Childhood Obesity

My son is overweight, (not extrmely overweight), but he has a big belly, and 'boobs'. He is going to be ten next month, is 4 foot ten, and weighs 110 pounds. He is going to be a big guy when he growes up, he's always been a little overweight. His dad is the same build as my son, and is a big guy too, 6 foot 3, 220 pounds. I have done everything I can to keep his weight down, and it just isn't working. He is active, and eats right, when he's at home. Now, school, friends houses, and grandmas house, is a different story. I have told all of these people mentioned not to give him garbage, I don't think they are listening to me. But, I can't confine him. All I can do is keep telling him how bad the junk is for him, and to try to tell him not to eat a lot of it . I am sure a lot of parents are to blame, but I really do try my best. Some people probably just shove food at their kids as bribes, or whatever though. And a lot of kids these days don't get a lot of physical activity, they sit in their rooms, and play video games, sit at the computer, or watch t.v. My son is allowed to do all those things, but in limited amounts. Sure, he can relax before bed and watch some t.v., but I assure you, he was out swimming, playing ball, and riding his bike for hours before then!!

I think like there are probably a variety of things going on in the general population, but I do think that in a lot of cases, parents are not restricting their children's eating habits or teaching them healthy ones, especially if they themselves are obese.

I agree with Melissa, I think a variety of things are at work here.

Knowing how to eat healthy is important, and that can be a really hard thing to know and do, especially with propoganda from junk food companies trying to represent themselves as healthy (read an article a while back from a soda pop company claiming it was healthy because it "contributed" to our daily liquid intake). It's gotten to where "better" is good enough for some, even if it's nowhere near "best" and people don't know any better. (I resist the urge to throw something at my tv every time I see flavored puffed nothing-ness touted as part of a "balanced" breakfast, but I was raised with the gospel according to Adelle Davis, second generation.)

Then you have hormones and additives and so much else that is within our food to be concerned about.

Sedentary lifestyles and, it seems, less and less recess and pe time at school until they do away with it entirely.

So many factors.

Often it is genetics. Sometimes the are to blame, i think in rare cases.

Hi. I just caught a glimpse of this article and I had to respond. It is soooooooooo hard out there to keep these kids on the right track. My son has been in every sport, every year, every season, since he was 4. But, as a single mom, I gave in to the 99 cent menu at McDonalds when I would pick them up from aftercare and then go right to the field. The fast food took over and before we knew it, he was blowing up like a balloon. My daughter never got hooked on the fast food, but my son did and then it became an all out battle. I would just say to any other single parents, or even two parent homes that are rushing around all day to make sure bills are paid, laundry gets done and kids get to where they need to be, especially if they are in every sport in the world, boy scouts, girl scouts and all the rest, don't get caught in that fast food web. It was murder getting my son off it, and since I'm not a fast food eater and never was, I had NOOOOOOOOOOOOO idea how bad that food can be when it takes over your lifestyle. I hope you all keep encouraging one another, it's a good thing to do.

Nothing is black and white. Yes, sometimes when parents do not eat right their children do not eat right and the whole family is obese. Sometimes it is genetics. Sometimes it is a mental disorder. I have a grand child in my home who was neglected by my step daughter. The child has an eating disorder and will sneak food every chance she can get. Some children are obese because they are on steroids. I am glad the media and larger companies are trying to promote healthier eating and it would be nice if organic would become a norm and not so expensive. The chemicals in our food has to be a factor in many of the illnesses we suffer as a nation.

Yes. I did mean to add that each child is different and each child has a different chemistry. I think what's very important as parents is that we learn to recognize where our children's weaknesses lie and work with them on an individual basis. What works for one may not work for another. And what might be a food addiction to one child because they like the way the food tastes, might be a depression problem for another. Intimidating workouts might work for one child, and they might backfire for another. I let my son get overweight because I wasn't paying attention. I was so busy with just trying to make sure the bills were paid and keeping a roof over our heads, when in reality I learned that our children are the most important asset of all. If each parent can just take a moment to hone in on each child, and I know this is hard to do when you are swamped with plumbing going bad, and the electric getting turned off and the roof caving in, but if we can keep them at the top of the list all the time, it will be easier for us to keep them on track. If there is a medical condition, they need to see the doctor, there could be hidden allergies or food sensitivities, there could be depression, there could be a number of things. Bless you all and I hope the show inspires many to really take a look at what's going on in their childrens lives.

How is not the parents fault? Aren't they the ones responsible for teaching their children? I've watched that show too, it disgusts me. No 12 yr old kid should outweigh me by 70 lbs. I am 6' 205. Some of the kids on that show are 270. Yes genetics play a role, but childhood obesity is on the rise in our country, but it is up to the parents to not feed their kids garbage or let them play video games all day.

I love this show. I think there are a lot of things that contribute to childhood obesity. One is parents. Genetics is another. Another problem with it is that they are less active as children in earlier times. Many kids just want to be on the computer or play their game systems.

I have 6 children and they are all very healthy. The most "unhealthy" one is my 10 year old who weighs 68 pounds. He doesn't enjoy physical activity, but I do make him get up and play everyday! I don't give my kids "junk food" however we do eat a lot of fast food. Now my father gives them candy all the time. He always did the same for me.
I think weight issues come from portion control and lack of physical activity! On these shows, you'll see the parents say they feed the kids a dozen egg, a loaf of bread and an half gallon of oj for breakfast. Unacceptable! Somebody had to set limits!

I have written on the ridiculous nature of this show from a trainer's perspective. In the beginning, Shaq totally abandoned these kids to teach themselves how to move. These kids hadn't done this before, so how were they to do this on their own?
On the nature/nurture front, it is obvious that our nurturing is leading to overweight kids. You just didn't see this a few years ago, so we can't blame it on our genes.
If you haven't seen "Super Size Me," the documentary, it is a must-see. It's not just about McDonald's. It's about our entire culture centering around unhealthy foods. Parents out there, I hope you get outraged at what the schools are feeding your kids (I am; I teach public school), and I hope you do something about it. I hope you teach your kids how to choose foods and you make play time mandatory. Remember when we were kids and we played outside until dark? Don't you miss that?

I wrote a short piece on Obesity check it out if you like. I have quite a few people around me who suffer from this and it is quite disturbing to see kids expecially whith this problem. The parents try to control these kids, but these kids don't listen. I see for myself and it worries me.