138 Responses to “In the news”

1. Pete on February 17th, 2010 1:55 pm

   Every time I see an over weight kid I blame the parent. I’m lucky and my kids have good genetics and are not over weight. Since I’m over weight I make sure my kids see the side affects (Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, etc) of being fat and try to avoid the causes (getting married).

2. Jessica on February 17th, 2010 2:01 pm

   I think it’s especially important for children to have a variety of foods in order for them to grow properly, and if the Let’s Move campaign actually goes towards eliminating “food desserts”, then that would be a worthwhile goal. However, so many people forget that fat itself is a nutrient, and the needs of kids is very different than that of adults. People come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s the stress from stigmatization of larger bodies that is more detrimental to a person’s health and well being than a person being healthy at their body’s set point. If you want more information, you could check out Paul Campos, Linda Bacon, and the Fat Acceptance FAQ on kateharding.net for some resources that run contrary to the “common sense” that fat=unhealthy. Also, I love the BMI Project at Shapely Prose.

3. Anne on February 17th, 2010 2:02 pm

   1. I think it is a real issue, yes. Kids today have access to far more stationary activities/amusements than we used to. 8,029 channels on television, DVRs, computers, video games, etc. Young kids don’t know enough to throw some actual activity in their day unless they are taught to do so and their role models do so and make it enjoyable.

   2. Is it a different issue than obesity among adults? Yes, only because kids have less control over their environments. They don’t buy their own food, for example, they only have what parents/schools provide for them.

   3. Does fat acceptance (the health portion) apply to children – I would say as much as it does to adults, yes. I certainly don’t think people who are a size four and can run a five minute mile are the only healthy people. For some people healthy is heavier than it is for others, and there are all sorts of shades of healthy – not just one version. (You mean it isn’t all black and white? SHOCKING, I KNOW.) That said, I think fat acceptance – as in accepting the person and treating them with the respect you would anyone – is essential with adults or children.

   4. As for when kids get to take control of their food/activity choices – I say bit by bit as they grow. A first grader can have input within a set of choices provided by the parent for what is packed in their lunch, and a high school student will probably do whatever they want no matter what you say because that is what teenagers do. Pretty much like every life choice, we take more and more responsibility as we grow; it isn’t an on/off switch.

4. g~ on February 17th, 2010 2:02 pm

   Ohhh! Brave *you*!
   It’s a sticky situation, to be sure. A lot of kids go through a “thick” or even “chunky” stage but their growth-spurts all even out and they end up fine. (Besides the rolly-polly baby and toddler stages, it seems to be around 2-4 or 5th grade.) So, one has to be very cautious labeling children who might just be in an awkward phase “fat” or “overweight” when, in fact, they are just growing. Two of my siblings did that and they are Thin now. Obviously, we have all seen kids who are obviously Not Just going through a phase. But it’s hard because we always hear people who say (WRONG) stuff like, “I don’t want to feed my baby too much because she is getting fat!” or stuff like that. As if normal, chunky little rolly thighs aren’t normal (AND ADORABLE) on small children. I accept the “some people are naturally bigger” philosophy but I think that EVERYONE needs to try very hard not to burden our children with the same attitudes we possess in regards to what sizes are acceptable. Children develop at entirely different rates and in different ways and it’s imperative that we err on the side of respecting that process which they/we have no control over.

5. deanna on February 17th, 2010 2:04 pm

   i might have a biased opinion as a pediatric nurse practitioner, but it is indeed a REAL ISSUE worthy of REAL CONCERN. obesity is a life limiting issue, with obese people requiring far more health care and resources than non-obese people. obese children are, in general, not as healthy as children of appropriate weight. childhood obesity predisposes children to life-long problems of hypertension, diabetes, musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis and other cardiac diseases, among many others. this increases their overall lifetime morbidity and will eventually decrease mortality. once children become obese/overweight, it’s far more likely that they will remain so for the rest of their lives. in terms of my personal practice, children need to be educated to make their own decisions as soon as possible–ideally once they start school and are out of the constant supervision of their parents (if you call what some parents do supervision, which is a totally different issue for another day). in order to institute any change in the pediatric population, however, changes have to occur on the family level as well. economics plays a role in making this baseline change as the availability of healthy food choices in many low-income areas is a terrible problem throughout the country and the option for healthy food choices in schools is also an issue. it is for these reasons that there needs to be political action, because the issue is far greater than just encouraging children and families to eat better and move more.

   im all for encouraging people to be comfortable in their bodies, but being overweight and obese is a totally different issue for me. obesity to me is the equivalent of smoking. people know smoking is unhealthy, but continue to smoke anyways. many people who are overweight know its unhealthy, but continue to eat poorly anyways. this isnt a perfect argument in that you NEED to eat to survive, you dont NEED to smoke to survive. but none the less, i think obesity will eventually move into the realm of smoking in terms of governmental action and i cant say that i dont disagree.

   i think the fat acceptance movement does a GREAT disservice to our society in general. we need a HEALTHY acceptance movement, first.

6. g~ on February 17th, 2010 2:04 pm

   I meant 2nd-4th or 5th grades.

7. Kaire on February 17th, 2010 2:06 pm

   I started gaining weight after first grade because of how my parents rewarded me and kept me occupied. While I think it’s shitty that any kid grows up fat, I don’t think there is any easy answer or my fat brother wouldn’t be raising two fat kids.

8. Amy on February 17th, 2010 2:07 pm

   I do think it’s a real issue, if for no other reason than the rising rates of type 2 diabetes in kids. Obese children are also more likely to have health problems as adults, such as cardiovascular disease. Some even have “adult health problems” like hypertension at a young age, when those problems typically aren’t seen yet.

   I don’t have children yet, but I think I’d feel responsible if my young kids were overweight. It does seem to be a different issue than adult obesity in that kids are more guided/controlled by their parents’ choices–e.g., if they’re eating cupcakes and soda and Doritos all day, it’s not because they’re driving to the store to buy them. Those things are in the house and available to them.

   I’m just not sure the idea of fat acceptance applies to kids.

9. deanna on February 17th, 2010 2:08 pm

   oh, and for the record i think that you and jb are doing a FABULOUS JOB setting an example for your boys by being active and eating healthy yourselves. THAT is the kind of action that needs to occur at a family level to put any sort of dent in this childhood obesity epidemic. bravo to you guys, indeed.

10. Kristin on February 17th, 2010 2:11 pm

    Being in the public health field, I’m a bit biased but I do believe childhood obesity is real and worthy of concern. That said, like Pete, I believe a lot of it is the result of parenting choices. Children are impressionable and they are not able to go to the grocery store to pick out the healthier options. They eat what their parents serve (for the most part) and are likely to follow suit in lifestyle as well. Active parents usually have active children but sedentary parents usually have sedentary children. It’s up to parents to teach healthy eating habits and lifestyles at home and set a good example.

    I think it’s important for us as a society to not just “accept” obesity. I do not think marginalizing obese people is right by any means. The fear in just accepting it and not encouraging healthful lifestyles is that we end up with an unhealthy society at higher risk of Type II diabetes, heart disease, etc. which reduces our societal productivity.

    Sorry for writing a novel in your comments section! *stepping off the soapbox now*

11. Erica on February 17th, 2010 2:15 pm

    I try not to judge, but when I think of the general lifestyle differences from when I was a kid 30-some years ago, I feel the parents holds the greatest responsibility out of all the influencing factors…

    Eg: We got pop and chips *every couple of months* when the babysitter came.

    - We did not have video games in the house.

    - Schools had gym classes 3x/week minimum.

    - We played outside pretty much everyday.

    - There were no such things as “DVD Libraries” at home. Movies at home were a rarity. We rollerskated in the basement until we were wet from sweat.

    - Even with two working parents, dinners were made with real food every day, not out of a box.

    - Junk food was not accessible at school.

    - We did not hear of every instance of child abduction/murder/kidnapping/trauma 24/7. We weren’t afraid to be out of sight of our parents and vice-versa for hours at a time.

    Yes the world has changed. Yes, new houses come with backyards the size of postage stamps. Yes, the cost of organized activities are very prohibitive for many families. But really… motorized scooters? Electric cars for kids?? Driving to the park at the end of the street??? Sub days, pizza days and chocolate-covered sugar-filled granola bars every day for lunches? Why are there 5-year olds who are classified as “video game experts”??? That right there tells me what’s going on.

    Children model their parents. If I model walking to the park for my daughter, she’ll come to know that’s just how it is. If I model good food choices for her, she’ll follow. If I don’t give her pop to drink and candy to eat at every outing to the store, she won’t ask for it. If I show her that being even modestly active can be fun, she’ll do the same. It’s up to me as a parent to set the boundaries and provide the expectations for her as she grows up. And if the wheels ever fall off the rails, it’s up to me as the parent to get things back on track asap.

    It’s extraordinarily rare that children have biological conditions which cause them to become obese. It’s high time that people started looking at themselves as being responsible for their circumstances and stop trying to blame anyone else for their ‘predicaments’.

12. Kelly on February 17th, 2010 2:17 pm

    This is an issue I’ve struggled with, more so now that I have a child. I was an obese child and still am (mostly) an obese adult. For me, obesity had a genetic component (PCOS) and an environmental one. My obesity was made far worse by attempts to get me to diet – starting as early as age 10. The “concern” everyone showed didn’t help me lose weight, it just taught me to be ashamed of myself and to hide my eating. So I would binge in secret and went from a healthy, if moderately chubby child to an obese one. Then the PCOS kicked in and my weight really soared. Children get enough grief from their peers – they know they’re fat. If we keep drilling in the “fat is bad and ugly” mantra, it doesn’t help obese children lose weight. What’s the answer? Yes, it is an issue, but not one likely to be solved through any politically based program. Teach kids (all kids) about food, stop buying tons of processed crap, provide exercise opportunities, take your daughter to the doctor if she suddenly puts on a lot of weight around puberty and has irregular periods, but if after all that your kid is still obese – leave them alone! It’s taken me 20 years to learn to like myself again. It took Metformin and synthroid to help me lose weight. I pray that my daughter doesn’t have the same weight issues I do, but if she does I promise there will be no talk of diets in our house. We will eat real food , we will exercise together, and she will be whatever weight her body settles on.

