Why Are There So Many Fat Kids?
Ok…I am really upset, sad, pissed off and outright confused right now. As I enjoy spending time with my family doing random things like playing baseball, running around the park, swimming or whatever, I am seeing more and more kids that are ridiculously overweight. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!!!!? Well of course I know, these kids are eating more than they are burning off, but why the hell is this happening. How does a parent allow their kid to be obese? I really don’t know how to wrap my head around it. Am I being totally off base here? I am obviously somebody that does not judge anybody by their weight or for any other reason. That is why I started Novato Adventure Boot Camp in the first place, because I wanted to help more people be healthy and lose weight in a much grander scale than just doing one on one personal training in Novato.
According to the Center for Disease Control, obesity has doubled in kids aged 2-5 since 1980. OBESE 2-5 YEAR OLDS!!!!!!! In kids ages 6 – 11 the rate has over tripled to over 19% Now I completely understand that there is the possibility for kids to be physically sick which causes there obesity, but clearly this isn’t the case.
I think that there are several factors that go into this huge problem.
1. The kid’s parents are obese – We do what we know….these kids have the same exact eating and exercise habits as their parents leading to overeating and under-exercising. Does that make it OK? Is this child abuse? Would it be any different if we overdosed our children on cough syrup? You might say, “Yes Carlos, but they could die if they overdosed on cough syrup.” Well, you don’t think they will die from diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc.? Or here is another example, what if a parent didn’t feed their child very often and they went to school severely malnurished, underweight and pale. Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t you think that a teacher may make it a point to figure out what is going on. Why won’t they do this with an obese child?
2. Marketing from huge food manufacturers are deceiving – There is so much crappy food out their that the food makers are making to look healthy. They throw garbage on the front of the box that says “GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMIN D” or some BS like that (see below). Then a parent that isn’t savvy in this type of marketing buys the food and feeds it to their kids thinking that it is doing something great for their kid while it is really hurting them in the long run.
To the left you see Pop Tarts, which on the front says, “Good Source of 7 Vitamins and Minerals” and “Made With Real Fruit”. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME! Every time you toast up a package of these sugary treats (two Pop Tarts) your kid will be eating 400 calories, 38 grams of sugar, 76 grams of carbohydrates. For one meal it will surely make your kid hungry in about 15 minutes. Now lets look at the picture below at what 400 calories of another meal would consist of: 6oz. chicken breast, 2 Tbs. barbecue sauce, 1 cup of mixed vegetables, 1/2 cup of brown rice, a small green salad and 2 tbs. of reduced fat oil and vinegar dressing. Now I know that we aren’t comparing breakfast with breakfast but hopefully you get the point.
To the right you see Reeses Puffs cereal. Right at the top it says that it is whole grain and has 12 vitamins and minerals as well as good source of calcium. I am not going to do all of the details with this one, but let me tell you…it is garbage to feed our children.
3. Kids aren’t active like they used to be – I remember when I was a kid my mom would send me outside to play and told me not to come back until it was dinner time. My brother and I ran around with our neighbors for hours playing kick the can, riding our bikes, wrestling in the grass or whatever. Now the entertainment is movies and the latest version of whatever video game is hot at the time.
I can go on ranting about this all day, but the fact of the matter is that it is evident everywhere we go that our kids are getting fatter by the day. We can either do something about it by eating better and get out and moving more (perhaps a family walk around the neighborhood), or we can do nothing and continue to watch our kids suffer the life of being sick and fat. We have a responsibility to care for our children and part of that is making sure they are healthy.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
Have a healthy day!
Posted by Carlos Payte | in Fitness, Motivational, Nutrition, Results | 16 Comments
I’m with you on this! You could not be more right! I too was sent outside to play until dinner. It is of course, a bit more scary to do that with your kids these days than in our day, but nevertheless, alot of our children are not moving!
I feel that society and families are so overly scheduled that there SEEMS to be no time to exercise. Children are not allowed to play outside, they are not allowed to explore their environments and as a result of the media, we have a huge problem. Children are more likely to have an xbox then a bicycle. Children are more likely to have computers and phones, than a yard to play in or a gym to workout in. It is very sad that children are the victims of society and families dysfunctional issues.
It is sad and frustrating. I think you’re right about the causes, too. We can’t do anything (directly) about other parents, but we can probably help with some of the circumstances to which you attribute the problem. If our kids are in childcare and school, we can encourage healthy physical playtime and healthy snacks, which benefit all of the kids, not just ours. Calling out advertisers and manufacturers, like you did, helps educate parents and kids.
It does start by setting a good example, not just for our own kids but for the parents we meet. Healthy sack lunches, enrolling our kids in dance class or sports, and even just sitting out on the front porch or on a park bench and watching our kids play outside, or playing along! (Keeping up with my kid is a major fitness motivator for me!) All of the things we do for our own kids have the potential to make a difference for other kids, especially if we find a way to share.
Would the next step be volunteering or supporting programs at community centers that serve less-privileged families? How big could we make the ripples that we start in our own families?
you need to combine outside exercise with video games. Whatever happened to laser tag??
Thanks for the comment Debbie! The crazy thing is that I think the media has made it scarier than anything. Because we have so many outlets to get news these days, we see everything that goes on in the United States. So we think that if we take our eye off of our kid that they will be abducted by a stranger. The crazy part of it all is that total strangers only account for 1.4% of all abductions of children. Pretty shocking that the other 98% comes from people we know.
I am right there with you Elizabeth! Thanks for the comment.
Great ideas Vivian! Thanks!
