http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11694799/
"LONDON - The number of overweight children worldwide will increase significantly by the end of the decade, and scientists expect profound impacts on everything from public health care to economies, a study published Monday said."
"“We have truly a global epidemic which appears to be affecting most countries in the world,” said Dr. Philip James, chairman of the International Obesity Task Force and author of an editorial in the journal warning of the trend."
"Researchers concluded that the prevalence of childhood obesity increased in almost all the countries for which data were available, a trend fueled by more sedentary lives and the increasing availability of junk food, among other factors."
"“The wave of heart disease and stroke could totally swamp the public health care system,” he said."
This reminds me of the Lazy Boy song, "Underwear Goes Inside The Pants.": "Americans, let's face it: We've been a spoiled country for a long time. Do you know what the number one health risk in America is? Obesity. They say we're in the middle of an obesity epidemic. An epidemic like it is polio. Like we'll be telling our grand kids about it one day. The Great Obesity Epidemic of 2004. "How'd you get through it grandpa?" "Oh, it was horrible Johnny, there was cheesecake and pork chops everywhere."
Parents really need to teach their children good lifestyle habits. I am so thankful that my mom tried so hard to keep me eating healthy food. I never even had a piece of candy, or a drink of soda until I was 5. And even then it was only on rare occasions. My mom made a point of baking cakes with apple sauce as a substitute for sugar. I'm really grateful because children pick up bad eating habits so quickly that may be with them for the rest of their lives. My dad is a marathoner, so he always made sure I exercised enough. But other parents, like my aunt and uncle, are really hurting their child's health. Since my cousin was only 1 yr old they've been giving him soda, potato chips, you name it. When people address how much he's eating they just say, you know, he's a big boy. But I rarely see him eating any vegetables.
Portion sizes are also way too big. I'm glad McDonald's got rid of their super sized fries and sodas. Americans eat way past the point at which they're full. I've heard that you should try to eat until you feel 3/4 full and that's the right amount, so I try to do that. But I think it's mostly up to parents to start their kids with good eating habits. i also think schools need to make healthy food available. In my school they only really have pizza, fries, cookies, soda, snapple juice (which is only aoubt 10% actual juice). Now they just started offering soup and sandwiches, so I guess that's a start.
It really is stupid that kids are not taking care of themselves, and adults. They say you should exercise for at least an hour a day. That really isn't too hard. All you have to do is get out and walk around the park or go play a game of Speed on the basketball court.
It makes me so sad to see all the obesity going on in this world, and the people who are obese are doing nothing about it. They are risking their lives, not anyone elses. Unless they have kids of course. I don't know what is going to make these people realize that their lives are in danger, but something has to work.
It isn't fair to say childhood obesity is a result of stupidity; in fact it really isn't fair to evoke a patronizing sadness for people who are obese. There are underlying factors and a cycle of thought that traps people into unhealthy patterns. These patterns result in finding something in food that they can not get in other places: comfort. Maybe instead of trying to cure obesity, we should be curing the cause of discomfort.
While all cases of obesity cannot be prevented, there are many that can be if people would just have some self control and take care of themselves. I do love food, and find it hard to not eat as much as a want, I know that I need to curb myslef with sweets and exercise. It is a serious probem today.
I just want to say, I am obese. Its not because i am stupid. Everyone in my family is over weight. My mom, dad, Grandma, everyone. My mom and dad always thought we were doing the right thing to. Soda? my parents never bought a soda. Even at 18 my parents prefer for me to drink milk and water. We eat right and mom went as far to weigh our food once. I have done low carb, weight watchers, south beach, vegitarian...I am still obese i was when i was a child too. Does this mean my family and I are stupid too? Obesity is hereditary.
I agree with you that is can be hereditary - but not in all cases. So many cases are just a matter of over-eating, or eating only junk. I know this is an extreme, but there have been TV shows about parents who just feed their children anything they want to make them happy. There's been little kids that are disgustingly obsese. I consider that child neglect. A parent feeding their baby enormous amounts of food just because you want to make them happy? The little child doesn't have enough self control to stop eating the delicious food it is constantly getting handed.
So yes, obesity can be hereditary, but there are so many other factors. I mean, obesity was never such a huge problem decades ago. But since then our portion sizes have increased significantly.
Parents are feeding there children junk food and fast food because thats what is easiest and makes children most compliant. Parents are lazy and would rather stick there children in front of a television with donuts and chocolate milk rather then playing catch or riding bikes. Parents are self involved and children just seem to be a hassle, so to shut them up they resort to giving them the unhealthy food that taste good but isnt helping them grow to be healthy adults. Not only is this dooming a childs over all health but they are going to be harassed and teased in school for being over weight, and do the parents pay the consiquences? No, this ruins childrens self esteem which is vital to there ovall psychological development as a teen and adult. When children are raised eating "crap" that is all they know and are most likely to pass it on to there kids, so is it hereditary? yes, but it starts somewhere with someone. We all have the power to change.
i feel sorry for these fat kids.
My grandmother would feed me adult-sized portions at the dinner table, and wouldn't let me leave until I ate it all. This has created a ridiculous appetite that I stil am trying to overcome. it gets to the point where I have to get out of the kitchen so I don't eat because food is just there.
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Some people do have hereditary issues with obesity; most people don't. Laziness is a major cause for obesity. If you are actively trying to stay fit, then bravo. But most people are lazy, and would rather sit on their couch with their big macs and 'diet coke' while watching the latest episode of Lost; those people are the problem.
I'm overweight, and I made it my New Year's Resolution to get more fit; Although I've gained some weight since I started 5 months ago, I've also gained considerable muscle mass as well.
If people just make an effort; walk for 15 min during a lunch break, ride a bike after work, play with your children, replace chips with veggies if you snack a lot, you'd be surprised how much the little things help.
Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
~Henry Van Dyke
As soon as I can I am going to write something on this topic. There's a show calling You're Killing Your Kids. Its a really good show and it gets at least one family at a time to completly overhual their familes life. The frist thing the show makes the family do is go though the cuboards and throw out nearly everything, and go shopping for vegetables. Its kinda funny because for the first week of the show in every family they do the kids spit out the new food (veggies) for a week. Then they start getting used to the idea. I don't think that method would work for any family without alot of support. The mom in the family is exusted for the first two weeks and I'm sure there is a lot of spanking the kids off camera about the new food. In fact on one family they even said that one of the kids got spanked. They also take the T.V.'s away and put lock boxes on them so the kids can't watch. One little girl had a T.V. in her room and she cried and hugged it and begged them not to take it away. IT was so sad. In the begining of the show they show a projection of what the kids will look like by age 40 and its always fat with bad skin. At the end after they make the diet and lifestlye changes the projection is always better and the kids look better and thinner and heathlier.