13. Jessica on February 17th, 2010 2:20 pm

    @deanna You may want to check out Health At Every Size, which is the basis for my participation in the fat acceptance movement – the whole premise is that you can take steps to improve your health, they just might not make you lose weight. Let’s not also forget that mental health is part of overall health, so it’s not necessarily healthy for people to obsess over their weight. I would be interested in knowing what studies have been done to study childhood obesity with the diseases you mentioned above, are they available online?

14. Nolita Morgan on February 17th, 2010 2:20 pm

    I think Childhood Obesity is a real concern because kids nowadays are more sedentary and not forced to go outside and play like when I was a kid. Also, there’s a snack mania that has taken over that I don’t understand: daily snacks in school, at the extra curriculars after school, sports practices, etc. And most parents do not bring healthy snacks.

    I don’t think you can always blame the parent. My daughter is at risk for obesity but she is going to be a BIG girl – she’s adopted. She eats healthy food at home and plays soccer and basketball, but she is bombarded with sugary snacks everywhere. At soccer practice the kids don’t need snacks but one grandma insists on bringing sugary snacks. The kids are conditioned to expect sweet snacks wherever they go, not just for special occasions.

    And do not get me started on school supplied meals. Those are the worst. We try to bring lunch as often as possible. At 7 my daughter knows about the effects of obesity and knows that she has to make smarter decisions when confronted with all the food options. I mean her school is having a bake sale to raise money for Haiti…seems a bit ridiculous to me.

    They do a yearly jogathon fundraiser which is a big step in the right direction, but their other big fundraiser is selling butter braids! Luckily we don’t have many fundraisers to support our school, but everything seems to revolve around food!

15. warcrygirl on February 17th, 2010 2:27 pm

    I find it ironic that there are people who think there needs to be government intervention on childhood obesity yet there’s no limit to the junky, high fat foods one can buy on WIC. I insist my kids play outside when the weather is nice yet I will let them play video games/watch t.v. to their heart’s content on days when the weather is crappy. Neither boy is fat; I’m overweight simply because I have a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. I did not grow up fat but I do come from a long line of very large women. Hey, at least now I have boobs!

16. Nolita Morgan on February 17th, 2010 2:35 pm

    I wanted to clarify on the comment I made about my daughter. I am 5′3″ Filipino Irish gal at 120 lbs normal. My daughter who is adopted is African American and at 7.5 yrs of age is 4′9″ tall and 115. Her bone structure and muscle composition is different than mine and I don’t think the formula that doctors use to determine BMI is the most effective way to determine if a child is obese. She is rock solid, but she has a belly, then she shoots up an inch, repeat.

    I had not heard of the FAM before today so I can’t speak to that. I want my daughter to be healthy at her healthy size, not fat. I don’t want her to strive to be Barbie thin. I would like people to become more educated about ALL of the factors contributing to size and eating habits and also know what healthy physiques look like so that children do not grow up with eating disorders or body dysmorphic disorder.

17. Melissa on February 17th, 2010 2:40 pm

    I am of the opinion that there is a certain demograph where fast food has become the quick, convenient, and in some cases economical meal solution. If you live on a low and fixed income, feeding your child for $3/day off the dollar menu is better than letting them go hungry or trying to satisfy them with a $3 gal. of milk from the grocery store. Ordering dinner delivered is also something that’s been more prevalent with our generation than any other (especially with both parents working hard and late). Let’s also factor in the amount of homework children bring home with them from school which has increased as our standards of education have increased (speaking specifically of NCLB requirements).

    Overall, I see how easy it is for parents to teach their children convenient ways of eating rather than healthy ways of eating. Also, for varying reasons, some children don’t have the opportunity to really be exposed to exercise as a form of recreation outside of school.

    However, I think the emphasis should be placed on taking care of your body and keeping your body healthy rather than terms of obesity. As a society, we seem to think that any and all fat is bad, but the truth of it is your body does need some fat. In the 90’s the average model size was between 6 and 8 now it’s 0-4. I would like to see the media promote men and women within the healthy range of weight instead of the waif like or ridiculously unattainable creatures that have been shown to our children as role models.

    In short, yes, I’m concerned about childhood obesity but I would prefer to address the issue in terms of fitness rather than fatness.

18. Karl on February 17th, 2010 3:19 pm

    I was all set to pontificate here, but it seems that Erica above has pretty much said it for me.

    I do think that any anti-obesity campaign needs to be awareness oriented, not measurement oriented. If parents teach their kids at least some level of good eating and exercise habits, it will help millions of kids. It would be a mistake to draw a bunch of lines in the sand and say “this side good, the other side bad.”

19. .303 Bookworm on February 17th, 2010 3:41 pm

    This is a difficult one.

    My own experience with childhood weight issues indicates that it was despite my parents best efforts. I was at the bottom of the pecking order at school and food for me, was a comfort. I was also an early developer and discovered (”pre-teen”) that the bigger the rest of me, the more my boobs were kind of ‘hidden’ amongst the excess. All my pocket/babysitting money went on sweets and, left unattended, i’d just about eat the pantry. And afterall, I’d never be a tall thin model so why even bother trying? All this despite healthy meals and an active family/school life (it was probably the activity that stopped me hitting the ‘obese’ mark). The only ‘bad’ family habits were an insistence on a clean plate (but waste was considered bad – remember, there are children starving in africa)and using food (dessert) as a reward.

    Both my sister and I have had a love/hate relationship with food although hers started later in life. And we’re both careful not to use the word ‘diet’ when discussing food or exercise with/around the kids. It’s about making ‘healthy’ choices instead, so we make healthy meals/snacks, we go for walks and my stepson does judo and soccer. He comes from a tall, skinny gene pool and he’d happily live on lollies and playstation and probably not have any weight issues as a result – but he wouldn’t be healthy. I’m from short, stocky genes. At my ’skinniest’ i was still 7kg over the Weightwatchers healthy weight range, had an ‘overweight’ BMI and yet my doctor was telling me it would be dangerous to lose any more weight. Go figure.

    What I would like is more emphasis on our athletes as role models (Go Valerie Vili & the Evers-Windell twins!) not ’super’models or lollipop celebs. There is something screwed up that our kids grow up seeing size 6-10 (NZ) idealised when, given the ethnic makeup of our population, a 12-14 is healthier.

    So, yeah, I think obesity is an issue but, like drinking, it often overlies a different issue. I think we should treat it like smoking or alcoholism. We should support people and make it easy to be healthy (whatever weight that may be) and tax the shit out of junk food to discourage its use (use it to subsidise healthy food?). Junk food advertising (including sweets) is now banned from NZ TV during kids viewing times and many schools are not only putting in their own gardens (which the kids cultivate) but have also banned ‘junk’ food from the tuckshop. Small steps. (and sorry for the length!)

20. sundry on February 17th, 2010 3:44 pm

    Some of these comments have really given me a deeper perspective on this issue, which is exactly why I wanted to talk about it. Thank you, and keep ‘em coming!

21. g~ on February 17th, 2010 3:52 pm

    @Melissa–I really like your point about it being about fitness as opposed to fatness. We may have trouble differentiating the two as a culture, but we do not have to pass that fallacy on to our children.

22. kakaty on February 17th, 2010 3:58 pm

    As someone who is an advocate of fat acceptance (although I didn’t look at that link, so that’s not what I’m referring to – more of an acceptance of people of all sizes can be fit and/or healthy) I do think childhood obesity is a very real concern. Both because of overabundance of cheap, over-processed and hyper-advertised food and lack of physical movement during most kids days.

    I’m 32 and in elementary school we had 2 recesses per day and gym 3x a week. We had an Atari at home but were only allowed to play it on the weekends and I don’t ever remember having soda in the house except for parties. We spent our summer days roaming the neighborhood playing with other kids. I was always a heavy kid but I was active and healthy. I can’t remember any kid in our school who would classify as obese. As we got older that changed, but the high rate of morbid obesity among elementary age kids now is not something we saw back then.

    But the “size does not equal health” argument still holds true for kids – I know a few rail-thin teenagers who eat nothing but white-bread PB&J and chips and drink only juices and lemonade.

23. Shawna on February 17th, 2010 4:21 pm

    I think there are two issues here: health and positive self-image. I know all too well that there’s a stigma associated with being on the heavy side, no matter how fit you are.

    I was a chubby kid who equated exercise with group sports, which I hated, so I got less exercise, which made me chubbier. In the end though, I just grew out of it after a couple of years. Oh, and I started junior high, who didn’t have the same solution for providing enrichment to gifted kids: send them to the library during their gym time.

    As an adult, I am a totally happy exerciser, now that I’m not working out doing something that requires a lot of balance or coordination. If there’s one message I want to pass on to my kids it’ll be that you can be active even if you suck at sports, and it’ll make you happier in the long run to move around instead of watch TV.

24. victoria on February 17th, 2010 4:27 pm

    It’s interesting: clearly obesity is a nationwide epidemic, and it’s deadlier the older you are, but as a culture we’re less tolerant of obese children than we are of obese adults. Is that because there’s some epidemiological evidence that it’s harder to correct adult obesity whose origins lie in childhood? Or are we just intolerant of all fat people, but have license to modify and control children in a way we can’t modify or control adults?

25. Kristy on February 17th, 2010 5:15 pm

    I think childhood obesity is a problme however I also wonder if parents take the blame because they are the natural skapegoats and therefore there’s an automatic “someone to blame”. I fight with my weight constantly. My 17 year old son is 5′11 145 lbs of thin thin thin. I like to think I taught him to eat more healthy, but who can ever really know since at a certain age children do make their own choices once they go off to school etc. Parents cannot control every single thing their kid’s eat. All they can do is set a good example, provide forms of exercise and try to be good role models.

    Do we blame drug addiction, alcoholism etc etc on the parents? Not so much….eh..

26. Rachel on February 17th, 2010 5:38 pm

    I agree with @deanna and many others who have posted. I work in public health also, and the big reason for political involvement is because of the overwhelming cost of obesity to society (money makes the world go round, sadly…).

    When it comes to actual obesity we’re not talking about someone who has a larger body structure, a bit of a belly, or just tends to be chubby. As long as an individual eats well and is active, there is nothing wrong with that (yet another things parents need to impress upon children!). But actually being clinically obese due to lifestyle is an issue. Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease…all of these used to be adult diseases and are now showing up in kids who are obese, meaning they will likely carry them throughout their lives. Chronic diseases like this put a huge strain on the healthcare system. It’s one of the many reasons healthcare costs continue to go up. A healthier population means lower costs for everyone, and that is why it is a political issue. Many parents are not setting the right example, so it is getting to the point that someone needs to educate the families on how to live a healthy life. Early intervention can make all the difference, so I fully support any sort of program that educates and gives the resources needed for a lifetime of healthy living.