For sure Spence! I think laser tag is still around. I nice game of paintball isn’t so bad either.
Carlos, it’s good that you’re taking the time to make these points about childhood obesity. Thank you!
Unfortunately, for there to be major changes [such as with food providers], there will need to a massive effort, where the companies involved see significant economic consequences. Think “Fed Up At Last, Parents March On Battle Creek, Michigan!” or “Enraged Parents Tear Down Golden Arches All Over America!”
Speaking of which, consider the cost and the strain on our health care system when these chubby children become fat adults. We will ALL be paying for the coming health crisis – and the cost will be staggering.
I am right there with you on the frustration level! I think too many parents get “lazy” and don’t limit electronic devices, junk food, and other harmful things. It’s our job as parents to model and teach a healthy lifestyle, not take the easy way out and give our kids what they want when they want it so we don’t have to hear them whine. Sorry, pet peeve of mine!
Carlos this is such a good topic to discuss especially since being in Marin County we are more privileged and have choices, education, access to farmers markets, and the wonderful open spaces here. Many kids in inner cities only have fast good and dirty parks not enough adult supervision and have no idea about what is in our food or where it comes from. I feel. Very passionate about these issues too. Education on what food matters is extremely important, all the major diseases are preventable. Bravo to sharing with everyone.
I agree it is a sad problem here in the states of obesity in kids.If parents don’t help them or show the correct way to eat, it sets the kids up for health problems their whole lives.Learning to eat well is a gift we can offer them. I need to get better at it myself.But it is the combination of good eating and having an active life that makes the body healthy.
With 3 kids I can say that in my experience some things are not as they seem. My son looked “fat” when he was little he never was. He was extremely muscular and very active. Karate, Baseball, Football he was in any sport and always out and running around. When he hit puberty he shot up and actually looked skinny to me for a while. He is now 18 and super fit.
Now I have two girls 15 months apart. The older one can eat anything she wants and is super petite. Hates P.E. My youngest is way more active and is not a sit around kind of girl at all. She enjoys working out with me and any activities like her dance classes. She is already crying and upset about her weight at 10. She started to stop eating and I caught her crying in bed praying that her belly could be cut off. I believe we have to be careful on how hard we are children and personally I don’t relate to being a parent that is not doing healthy things with my children. Some of this has to do with body types and growth patterns. Calling children Fat is dangerous in my experience. They internalize so much and the inner scars last longer than any outer bruises they will ever get. I talk with my kids about healthy choices and they always love the things that are good for them. I don’t stress out about the weight at this stage because they can grow out of it.
Thank you Bridget! As a parent of three boys (21, 19, and 9), all of whom can eat whatever, however, and whenever they want, and are considered underweight (all three work to keep weight on), I think we need to remember that body type and genetics do play a large role in our children’s bodies/metabolism. Focus on active, fun, creative play/exercise and healthy food choices are positive ways for children to have a healthy view of themselves. When we speak of children (or anyone for that matter) as “fat” we are judging and putting a negative value on that person. We are all made up of skin, water, muscle, bone, hair, cells, blood, fat, etc…, but we don’t refer to someone as being “hair” like we do “fat.” We don’t say, “that kid is really “skin” and needs to lose some of it.” Calling anyone “fat” feels harmful. People can be healthy at any size (the body positive.org). I do agree we have an obesity/eating disorder epidemic in this country and we all need to focus our attention to the way in which society, media, and our parenting can contribute to the problem. I believe in “everything in moderation.” I don’t believe that a video game or McDonald french-fry every now and then is going to kill a person or cause obesity, but over-focus(control) on weight, fat, and body size can contribute to the makings of an eating disorder, an unhealthy relationship with food/body, and low self esteem. Lets get rid of “labeling” children, continue to educate, and support them in having a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.
Thank you so much for your comment Bridget! I totally agree with you that there are many circumstances where an overweight child grows out of their extra weight as they make their way through their teens into adulthood. Unfortunately, as a society, this really isn’t happening as a whole. I know that your daughter is active by the great work that she was doing in boot camp those few days that she was able to come. I really wish that all kids would get that kind of activity on a daily basis but the problem is that they are not. Physical Education time in schools is down tremendously since we were kids. Many parents are not making it mandatory to be active which leads kids to be burning off less fuel or fat. Then there is the food issue which I could write forever about. For the majority of kids (and adults for that matter) the problem is an energy balance problem. Kids and adults are eating and drinking more calories then they are burning off in their daily activities. I know that there are many other reasons that can cause obesity in people such as Thyroid problems, Genetic predispositions, etc., but studies show that many can be controlled with daily exercise and a disciplined eating regime.
Hey Erica,
Thanks for the comment. You are totally correct that we need to focus on healthy food choices and active daily living. I just don’t think that this is happening. With so much information out there right now, how does the average person know if what they are eating is right for them. Shoot if you look at the food pyramid from before they just changed it, it told us to have at least 6 servings of bread/cereal per day!
I am definitely not judging any child or adult for that matter. This problem that we are having makes me so mad and I want this to be in the forefront of people’s minds. We need to ensure that we are doing the best for our children and I just don’t see that happening. I will figure out a way that I can participate in the fight of childhood obesity as I hope others will as well.
I do have to disagree that people can be healthy at any weight. Sure they can be mentally healthy but our bodies aren’t designed to be 300, 400, or 500 pounds. People have severe joint problems at the very least that can damage themselves for life if the problem doesn’t get addressed. I will never call anyone fat and I never have any intention of hurting people’s feelings. I want all to be healthy and live vibrant lives.