in exercise was/is difficult. It's a hard thing to get under control and as a single mom, there has been more drive-thru meals than I would like.

[Astra]

but video games do have a lot to do with them bc kids are opting to not play outside - they see technology as this cool thing that they would rather play bc its more comfortable - also a lot of kids are what we call "lockkey" kids - they leave and lock up the house and come home to an empty house so they don't have motivation to get outside and play.
But their existence is not making kids fat. Parents allowing the kids to sit there all day is what contributes to that. My problem is that the blame goes straight to the entertainment instead of someone asking "Hey, if it's bad, why didn't someone make the kids find something else to do for a while?" It's like blaming the food industry for kids bad eating habits. Yes, they make and market it, but who buys it and puts it within the child's reach? There's a balance of responsibility there and some parents really need to own up to that.

It doesn't matter whether the kid is surfing the internet, playing video games, sitting on the floor playing board games, or reading a book - it's all sedentary activity, and yet the media focuses in on one are and declares it to be the "cause" of childhood obesity, among other things.

I realize that advertising makes it hard for parents to say no sometimes, but it bothers me to see some of the same people who complain about their child wanting and "needing" things that they see on TV or that their friends have, buying it, and then blaming it for whatever problems their kids have, especially with younger children. There's no reason that the demands of a toddler should be running a house, and yet I see people who just cannot bear to say no even when they know it is hurting the kids in the long run.

[jlf45]

Cooking healthy meals is actually way cheaper than the processed stuff if you plan it well. It also helps you to cut down on eating out, which again, saves money. Then the kids actually have energy to go play outside.

Who here has ever eaten a "big mack" then decided to go run a mile??

[Maggie-Doodle]

Cooking healthy meals is actually way cheaper than the processed stuff if you plan it well. It also helps you to cut down on eating out, which again, saves money. Then the kids actually have energy to go play outside.

Who here has ever eaten a "big mack" then decided to go run a mile??


You are exactly right....I don't know about everybody else but I get tired of eating out all the time...I gotta have home-cooked foods. A few years ago we started remodeling out house, including the kitchen. We stripped out all the old cabinets and got new ones...which took approx. 5 or 6 weeks...after the cabinets were installed it took another 5 or 6 weeks to FINALLY get our counter tops because of a mix up...the whole time, we had to eat all our meals out! It was a long time before we ate out again after we finally got the counter tops installed. I cooked massive meals for months. There are just too few restaurants that serve good ole southern/soul foods...peas and cornbread, tomato gravy and rice etc. etc. If I can go out maybe once every couple of weeks that is great, more than that, most times is too much for me.

[58ford]

There are just too few restaurants that serve good ole southern/soul foods...peas and cornbread, tomato gravy and rice etc. etc.
I'm sure you've tried Nanny's, but have you tried Home Cookin'?
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w293/58ford/HomeCookinMap.jpg

[citygirl]

I think we've fallen into the "convenience" trap - and most "convenience" foods are laden with sugars and fats, whether you eat out or buy stuff and bring it home. The days of actually taking time to cook a good, healthy meal are few and far between...

Right again as usual QM. My weight gain I blamed on being newly wed and happy and just didn't care anymore. When in fact, it had to do with what was convenient. Working a full-time and part-time job (I actually worked the part time job for 3 years) the first year and a half I was married, was very difficult. While we were dating, I was still very conservative in my eating habits. However, once married and I'd get home around 9:30 at night when I worked the 2nd job it was to easy to grab the bag of chips or a snack cake and eat as soon as I got home. Then on the nights I was off, he'd say, you've worked every night this week, I'll pick something up for dinner or we'd go out and eat. Occasionally, I would cook supper, but then it was something quick and easy, partially prepared.

Ten pounds became 20, then 30, etc. Since joining WW, I've had to become more conscience of what I'm cooking and how I'm cooking it. We eat alot more baked and broiled instead of fried now. I do intend to start walking more now that the days are longer too!

[Maggie-Doodle]

58, yes I have eaten at both places and the food is delicious at both. I think one of the ladies at Home Cooking worked for my mom for a short time, years ago. Not only is the food good ole home cooking like granny and momma made but it is not expensive and you get your moneys worth!

[MollyDogMomma]

In my former life I worked in the restaurant industry...actually 23 of my 25 years were spent in a restaurant owned and operated by myself and members of my family, at one time I operated a large "Italian" themed chain restaurant. People dont understand that when they order in a restaurant they never know what they are getting. I am not taking about gross tainted food...I am talking about the pounds of butter and lard and fats that are unecessarily added to food in restaurants. You know the old saying.."if it taste good spit it out" that is the truth. You go into a restaurant and order the steamed veggies.......you think your getting something healthy but with all the butter and salt they added to it you might as well have had the mashed potatos. My personal opinion is the key to a healthy diet is preparing it yourself so you know what is in it. I am out of the restaurant business now, so I can say that. I am overweight and have been since my mother managed a mcdonalds when I was 8 and my brother and I ate several happy meals a day. I am a true super size story. However, I have control over what I eat and I do not place blame on Mcdonalds or my mother for my weight struggle. I also know people that eat at mcdonalds everyday and are thin. What gives?