27. Beth in SF on February 17th, 2010 5:52 pm

    I think it’s worthy of concern, because the average overweight child is such because of choices their parents have made for them (or, some choices they were allowed to make too young). And something needs to be done, because these children are getting serious diseases that used to be strictly adult issues. Young children now are the first generation to have a lower life expectancy than the one before, and I think that’s pretty sad. I think our entire society needs to be taught new habits and know what they’re putting into their mouths.

28. Katie on February 17th, 2010 5:56 pm

    Hi. I’ve never left a comment here but I’m a long time (diaryland) reader. I was an overweight child up until my senior year of college. Then weight loss began and what went from a very healthy plan spiraled into a eating disorder when depression from other life issues came into play. I spiraled from 217 pounds to 98 in less than 1 year. (Note: The anorexia stemmed from depression of other life issues- not media, celebrities, etc.) Basically I’ve learned I get a “high” off of either eating way to much in my life, or not eating at all. Most eating disorder specialist will tell you that anorexics and over eaters are actually very similar in terms of their depression/anxiety issues that they may face.

    What prompted me to write however was that people “blame the parents” such as the first commenter. No offense, but I think that is the furthest thing from the truth. I NEVER had junk food in my house growing up- yet as a kid, I found a way to get it, or I would eat “healthy” items, (ex. just simple cheese found in every refrigerator) in massive quantities when my mom and dad were not looking. Kids will find a way no matter how hard the parents try. Food is not the problem in childhood obesity- it’s children simply using food as a medication for underlying probelms of depression and anxiety. It’s taken me two years of hell in therapy, psychiatry, and more doctors visits to realize this.

    Someday I know I’ll have children who will suffer from either binge eating or anorexia. The minute I see a problem with obesity, I’m not going to tell them they can’t have HFCS, or enroll them in a million sports. I’m going to simply going to get them help- because I know their is a deeper problem. I don’t believe in this “epidemic”… I believe kids are facing greater anxiety/depression just as more adults are these days.

29. styleygeek on February 17th, 2010 6:09 pm

    I identify with the fat acceptance movement to a large (ha!) extent. I believe that obesity in children is not of itself the problem, nor what we should be focussing on. I believe that eating non-nutritious foods, and not learning to use our bodies in fun and energetic ways are serious problems. I don’t know that there is strong evidence that these two problems are solely a recent phenomenon. (Sure, two hundred years ago, kids were walking several miles a day, drinking no soda and not eating Big Macs, but they were also eating more saturated fat, working in mines and chimneys, and dying of malnutrition more frequently.)

    If we managed to get all children to eat healthily (i.e. lots of veges, more fresh whole foods) and to enjoy exercise, maybe the “obesity epidemic” would reduce (or maybe it wouldn’t), but the main thing is, (even fat) kids would no doubt be a lot healthier. And I’d much rather have a society full of fat and well-nourished, physically strong and fit children, than one full of skinny badly nourished couch potatoes.

    Health at every size FTW!

30. styleygeek on February 17th, 2010 6:19 pm

    I should also say that I don’t have children, but I WAS a child myself, obviously. My own parents’ eating habits were and are shocking and I subsisted almost entirely on packaged snacks, chocolate, and cheap meats (sausages, hamburger, etc). I loathed exercise, because PE at school consisted of running loops around the field until we were bored stiff and wanted to die. I didn’t exercise after leaving school and continued to follow the eating habits I had learned at home. I was also technically underweight (BMI of 17) until I was in my mid-twenties.

    Since then, I have taken up a variety of fun sports: I cycle everywhere, I lift weights seriously, I rock climb, and I play soccer. I can run faster and longer than I ever could as a teenager. I eat mainly vegetarian, don’t eat packaged snacks at all, eat dessert only once a week… And I am now at the high end of “normal” on the BMI scale. But my blood pressure and heart rates are lower than ever, and all my other health measurements are great. I almost never get sick even with colds or flu.

    I DO blame my parents for teaching me (and to some degree enforcing) bad habits (”No, you can’t have fresh fruit this week: it’s too expensive.” “No we are not letting you try out vegetarianism: you’ll get anemic.”) But again, it is not about OBESITY: it’s about health.

31. Kader on February 17th, 2010 6:21 pm

    Another interesting thing to throw in to the mix: In “Nurture Shock,” the authors argue that childhood obesity is more closely linked to kids not getting enough sleep than it is to sedentary activities.
    Glad to see a good, constructive conversation going on about this!

32. Lesley on February 17th, 2010 6:52 pm

    When you ask “is it a real issue”, are you looking for hard data on childhood obesity? Or subjective opinion.

    Data on the preponderance, growth rate, and causes of obesity would determine whether it’s an issue.

33. Alyce on February 17th, 2010 7:08 pm

    I’m not sure if this is one of the things you were wondering. I may be speaking to questions you didn’t have.

    I believe it is never ok to judge or shame someone based on their body. Not a 5 yr old and not a 35 yr old. What someone eats and how they look are not moral issues. They are often not health issues either – not that you would know that from looking.

    Ideally all human beings would have access to fresh fruits and veggies (though they are under no obligation to me or to the environment or to the public to select those options). I would also prefer that everyone have food security. But I’m not in charge of that.

    I know you have had success with your diet/food choices and exercise, but your hard-earned success is not typical. Diets of restricted calories have been proven to cause many more long-term problems than short-term solutions (see: Minnesota Starvation Experiment, among others).

34. CHA on February 17th, 2010 7:10 pm

    I believe that childhood obesity is a problem not only because of the monetary costs of obesity but also the costs such as quality of life that come into play.
    From the nutritional aspect, there are many factors attributing to childhood obesity. Few families still cook and sit down for supper. Cooking a quick meal with a parent is a strong way to encourage children to try new foods, and if done correctly healthier choices. Other problems stem from the popularity of quick meals/foods. In many schools across the country, vending machines have become quite the topic—offering sodas that seemed ‘unhealthy’ for students to be consuming. When these were replaced with juices and other ‘healthier’ beverages, many of them still had as much sugar as the soda. The rise in processed snacks and meals have become so convenient that parents forget that an apple or banana could be a healthier choice—yet just as quick and most of the time, even cheaper. Other problems that arise are accessibility to healthy food choices. Often families are only able to ‘shop’ at the convenience store (instead of grocery stores) around the neighborhood that only has quick and processed meals. These are usually high sources of sodium, fat and/or sugar.
    As for the activity side of the problem, today children are constantly told and reminded that they need to “exercise for 60 minutes a day”. However, a child is much more likely to spend time expending energy when they find an activity that they enjoy. When a child enjoys something, they will want to do it, whether they are told to or not. In this case, its much better than them wanting to sit inside on the computer or in front of the television. I believe that encouraging children to try new activities can help them become more active and enjoy doing things that are good for their bodies. However, these bring up conflicts on a much larger scale. One of the largest problems is that often children do not have the accessibility to a backyard or playground or even a safe neighborhood. Numerous communities discourage these types of healthy activies. These are all problems that need to be assessed at a larger scale to help improve communities, neighborhoods and help create healthier happier children.

35. Lesley on February 17th, 2010 7:48 pm

    Alyce, re your example of the starvation experiment not working. Yes, starving is never a constructive or practical option. Putting aside the risk of death for the moment, starvation slows metabolism to a crawl. A starved body will conserve all the fat it has and eat as much of everything else first, starting with muscle tissue. Anorectics always pile on weight when they start eating again, because starving is inefficient. It’s also extreme, unpleasant, dangerous, and therefore unrealistic.

36. Marie Green on February 17th, 2010 8:14 pm

    The “food/body image” topic scares the SHIT out of me, since I’m raising THREE daughters. I really do not what to mentally fuck them up about food, but I have no idea how to deal with it.

    For now they are all extremely tiny. In fact my 7 year olds weigh in at 43 and 44 lbs! They are petite, short, and have always been small for their age. So we are not in any danger, at this point, of having any childhood obesity issues.

    I do worry about later in life, however. I too was a small skinny kids. And now I’m not a small, skinny adult. (Dagnabit!)

37. mema on February 17th, 2010 8:38 pm

    delurking to give my opinion. as a mother of twin girls (fraternal) i have first hand experience on this childhood overweightness (hate the word obesity). my girls were raised and fed the exact sme foods, by about age 7 or 8 it was apparent that one was a lot heavier than the other. she continued to gain wieght and by the time they graduated high school, one wieghed 105 pounds and her sister was over 300. she has since gotten bypass surgery and is the happiest she has been in a long time. so, yes, there is somehting to be said for eveyone is different, is is NOT always the parent’s fault for overweight children. it is sad, kids are cruel, and my poor girl got more than her share of teasing, broke my heart that i couldn’t fix it. hard to imagine how it was for her, having a twin sister who was on the skinny side. they are 27 now and although she is happier, her childhood weight issues have taken a toll on her and will for the rest of her life.

38. Mary on February 17th, 2010 8:43 pm

    Wow – as the parent of an overweight girl, this judging really sucks. As if it’s not enough to deal with my own issues with weight, people blame me for her weight. You’ve confirmed what I have feared – people look at me and think I’m a bad person and a bad mom. Here’s some news, folks. We do what we’re supposed to. I cook a fresh dinner almost every night after I work all day. We eat balanced, healthy meals, made up of exactly what we should eat – fish, chicken, whole grains, low fat milk, plenty of vegetables, healthy snacks, very rare desserts, etc. I run, we hike, my daughter runs and plays soccer. And we’re both still heavy, and healthy. And I do what I can to be vigilant without crossing the line to policing her food intake. When I found out she was buying extra chips at school to eat along with the lunch I packed, we agreed that she wouldn’t buy extras when she brings lunch from home. But you know what? If her friends buy her chips at school lunch, I can’t control that. And I can’t control how many snacks they let her eat when she gets to her after school program. And it will get worse the older she gets as she gains more freedom. She has a big appetite, and I don’t blame her if she feels like it’s not quite fair that the skinny girls all around her at lunch can eat pizza, potato chips and cookies for lunch and I won’t even let her buy a bag of SunChips. It isn’t fair that some people have an easier time maintaining an ideal weight and she has to face that every day, because her little sister has access to all the same foods and activities and is rail thin – she has very little appetite. Everyone is built differently.

    I know that those of you in the health care field see many, many overweight people who are not healthy – I don’t doubt that one bit. All I’m saying is you don’t know just by looking at us how healthy we are, what we eat or how active we are. Nor is it your business to decide whose “fault” it is that we’re heavier than you or we would like.

39. mema on February 17th, 2010 8:56 pm

    well said mary. my heart hurts for both you and your daughter. i know that people thought it was mine and my husband’s fault’s for our daughter’s weight, like we were experimenting with our daughetrs, feed one starve the other to see what happens! ya, right.

40. js on February 17th, 2010 9:03 pm

    Oh boy. This may get lengthy. This is a subject I try to be very aware of. My daughter is overweight. And she’s 8. And your first commenter (Pete) made me shrivel up when he said he blames the parents. That is always my fear, but I care less about what people are thinking and more about what we are doing to help. So, yes, I think it’s a real issue. As others have pointed out, kids have so much more access to “lazy activities” than when “we” were growing up. It’s hard having a child struggle with this. I feel like outsiders are judging me (it’s the parents fault) and I know I judge myself. I constantly wonder what I am doing wrong. But here are the cold hard facts: She eats well, she’s active (less so in the winter, but still active), and I do not keep junk in the house (not because of her necessarily, but because I have a hard time with portion control. A pint of ice cream is gone in the blink of an eye. But, even on the rare occasion I do have crap in the house, she’s more likely to eat celery, cucumbers, bananas, etc. I finally took her to our doctor after writing down everything she’s served on a daily basis. He reviewed and said the only “flaw” he sees is that she has whole milk. But she only has it on cereal in the morning, and a glass with dinner. I did, however, switch to 1/2%. I feed her well, veggies, fruit, protein, we don’t graze throughout the day. She has a couple glasses of juice a day (and I’m still in the habit of cutting juice with 50% water. It’s what I’ve done with her since day one, and it just stuck.), at 8 she’s never had pop, and we don’t do fast food. During the months there isn’t snow, I go on 3 or 4 mile runs and rides her bike along with me. If I need something from the drugstore, we walk, it’s 2 miles round trip. We also swim, play soccer and run around like lunatics. In the winter, we sled, we play the Wii for hours on end and I often find her hopping on the treadmill when I’m using the heavy bag or the elliptical. At first, I discouraged the treadmill, thinking it seemed more like…I don’t know, a punishment or something. I guess an actual workout machine screams “LOSE WEIGHT” more than a walk to the park does. But I got over it, because she loves it. She also “must be” involved in an activity all year (something my parents required, that transferred over to my parenting), be it dance or gymnastics. I’ve never had a weight problem (aside from side effects from anti-depressants over a decade ago, and when I was pregnant and had medical issues with it), I’m 5’3” and always over around 120lbs. My daughter weighs over 90lbs. BUT, her biological father’s side of the family has weight issues. His mom & sister were (are) obese. It’s incredibly frustrating as a parent to know that I’m doing things “by the book” but that I can’t seem to control this. And being that she’s growing up (and kids are growing up way too fast these days), she’s becoming aware of her weight. Kids are teasing her at school, shopping for clothes for her is heartbreaking (most of the clothes she likes are slim cut, and don’t fit her thighs, her booty or her belly), and she was devastated the other day when she realized that we wear the same size tee shirts. I’ve made it a point to outlaw the word “fat” in this house and that we exercise to be healthy, not to lose weight. And she also knows that a sugary snack here and there and a random trip to McDonald’s (which probably happens a handful of times a year, if even that) are ok. The doctor is currently running blood work to see if she’s got a thyroid issue or anything else (her biological father and I are not in touch, and never will be, which makes this scary) going on. However, he assures me that even though she is overweight, she’s healthy. I know there are some parents out there who don’t care what their child eats and that’s frustrating to me. It’s also frustrating that crap food is so much cheaper and (seemingly) more readily available, part of the reason I very rarely allow her to buy lunch at school.

    So yes, I think the issue is real and worthy of concern.
    I think it’s important to teach kids about this, and to “intervene” at a young age, so bad habits are nipped in the bud.

    I think that health can be independent of weight…until a certain point. I know people who are overweight and healthy (my daughter being a young example), but no one can convince me that someone weighing 400lbs is healthy.

    I don’t know at what age children should be allowed to make these decisions for themselves. I guess it depends on the kid. I know my daughter, if given the choice, would sit on her butt all day long watching TV. But it’s not an option for her, and I’m hoping that one day getting out and riding her bike will sound more appealing than watching TV. But she’s my daughter, and her health is my responsibility.

41. Alina on February 17th, 2010 9:16 pm

    I was an athletic, active kid, but I was also solid as a rock. My mother was serious about fresh, healthy food and lots of activity, and I was healthy as a horse until I hit puberty and started to feel the pressure of looking a certain way and acting a certain way, and I started to put on weight and haven’t stopped yet.

    There’s no way to tell if it’s “the parents’ fault” or if it’s genetics, or environment, or illness, or psychological. Every person is different. It’s important for there to be systems in place for each person to take advantage of, in whatever way they need, but until the stigma of the gross, dirty, unworthy fat person is gone, many people are going to continue to manifest the self-fulfilling prophesy: “I’m so fat and disgusting, no way I’m going outside to exercise. I’m going to just sit here and self-medicate.” At least, that’s what my experience has been.

    By the way, this is a lovely opportunity to shout from the rooftops that the BMI is BULLSHIT and needs to be abolished. It’s such crap, and bad science, to boot.

42. SKL on February 17th, 2010 10:26 pm

    I have been wondering the same thing. My two kids have proven to me that some people are just born more curvy than other people. As with intelligence and temperament, parents have some influence, but only so much.

    I think for some people, curviness is a lifelong reality, while for others, it’s something that happens with age (reducing metabolism rate or whatever). I also think adult obesity is more controllable, because adults can be motivated to take uncomfortable, long-term steps to shape up, while kids can’t be expected to choose to say no to every yummy thing they see, or to perform gyrations when they’re in the mood to relax. So I don’t see adult obesity and childhood obesity as the same, though they are surely linked in many cases.

    What I have been wondering about is, for someone who is genetically curvy, what is “healthy” for that person? For example, my daughter always has a round belly compared to most kids, even kids whose arms and thighs are chubbier. Even when she’s been on a tightly controlled diet combined with plenty of exercise for many months, she has a belly and she’s never fallen below “overweight.” Over whose weight? I notice that her rib cage is significantly bigger in circumference than her sister’s (same age, same diet, exceptionally slim). So, fat aside, they are never going to be the same size. So the next question is, is it right for me to keep trying to get her BMI down to the level “they” say is healthy? Would she be more energetic and exercise more if I let her go to town on the food she loves? There are no helpful answers out there.

43. Erin on February 17th, 2010 10:59 pm

    Nothing hit home about the seriousness of this childhood obesity epidemic like the news I recieved at work last week.

    The pharmaceutical company I work for now has not one, but two drugs approved for use in pediatric populations. One is a blood pressure medication that can be used in patients as low as the age of 6 (6!! Blood pressure problems in a 6 year old!!). The other is a cholesterol medication that can be used in patients as young as 10.

    It makes me want to cry for these children, regardless of how they came to this point in their health (nature vs nurture). Someone in my company took a look at some raw, startling numbers of children with potential health problems and said “Yep– there are enough of them out there that we need to pursue the pediatric market.” Part of me is glad to offer products that are so safe children can be on them, but the mommy part of me is sick that I may have to have honest “this is how your patient will benefit from drug A” conversations with PEDIATRICIANS.

44. Alyce on February 17th, 2010 11:07 pm

    FYI Lesley – the study didn’t totally deprive the men of food (what we commonly think of as starvation), they reduced their caloric intake. To numbers that wouldn’t astound someone who has tried to follow diet advice in the last decade.

45. sara on February 18th, 2010 2:44 am

    I never really experienced childhood obesity on the scale it is reported until I left the NW. In fact I didn’t believe the statistics until I went to the south.

    I think the situation changes even more when you not only move out of our region (mine being a suburb of Seattle)and into areas of poverty.

    My sister teaches on the south side of Chicago and those children experience weight issues across the board..under and overweight. They operated on 100% free lunch…meaning 100% of them receive their meals from school (breakfast and lunch). Most of her students don’t eat dinner every night. Not a single child in her class realized that apples grew on trees. They believed they were a product of McDonalds. They didn’t understand the concept of a farm or a grocery store.

    If the meals they are served are not nutritional they may not starve (and in fact may remain overweight) but their quality of life is affected. The school is forced to make sure they are fed appropriately and that exercise is encouraged because the parents largely do not participate. Children learn best when they are nourished.

    By focusing on these two things… tests scores, concentration, and confidence (especially of the teen girls) have all increased. It’s not about being skinny or fat at their school, it’s about childcare.

    If tax dollars pay for millions of low income children to eat 2 meals a day in the United States, it becomes a community issue and therefore a political one. If children who play sports, exercise, and aren’t malnourished are more likely to graduate high school and get a job or possibly go to college…it serves a purpose beyond weight in the eyes of the government. It’s an investment in the idea of less Americans on disability or welfare, to be honest.

46. Christine on February 18th, 2010 6:02 am

    I agree with deanna.

    This issue is close to my heart because my nephew is overweight and has health problems because of it. While I am not judging anyone here (nor do I see a random “overweight” child and think Oh, it’s the parents!), in my nephew’s case, it IS his parents that are allowing this destructive behavior. They seem to not know any better despite the wealth of information out there and recommendations from their own doctors.

    I have watched with my own eyes FOR YEARS as that child ate NOTHING but fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or only an entire package of cooked bacon and two glasses of orange SODA for breakfast, or licking the frosting off 6 Dunkin’ Donuts and call it dinner. Both his parents as well as his grandparents (they all share a home) are overweight. The child’s father had a stroke 6 years ago and a TRIPLE bypass in Dec. ‘09. He is 39 years old.

    My nephew is now 11 yrs. old. When he was nine years old there was a health fair at school. The nurse took his blood pressure and immediately called his mother and told her to take him to the doctor. AT NINE YEARS OLD he was diagnosed with a fatty liver, high blood pressure and borderline diabetic. 9 years old. He has been steadily putting on more weight and still eats nothing but processed foods, even in the wake of his father’s health issues. He stays in his room playing video games all day long and does not participate in any kind of physical activity.

    His mother is tall and weighs close to 400 pounds – I am not expecting this child to be what some people would consider “normal sized.” However, it is clear to me that lifesyle plays a big role in how sick everyone in that house is. I am not saying they need to turn into waif’s, but there needs to be an awareness of what is healthy and what is not. People can still be “big” and be healthy. I don’t believe that small = healthy.

    Sorry if I got a little emotional there..

47. Tina on February 18th, 2010 6:16 am

    Ha ha! I love Pete’s answer!

    This is something my friends (especially those of us who are not at reasonably healthy weights) and I discuss frequently.

    Many of us were thin kids and thin teenagers. But we weren’t especially athletic or even active and we didn’t know much about good health habits. Add to that a toxic mix of body image issues, influenced by peers, dieting mothers, well-meaning yet critical grandmothers and you end up with a gaggle of women who gained weight steadily in their adult years and who are now fiercely trying to get it off.

    I want my kids to learn, understand and value good health habits. I want them to understand personal health as well as personal finance: it’s about balance, measured treats and being responsible.

    I also want them to love real food. And if they’re gonna eat junk food now and again, I’d much prefer they eat a REAL chocolate chip cookie made with butter (gasp!) than some kind of light/diet ice cream made with soy lecithin and a bunch of ingredients that I can’t pronounce or find on it’s own in the supermarket.

    I want them to love feeling strong and healthy and active as much as they love curling up with a book or sitting in front of the TV playing Mario Kart.

    That’s all… if they have this, they’ll be healthy, well-balanced kids. And that’s what’s important to me.

48. wookie on February 18th, 2010 7:06 am

    many people who are overweight know its unhealthy, but continue to eat poorly anyways.

    If only it was that simple, there wouldn’t be so many fat people. Because really?

    Many overweight people eat just like thin people. Many overweight people exercise just like thin people.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA

    While targeted at an adult audience, this video resonated very much with me. The synopsis is: if you eat healthy and exercise and you’re still fat? Your life is not over.

    No one is arguing that eating garbage and not getting activity is a problem with adults and children alike. But when we focus on the outward appearance of fat and not on the real problem, we create an entirely new problem.

49. deanna on February 18th, 2010 7:10 am

    whew! lots of interesting points and comments while i was at work last night! im kind of excited that this was brought up as i do think its an important topic that merits discussion. the more discussion the better.

    someone (jessica?) asked if i had references for the studies i cited, linking obesity to future health problems. there are MANY articles and most are available online if you have access to the specific medical journals (Pediatrics, Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Journal of Pediatric Health Care, Contemporary Pediatrics, etc) or a collegiate library that subscribes to them. id be more than happy to list the bibliographic information here (in apa format!), but that might get boring. feel free to email me at the above links and ill be more than happy to provide that information for you if youre really that academically interested and would like to read the (i’ll admit…dry and boring!) data of some of the studies. in general, the link between obesity (be it in pediatrics or adults) and morbidity and mortality is common knowledge among medical professionals. pediatrics is a bit of a different animal, but it doesnt mean that it doesnt set up children for the same set of problems that adults also face as the result of being morbidly overweight or obese.

    i hope i didnt come across as being judgmental of parents or families or overweight people. that was neither my intention nor the point i had wished to make. this is a personal issue for many people, and i can understand that perspective, but this is such a big problem that we need to step away and not look at it from such a personal point of view. some of you might not see it in your every day lives as often as i do, but the scale of childhood obesity is indeed epidemic. to me this isnt a question of existence as much as a question of what should we do about it now?

    there is no blame to place on any one person or any one thing for such a major health care problem. its a large issue that spans health care, political funding and policies, economic development, environmental issues, education, our society’s pill popping nature and lifestyle changes over the past century. the only way to fix this issue is to go at it from all sorts of angles to even try and make a small dent in one area at a time. ban junk foods from public schools. require a nutrition unit in every grade level. improved physical education requirements in schools. get political funding for parks and recreation departments. change advertising for unhealthy foods during childrens programming on television. make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable to communities that need it. get funding for community cooking classes. the list is ENDLESS.

    as for the whole fat acceptance movement, i must admit that i am not especially well versed in it. however, one of the things that scares me about the concept is the idea that it allows for some degree of complacency about being overweight; that its ok to be overweight and unhealthy if its just the way you are. there is a difference between being a healthy 180 pounds and a very unhealthy 300 pounds. im not saying that everyone subscribes to that belief if they participate in the fat acceptance movement, but it allows an “easy and acceptable out” for people that choose to take it.

    i personally choose to focus on health over weight, but there is no denying the connection between weight (actually BMI, but i wont get technical here) and poorer health outcomes in both adult and pediatric populations.

50. Melissa on February 18th, 2010 7:31 am

    I’m in the public health field and while I do believe it is of real, valid concern for all sorts of reasons, I am a bit loathe to jump on the blame-the-parents bandwagon.

    If you’re at all familiar with the social determinants of health field, you might already know this but… Consider that you live in a relatively safe neighborhood where you can run. Where the air quality is relatively good. (I am guessing here, based on your photos).

    Now consider where I live: Baltimore City. We have poor air quality, incredibly high crime and lots of neighborhoods without proper infrastructure (no sidewalks, no safe parks or community centers, aging schools without gyms). What do you say to those kids? They can’t go outside to play safely. They live in what Marion Nestle has termed a “food desert” where there is little access to affordable healthy foods and little knowledge of how to prepare, say, lentils which are cheap and protein-rich.

    Obesity isn’t a simple problem. For some number of people it can be reduced to more calories in than out and just a need to move more and make better food choices. But for vast swathes of the country, the ability to make better choices is seriously curtailed by a lack of social support and infrastructure. If you’re interested, I think you might find this worth reading: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

51. SKL on February 18th, 2010 8:02 am

    Feelings about obesity aside, I am concerned that public spending throws good money after bad when it comes to “nutrition programs.” I think there are some ideas that would probably work, but others would just be a waste of money, and possibly aggravate the problem.

    For example, the school “hot lunch and breakfast” programs are a major source of the “bad foods” that low-income kids eat. I don’t know why the government / society clings to the idea that spending money on “hot lunches” is in any way beneficial to children. It would be a lot cheaper and healthier to distribute uncooked foods such as apples, carrots, lowfat milk, and sandwiches made with whole grain bread. This is just one example but there is a whole list of reasons why the popular logic about “poverty => obesity” isn’t entirely helpful. If we instead focus on “lifestyle => obesity” maybe more positive solutions would result. Now, if I say “lifestyle,” people assume I mean “blame,” but that’s not necessarily true. To an extent, it means educating people about nutrition and healthy, cheap, satisfying recipes (example: getting protein from bean dishes instead of red meat). However, given choices, many people will still knowingly choose the unheathy option for no reason other than desire. And we should acknowledge that as well, because it plays into discussions about “what (if anything) government should do about it.”

52. Becky on February 18th, 2010 8:15 am

    My kids tend to bulk up in the winter and sprout up during the summer. They get exercise during gym and extracurricular sports and spend time outside rather than in front of the tv. It is something I always keep a watchful eye on because I’m not always with them and they still have access to vending machines containing not-so-good choices at school.

    Diabetes and heart disease run in my family, but truthfully it’s as much about me not wanting them to suffer through being ridiculed/judged by peers growing up fat. It’s just one more problem they don’t need to have.

    I worry more about my daughter, she is 8 and already takes about 10 hours/week of professional ballet training. Although the school’s emphasis is on being strong and healthy, the girls do notice if their belly sticks out more than others and they talk about height and weight. Even if teachers don’t bring it up there are mirrors everywhere and they can’t hide behind clothes.

53. Anonymous on February 18th, 2010 8:28 am

    “Is obesity among children a different issue than obesity among adults? ”

    Yes, because they’re not making their own decisions. All I know is, parents attitudes about food, lifestyle choices must influence their children. The more we can do to help people make healthy choices for themselves and their children, the better.

    So yeah, maybe it’s something that needs to be “politically” focused on, to fuel or fund food education. I don’t know how we got so side tracked from “the four basic food groups” (I mean, this shit ain’t rocket science!) but we need to get back on track.

    The issue of “safe” places to run or play I feel are often fairly overplayed. Run in a group. Play in a group. People do this, in cities and ghettos all over the globe. And remember while there may always be “an abduction” on the news, statistically no doubt you are at greater risk of dying of type 2 diabetes than getting shot in a drive by or abducted from a sand pit. (Free range children in cities is another topic altogether of course).

    I have no personal insight on the obesity side. My mother was anorexic and watching her essentially not eat (breakfast or lunch) for my entire childhood wasn’t all so helpful. While my anorexia manifested itself when I was legally considered adult, and therefore I take full responsibility for it and all of my actions… I know where it came from.

    Parents have such a huge influence their children (who may either mimic, ignore or rebel, any myriad of possibilities) and I think there has a been a huge brain fart in human consciousness. How anyone could ever think fast food once a day, let alone three times is fine, is beyond my comprehension. We are cut off from anything other than internet community (which is a network, and not a community)… we are self absorbed, non-questioning. If it’s labeled a “food product” we think it’s food. It’s not, of course.

    Our brains need some serious exercise too. Not just our bodies.

    And you don’t have to fit into a certain tax bracket to use your noodle either. Westerners have lived through tougher “economic times” without the aid of fast food (one considered a “luxury”).

54. D on February 18th, 2010 8:56 am

    Childhood obesity is definitely a problem, but there are a couple of things I would add to that statement. First, as many people here have said, there are risks involved in trying to make sure kids are thin (as opposed to healthy). My mom was crazy hard on my sister with respect to her weight – as a result, my sister was borderline anorexic for many years in an effort to please my mom. Then she went to college and ballooned. She’s in her 30s now and struggles every single day with her weight, and as a result, her self-esteem. She hates her body, and because of that, she hates herself. I think the key is to provide your kids with healthy meals, give them opportunities to exercise, etc. And tell them, in a non-judgmental way, about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. But you need to be careful about teaching “fat = bad.” Kids are judged by their peers all the time, having parents who tell them that they’re not good enough because of their weight just adds to the self-esteem issues. I’ve also read that even if parents aren’t specifically making their kids diet, the kids will learn from their parents’ behavior, which can go either way – so if you have a healthy lifestyle, your kids can learn that….or if you squeal in delight after losing 5 lbs, your daughter may learn that the number on the scale is equivalent to her self-worth.

    The other thing I wanted to add was that my view that childhood obesity is a problem doesn’t necessarily conflict with my opinion that you need to learn to be ok with who you are. I’m overweight, and I’m working very hard to change that – eating better, going to the gym, etc. It’s making a difference, albeit slowly. But I also feel like, I’m in my late-20s. I can’t keep looking at my body in disgust. I’m not a size 2, and I never will be – hell, I’ll probably never be a size 8! And that’s ok, as long as I keep working at it and trying to make my lifestyle healthier, I can still get dressed without crying over how my ass looks in pants.

55. sarawr on February 18th, 2010 9:58 am

    I am a fat woman who is pro-fat acceptance and Health At Every Size, and I’m a little appalled at the amount of misinformation being tossed about in here — on both sides. I think, Linda, that if you’re really interested in this it would be better to study the actual science on both sides. I’m sure you can locate the anti-obesity, pro-diet stuff yourself, and as for the pro-fat acceptance stuff… start at Shapely Prose, hit up JunkFood Science, read through the HAES website. You’ll find plenty of links to the science and study upon which the Health At Every Size/fat acceptance movement is based, and you can use it to help you make up your own mind.

    I know this was a “what do you think” question, but it can’t hurt to really understand where each side is coming from.

56. KKF on February 18th, 2010 10:51 am

    Haven’t read the comments yet but I think that the “lets move” campaign is a great idea on two accounts.

    First, it will probably get a few families moving toward healthier eating etc. Probably not a LOT of them/us, but a few of them/us will take it to heart.

    Second, I think it will add to this cool little undercurrent idea that the American Renaissance is nigh and that with a teency little shift in attitudes towards things like our food, our free time, and what we cherish most about ourselves, we as a nation can rise above our current archetype of the lazy, greasy, overfed and underwhelmed socialite wannabe.

    Again, it won’t happen all at once and it won’t happen to 100% everybody. But I think that if even a small percentage of “us” can make that shift toward healthier living, eating and thinking, our whole country will be so much better off.

    When kids are “chubby”, it’s hard but not a life-ender. When an 8 year old kid weighs 200lb, that’s a huge deal. When a 40 year old parent of three weighs over 600lb, that’s an alarming situation. Everyone loses. I know, though, that nobody just wakes up one morning having gained 150pounds overnight. There’s a lot of mental stuff going on there too (in all of us) which contributes far more than a single cheeseburger ever could.

    Is it the government’s duty to tell us what to eat? Nah, but it’s great that the government can start to popularize healthy trends and provide for healthy living, regardless of if we ever ultimately partake.

    Short version: Obesity is a symptom. Childhood obesity is a similar, and far more upsetting symptom. “Bad” food is one part of a larger equation including miserable patterns in our minds, our families and our communities.

    “Let’s move” is a great start.

57. Molly on February 18th, 2010 11:27 am

    I don’t know – I study the cellular/molecular links between asthma and obesity and I’ve got to tell ya that there is a whole lot more to fat tissue than being heavy. It is becoming increasingly more clear that fat tissue secretes substances that have far reaching effects on many different processes in the body (inflammation for example). It’s not just about how you look or even how you feel necessarily – there are real differences in the chemical milieu between obese and non-obese people that may be leading to harmful disease states in the obese population. IMO it is better to avoid such possibilities as early in life as possible. This is not anti-obesity propaganda, just what I’ve seen in the incredibly complex fields of immunology/cell signaling. I am curious to read the scientific evidence mentioned above on HAES website.

    I do think childhood obesity is a problem that deserves a lot of attention, if for nothing else than to highlight how expensive it can be to eat healthy, natural foods as opposed to the chemical-laden junk sold in most of our grocery stores for far less money.

58. Nolita Morgan on February 18th, 2010 11:42 am

    I have to say that my very healthy daughter has been under threat of the “obesity” tag even though her weight has stabilized now (over the past year). In kindergarten when we parents were on the hook to bring snacks once a month, I was the only parent to bring frest fruit and veggies. I was shocked at the sugar loaded snacks that the kids ate daily and wondered why the teacher allowed it with the kids bouncing off the walls.

    I lobbied for the parents to bring healthier snacks (cleared with the principal) and gave suggestions and some parents actually agreed and brought healthy snack. Still had to deal with soccer grandma bringing sugar laden snacks. Also at the soccer games the parents would bring pizza and cookies and soda pop for halftime snacks! Hello, whatever happened to oranges?! (we bring oranges and grapes and they kids love them)

    Last year I had a misinformed overweight after school worker incorrectly trying to educate my daughter about nutrition. I had asked if they would provide fruits and veggies instead of sugary snacks and she interpreted this as a weight issue and actually kept her from participating in a cooking club activity, without my prompting or permission. I did have a talk to straighten that out.

    About a week later I arrived at snack time to see the kiddos gulping down the sugariest cereals on the market with chocolate milk and then the kids were buzzing like crazy. The workers were frustrated by the children’s behavior afterwards but what did they expect?

    I talked with the head of the after school program about the food offerings and she said that they had state guidelines they were following. They had weekly amounts of nutrients, not daily so they could serve very healthy stuff one day and junk the next. The guidelines are sorely lacking for the after school programs as well as school lunches.

    3 years ago my daughter was in ballet and I recall the first time she stepped out in front of the teacher. She said “My, look at that physique!” Uncool! (Thankfully, Emi did not want to do ballet after that first year.) People like that cause our kids to have eating disorders and I am glad we are away from that bullshit.

    Last year before her weight stabilized her pediatrician recommended that we try out “Fit for Life” at the hospital. We went to one class and were amazed to see the educators and participants coming in with Big Gulps and talking about how school lunches aren’t that bad.

    I agree with emphasizing FITNESS not weight and size. My daughter is not petite (see “brick house”) but she is very healthy in every way and I want to keep her that way. I am not confident that the gov’t can help with this because I have seen their “standards” and what has been done so far with the funding for “nutrition”. Maybe if the school system had a nutritionist on staff? I would LOVE to see “Jillian Michaels” types at the schools!

    I think WE parents have to educate and train the kids at home and also train the teachers, caregivers and grandparents it seems.

59. Kerstin on February 18th, 2010 11:43 am

    This is a subject that really gets me worked up — to the point where I can’t really gather my thoughts and put everything as succinctly as I’d like to.
    So just a few random thoughts, you’ve been warned … it’s not that coherent.
    There are examples, right here, of people eating all the ‘right’ things and still being overweight, or having children who are overweight. And healthy. So it’s just simplistic to say that overweight = unhealthy.
    We need to separate health, aesthetics and morality. Eating isn’t a moral act, food isn’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it’s nutritious or it isn’t. Even food that has no nutritional value is not ‘bad’ – it’s ok to eat it, you’re not committing a sin by eating junk food.
    Being fat doesn’t make anyone a bad person. Nor does it mean they’re lazy, or sedentary, or that they consume huge amounts of rubbish every day. They CAN be/do all of these things, but so can slim people (my very thin mother being an example of this).
    What we find attractive is not necessarily healthy, and vice versa.
    I also find the idea that we must all police ourselves and each other and not grow ‘complacent’ about our weight really scary. There’s this worrying trend in many Western countries toward a judgmental puritanism (eat only the bare minimum, and only ‘virtuous’ foods) and Big Brother attitudes when it comes to food.
    We are incredibly fortunate and privileged to be able to eat as much as we need and want. I find it obscene when people who live amid such plenty deny themselves the pleasure of enjoying all that food because it’s ‘bad’. When people who are lucky enough to be able to satisfy their hunger every day choose not to, because they want to fit into a pair of skinny jeans. Because they want to be ‘good’.
    It’s ok to eat and enjoy food, even *gasp* junk food. It’s ok to be overweight. It’s ok to be ‘complacent’. It’s ok to not worry about your weight. It’s your right to look whatever way you want and not worry about how other people perceive your body.

    This is what I want to teach my child.

60. Anonymous on February 18th, 2010 11:44 am

    What is interesting is how many people think lean meat, chicken, fish, and cheese are “simple healthy foods”. They are not. There is nothing healthy about cheese, especially. The USDA has done a wonderful job brainwashing Americans into thinking animal products are a necessary and healthy. Our school lunches are nothing but white flour, cheese, and chicken product “nuggets”. (I know because I have a child in public school – it’s appalling.)

    It’s not what we ARE eating, it’s what we ARE NOT eating. Feed your children unlimited fresh fruits and vegetables, and obesity will never be an issue.

    “American children consume less than 2% of their diet from natural plant foods such as fruits and vegetables. American children move into adulthood eating 90% of their calories from dairy products, white flour, sugar and oil. Amazingly, about 25% of toddlers between ages one and two eat no fruits and vegetables at all. By 15 months, French fries are the most common vegetable consumed in America.”

    I recommend reading anything by Dr.Joel Fuhrman if you want to know the truth about what our diet is doing to us and our kids.
    http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cat–about.html

61. Kris on February 18th, 2010 12:05 pm

    I wouldn’t say I push a fat acceptance agenda, but I try to be size positive. Society needs to be a little more tolerant. Weight can be used as a determining factor in healthiness, but it shouldn’t be the *only* guideline.

    And you know what makes me really sad? How self-righteous some people are. This attitude of “I’m better than you and so is my kid because we’re thinner than you.” I’m not specifically pointing fingers at anyone here – it’s more in general life terms.

    Also – if you want to blame fat people for jacking up the insurance rates, are you also going to point fingers at the massive surge in depression and anti-anxiety meds? I have family members who are being over-medicated, and their medical costs to treat teh crazy far outweigh my fatass ones.

    (Sorry if this threadjacks. I just wanted to offer another opinion.)

62. Trish on February 18th, 2010 12:47 pm

    At what age do we start to be concerned about out children’s weight? When does it go from normal baby fat/chubby baby to something that merits action? I get really worried when I hear other mom’s wondering if they are over-feeding their BABY (and I am talking infant, here) and considering limiting how much formula/food they give them each, because their pediatrician told them that their baby was big or because of their percentiles or because their pediatrician told them to. Really? Over-feeding an infant? Can an infant be too fat? At what age do the too-fat judgements become valid, though?

63. SKL on February 18th, 2010 1:44 pm

    Trish, I do think obesity can start in infancy. The problem is, moms have no guidance to recognize whether their kid is (a) chubby now but will slim down later (which is very often the case), or (b) chubby now and will keep getting chubbier.

    My instinct tells me that my kid’s belly fat is an indicator that she’s at risk for obesity. I observe other kids and although they may have chunky limbs, most of their bellies are not particularly prominent. Based on my totally un-scientific observation, the kids who are soft in the belly are the ones who never slim down without intense parental intervention. I wish there was some research or reporting out there to provide some real guidance.

    So supposing my instinct is right, and I wish to save my kid some heartache by not letting her get to a point where she’s obese, only to be told at that point to start starving her or tie her to my car bumper and drive? Does that make me a terrible mom? I feel it would be far better if parents could start addressing their kids’ weight issues long before the child is cognizant of the issues, in order to keep psychology out of it as much as possible. I really wish there was a meaningful risk screening for obesity as young as 9 or 10 months. Obviously BMI would NOT be meaningful for this purpose, but if they did some research, they could probably find a meaingful trend.

64. Leigh on February 18th, 2010 1:46 pm

    In my mind the obesity epidemic is a social issue with its roots in public policy decisions made by the institutions charged with protecting our health. Some of those decisions were made based on flawed or flimsy science, some were influenced by big agriculture in ways that have not benefitted us. Add to that the preponderance of increasing portions of cheap, unhealthy food (again made with substances that are subsidized by our government), a general lack of education and guidance in schools and bang; an epidemic.

    Having said that, in the absence of the above factors, people come in all shapes and sizes. I don’t agree that the fat acceptance movement promotes a belief that “health is independent of weight” as much as it recognizes that the link between health and weight is not as linear as popular culture promotes. Some people are healthier than others at higher weights. In addition, there is so much we do not know about why people get and stay overweight; it is not as simple as calories going in vs. calories out. Given the paucity of our understanding of this issue, no one should judge or make assumptions about the laziness, low self-esteem, depression, or apathy of anyone based on his or her appearance.

    The important part of fat acceptance to me is the idea that you are not less of a person if you are above an “ideal” weight.

    So I have these two distinct beliefs: one the one hand the obesity epidemic is something we must a address from a policy perspective. On the other hand, an individual’s size is an intensely personal issue and is, largely, none of my business.

    And childhood obesity is where these two issues collide for me. As a culture we need to make a decision to promote healthy, unprocessed food over processed food (especially processed corn products). It’s not enough to make school lunches healthy if the only choices outside the school in poor neighborhoods are unhealthy. Kids should be way more active, and yet P.E. programs all over the country are being slashed. In my middle school we had ropes to climb, parallel bars, a balance beam. My son’s high school P.E. class spent six weeks bowling. Bowling! And they won’t give him class credit for participating on a weightlifting team outside of school.

    We need to make better decisions about our priorities as a society.

    On the personal level, there has always been only healthy food available in my house. I have never battled with my son about food at all. I think that can be very damaging. I have simply made good food available.

    My rule is that my son must either participate in a sport at school or a fitness program outside of school, with workouts at least 3X per week. He is not overweight, but I think he would not be in the absence of my guidance, he’s lucky genetically. My real hope though, is that he stays healthy all of his life because of the foundation we’ve laid down now.

    So I guess I think that yes, childhood obesity is an issue. And the part of the issue that interests me is the public policy part because that’s where we all can help. But I would never judge an individual child’s parents or offer an opinion on what they should be doing differently because a) I don’t usually have enough information about what is going on there, and b) it’s none of my business.

    And we should all of us resist the demonization of fat people in our culture because it is harmful and bigoted. It is particularly bad for children and can leave scars that last a lifetime.

65. Melis on February 18th, 2010 1:54 pm

    Erica nailed it for me too. I seem to remember a time when my parents would say “Don’t come home until the street lights come on” and off I’d ride on my bike, 2 miles or so to a friend’s house to run around in her backyard and then ride home again. My son is 5 and our backyard isn’t completely fenced in-do we let him play out there alone? HELL NO! My husband remembers spending hours ALONE shooting hoops at the church parking lot-there’s no way we’d let our son do that (even if he was 10 or 12)-our neighborhood just isn’t safe.

    I grew up in a house where we ate a lot of boxed meals. Mom didn’t cook much, still doesn’t. She made the same 4 meals over and over again. I was a size 12 in high school and thought I was fat yet I look at those pictures now and think I was a bit underweight if anything. I wasn’t allowed soda at home, I had to eat what was put on my plate BY MY PARENTS, and very rarely did we have cookies or snacks in the house. My husband was a bit on the opposite but neither of us were heavy or chubby because we were active.

    My 5 year old son doesn’t like soda, doesn’t even really like anything but milk or water, and isn’t a sugar head. He’s a carby kid but even though he can recite movies with the best of ‘em and has snacks available to him, he’s a string bean who is ALWAYS MOVING. Even when he’s got a movie on, he’s playing or dancing or up running around. He’s in a class called “Stretch and Grow” at preschool that is basically PE for 30 minutes and then 15 minutes of discussion about nutrition and exercise. We can’t afford a Y membership but we *can* do this for him.

    Childhood obesity IS an issue. Yes, the parents do have a role in this but I believe EVERYONE has a role in this. We need to bring back phys.ed. and recess and encourage playtime for the entire family.

66. H on February 18th, 2010 2:04 pm

    I don’t have time to read all the comments so forgive me if this has already been said. I’m so careful about children and weight because of my childhood. No one else in my family was overweight but I was what I’d call chunky – a little bigger than I should have been, probably would have been classified as overweight but not obese. I was very active and in 3 sports in high school. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s so we had foods (should I put that in quotes?!) such as processed bologna around the house. This was also because we didn’t have a lot of money and my dad was a cheapskate and made us, for example, substitute bologna for other healthier meat.

    Why was I overweight? I ate the unhealthy foods provided to me, that is true, but I ate more than I should have because of emotional issues. My parents were very critical of me. I never felt good enough for them. I never felt truly accepted. I ate for comfort. I was chunky because I ate so much and then they criticized my weight. So I ate to spite them, I ate to hurt them like they hurt me. Then in senior high, I struggled for over a year with anorexia. I was so sick from it but all my parents did was buy smaller clothes for me. I still have the mentality of my eating disorder but I control it, I don’t let it control me.

    I can draw a few conclusions from this. Yes, physical health and weight can be unrelated. Emotional health and weight are more related than some realize. Parents can be a positive or negative influence even if they think they are sending the right message. I’m very sensitive as a parent. I’m extremely careful about how I handle food and weight discussions with my children. I know that what I say can be intepreted in a wildly different way by a hormonal and rebellious teenager. For me, I make sure I tell my children I love them and accept them. I hope that helps them feel emotionally strong and then I feed them healthy foods and talk about what foods are healthy, proper portion size, reading labels and we all exercise regularly. Those things are never discussed in relation to their appearance.

    I have no idea if this is right or wrong. It is what I feel comfortable with, given my past, and seems to be working as our children are healthy and are not over or under weight.

    Oh, and by the way, I do think genetics has something to do with a person’s tendency toward a general weight range so some kids are going to tend to be bigger due to genetics.

67. SKL on February 18th, 2010 2:24 pm

    I have to say I disagree with the implication that “poor” people can only afford unhealthy processed food. There are many cheaper and healthier alternatives available to every American. (And I’m not talking about fresh, organic fruit, which is the example everyone likes to use.) The “poor” populations may not view these options as healthy or they may not find them tasty. But that is different from a lack of access. The line between culture and poverty is getting blurred and confusing the policy issue.

    And by the way, fruit drink, pop, and potato chips are not “food.” They should not figure into discussions about food budgets, any more than cigarettes are.

68. sarawr on February 18th, 2010 3:02 pm

    SKL, these options are not available — or at least not feasibly available — to every American. A look into the realities of food deserts and the grocery gap might really be helpful in clarifying your view of this particular issue.

69. Redbecca on February 18th, 2010 3:14 pm

    I’d just like to point out what Kander mentioned way at the top bears some further investigation, too. Sleep, or lack thereof, has been proven to be an appetite stimulant (some recent studies proved this). I know many young kids who are going to bed way too late because of work/school, getting up way too early (pulled out of bed and stuffed into clothes) and taken to daycare or wherever, and don’t get naps because of school schedules or parents are too busy. I always find I eat less on the weekends. Why? Because I sleep more. When I’m overtired, I eat a bunch and I crave the junk.
    This obviously isn’t the answer to all the obesity (unhealthy eating, under active) problems, and probably is just one more element to add to the mix.

    There are also other considerations. Consider how all these kids have less outside time at school, spend less time outdoors at home, and when they do go out in the summer, they get slathered with sunblock. And now doctors are finding that most Americans are Vitamin D deficient (even those taking their multivitamins). The rise in autism has risen almost simultaneously with the rise in sunblock use. I don’t say that to steer the conversation away from obesity, I’m just saying that by restricting access (intentionally or not) to healthy foods, and regular outdoor activity, what additional risks are we setting ourselves up for that we haven’t even connected yet? Who is to say the “average” kids with healthy weights and vitals, despite poor eating and exercise habits are really any healthier?

70. Leigh on February 18th, 2010 4:28 pm

    Yeah, SKL, I live in Richmond, ca, one of the poorest cities in the country. I challenge you to find anything healthy sold in the neighborhood stores here.

71. norm on February 18th, 2010 5:19 pm

    To me the problem is not the epidemic of overweight kids, but the epidemic of inactive kids. Junky food is part of the problem, the other part is the sedentary lifestyle. For which TV and video games are only part, by the way. My kids have so much homework they come home from school and work until dark with a break for dinner. When do they get to go outside and run around or ride their bikes? Summer? Too late.

72. lisa on February 18th, 2010 5:57 pm

    The thing I am having trouble with reading the comments– I have no doubt that there are some kids/teens/adults that just gravitate towards a larger frame but if you look back 50 years, 20 years or 10 years we were not NEARLY as heavy as we are now. This can’t possibly be just a genetic thing. Why has the childhood obesity rate TRIPLED in 30 years? And reading through the comments, there are many stories of parents that seem to be doing the right thing when it comes to diet/exercise but their kids are still heavy. I don’t get it.

    I also struggle with the ‘fast food is cheaper’ thing. Someone mentioned spending $3/day on fast food. So, off the dollar menu that would be like 3 hamburgers so thats roughly 900 calories per day. A one yr old needs roughly 1200 calories per day (and it goes up from there based on age) so no one is going to get fat from 3 hamburgers a day. Healthy? Of course not. Obesity causing? Not likely. So, I have to believe what is really happening is more like $3/meal: burger, fries, soda. Thats $12/day and Im POSITIVE you can make healthy meals for $12–especially when you are talking about more than one family member (ie a family of 3 eating fast food three times a day would add up to $36). Have I oversimplified anything? Am I missing something?

73. SKL on February 18th, 2010 7:55 pm

    I think the poor => obese => government intervention “logic” gets an undue amount of fuel from the transfer-of-wealth lobby, i.e., it’s another excuse to tax the working people more for the “benefit” of those on public assistance. History shows that this agenda rarely produces substantive benefits.

    Lisa, the part of my previous post that I deleted included a similar comment to yours. How much does it cost to serve up a pbj on brown bread and a glass of skim milk? In what locality is that meal more expensive than a whopper with fries and coke? And please don’t tell me they don’t sell bread and peanut butter (or canned beans or Wheaties or skim milk) anywhere in the low income neighborhoods.

    Also, if the people in the “poor” neighborhoods demand healthier food choices from the stores, guess what will happen? The desire to change has to come from the individuals themselves.

    As an individual who has eaten on $1-$2 per day over long stretches of time, it is impossible for me to accept this “poverty” argument, however popular it becomes.

74. Bertha on February 18th, 2010 8:07 pm

    There’s a difference between being overweight and being obese. I didn’t read every comment, but it doesn’t seem like many people get that. For adults a BMI of over 30 is obese. For kids it varies with age, gender, etc. We’re all very well fed nowadays, people genetically inclined will be overweight. Obesity is different and as far as I’m concerned it should be considered child neglect.

75. Andrea on February 18th, 2010 9:21 pm

    Childhood obesity is an issue to me because I keep hearing how kids are getting Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. WHAT?!?! That’s fucked up.

    I do believe in Healthy at Any Size, but developing chronic diseases before puberty just freaks me the hell out.

76. Alina on February 18th, 2010 9:37 pm

    Once again: the BMI is crap. It’s good for groups, but crap for individuals.

    Example: I weigh 245 lbs and am 5′5″. My BMI is 39. This should mean that I am nearly morbidly obese. But the BMI metric completely fails to make any sort of distinction between fat and muscle. I wear a size 18 pant from most stores. By no means close to morbidly obese. I am, however, solid as a rock and could probably kick your ass. I was also recently told by an incredulous doctor that I was healthier than most of her patients, overweight or not.

    The BMI is simple, and we like simple, but it’s too simple to use as an assessment of health. If you want to know how healthy you are, find out what your body fat percentage is, and work to either reduce or increase it. Find out how your organs are working. Assess your eating and exercise habits. It’s a lot more work, but also gives you an actual picture of your health, instead of an arbitrary judgment based on nothing.

77. Katie on February 18th, 2010 10:06 pm

    Raising kids is hard! WAY harder than I thought it was going to be. But at least I have control of what I buy and therefore what they eat. So at the end of a very long day I can say, at least they got some fiber! :)

78. Steph on February 19th, 2010 8:39 am

    Here’s an example from the other end, just to beef up (heh) the “weight does not equal health” position.

    My sister in law has an almost 3 year old son who is skinny-minny. He’s 75%ile for height and 50% for weight and this is not unusual for my husband’s paternal family history. However. This child’s diet consists of:
    saltines
    bacon (oh, he does love his bacon)
    french fries
    moon pies
    sweet tea (yay south)
    anything, I do mean anything, chocolatey or sugary
    Hi-C (not cut with water)

    I am not exaggerating. I should add “anything fried” to the list as fried shrimp, onion rings, etc are always winners too. This kid is decidedly unhealthy. They just recently had him tested for diabetes because of several symptoms (i.e. constipation, crankiness, thirstiness) that can ALL be attributed to his diet. All of them. If he never drinks water (he doesn’t), Hi-C and sweet tea will not truly quench his thirst. His mother frets because he refuses to eat basically anything except for the list above and so she is willing to feed him whatever he will eat. Every time I am around, I am appalled. He is bribed to *try* a bite of lasagna with CANDY. Why is candy even on the table? Why is it an option?

    Anyway, I’m beginning my rant. I got an email from my sister in law just today asking the following:
    “Can you do me a favor before we get to your house tonight? Can you please make sure you have some hotdogs available? My son eats them for breakfast (as well as any other meal that I allow him to). I usually buy ballpark so there at least a little higher quality meat, but whatever you have or get is fine for the weekend.”

    Really? REALLY? Is there such a thing as “higher quality meat” when it comes to hot dogs?

    So my roundabout point is that no, weight/size does not equal health. This kid is going to be suffering some serious health complications in early adulthood if this diet is allowed to continue. And the thing is, my sister in law is A NURSE. She KNOWS better. But her diet is not much different. Lots of soda, candy, fried foods. She rarely cooks and because her children aren’t overweight, she doesn’t worry about what they eat.

    I have been food conscious for some time, but since a) seeing this example play out in front of me (oh and the amount of tv those kids watch and DS they play!) and b) my 8 month old started eating solid foods, I am much more determined to set healthy examples for my own family.

    My husband and I know our limits. We know if we have junk food in the house, we will eat it. Therefore, we don’t buy it. We are both average weight and we make exercise a priority (just ran my first postpartum half marathon!) but we are aware that health comes in different body shapes and styles, but health is the goal.

    I’m glad the “Get Moving” program is being started because this generation of kids NEEDS to hear that message. I agree with many of the above commenters who say that this should be about fitness, not weight/fatness/size. That’s absolutely what it should be about and educating people about healthy food options and lifestyle choices will (I believe) go far.

    (This is an opinion coming from a health care professional in the rural south where an estimated 60%+ of my patients can’t even fit into the chairs in my office. And they’re pregnant.)

    (Oh, and not being able to afford healthy choices ABSOLUTELY impacts many people in lower socioeconomic brackets. It is MUCH cheaper to eat McDonald’s than to eat a balanced, healthy diet. I see that EVERY DAY. In some areas the healthy choices aren’t available, and in some areas, people can’t afford them. They can EITHER afford the transportation TO the store OR the food, and oftentimes not both. Don’t discount the poverty issue.)

79. Kaitlyn on February 19th, 2010 11:37 am

    I think the whole Fat Awareness Movement is a good thing. Large people are treated differently, plain and simple. And that’s not right. I don’t think people should be discriminated against by how they look, ever.
    But I think that childhood obesity is a concerning issue. A lot of that responsibility falls onto the shoulders of parents and schools (so yes, a political issue), because that is who provides children with their food. But healthy food should also be more easily available. For families who can’t afford much more than KD and hot dogs, well, our government doesn’t regulate the crap that goes into the food. How do those kids have a chance?
    I don’t think blame should be placed on the children and I don’t think it should be a “big deal” focused on overweight children, because kids are sensitive beings and it could really damage their self esteem. No one needs to (or should) hear, “You’re fat.” Because guess what? They already know.

80. Sound Body, Sound Mind on February 19th, 2010 11:38 am

    McDonald’s is cheaper than this…?

    (And NOBODY can afford what McDonald’s is selling.)

    1 dozen Eggs: $2
    1 lb brown rice: $2.25
    16oz dry kidney/garbanzo/black beans: $1.50/each
    1lb pasta: $.97
    14 apples: $3.99
    1 loaf of wheat bread: $2.50
    Frozen broccoli/cauli/carrots 10oz: $1.50/each
    Bag of yellow onions: $2.00

    ***Current prices at my local grocery store.

    Like my grandmother said: poverty doesn’t give you the excuse to be dirty b/c a bar of soap washes clothes AND bodies and only costs $1. The same goes for food. There’s no excuse.

    Quick base recipe in Italian/French/Spanish cooking that adds flavor to everything (canned beans, pasta, etc.):

    Sautee onions/green pepper in tiny bit of olive oil on medium until they’re almost transparent

    Throw in garlic for a minute or two and any seasoning – cumin, oregano, basil, Bay leaf…

    Add to beans, pasta, whatever. It’s tasty, easy and good for you.

    Love your body. Honor it. It will reward you in ways you can’t begin to imagine now. Stretch. Do yoga. Get away from negative people and fad diets. Eat simply. It’s just food – nothing more, nothing less. If it’s from McDonald’s it’s not food – it’s poison.

81. Sound Body, Sound Mind on February 19th, 2010 11:45 am

    One more thing from my big mouth…

    If you have kids – ban the word “diet” from your home. Diet is negative, it’s like detention or demerits or an F on a test. No one likes diet. They shouldn’t suffer for misguided parents direction.

    Parents: Enroll your kids at the YMCA. They do not turn people away because of income. Get them involved in everything. Take them to parks and let them run their butts off – even if they hate it. They will thank you. Take long walks. Show them how great their bodies are – even if they hate it at first. They will thank you.

    When you’re home make a “SNACK PLATE” and leave it on the counter, fill this big plate with salty & sweet. Apples, grapes, carrots, celery, a few olives, a few nuts, slices of green pepper. They can munch on this all day and all night. It’s great for them!

    Do not keep boxed snacks in the house – let those be “treats” for special occasions. The movies, a mall visit.

    Diet is not a positive, feel-good word – get rid of it.

82. Anne on February 19th, 2010 11:53 am

    As a personal disclaimer, I have “skinny” genes, but I have also been very active my whole life and generally do not eat much junk (although I’ve never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like!) so I don’t know how much of my not being overweight is due to genes and how much to lifestyle.

    However, I think if we just focused on getting people to eat healthier foods and exercise/be active more, the other issues regarding physical health would be a lot less of an issue. As many others have commented, the rise in obesity in our culture is a multifaceted, complex issue, but I don’t think that anyone can dispute that eating more whole grains, veggies, fruit, and lean proteins is better than eating junk food, and that exercising at least 30 minutes a day is better than not exercising. So, let’s start there, and also as a society work on not judging ANYONE for body size, and I think we’ll be headed in the right direction.

83. Karla on February 19th, 2010 12:06 pm

    I think it’s important to distinguish between childhood obesity and prepubescent pudginess that gradually disappears during adolescence. Not all chubby kids become overweight adults.

84. D on February 19th, 2010 12:11 pm

    Sound Body, I have no idea where you live, but I nearly spit out my lunch at the sight of 14 apples for $3.99. And as for the recipe you gave, I know where I live, peppers for some reason are pretty ridiculously priced. I still buy them, because I love them and I have the money too, but that’s not necessarily a cheap meal like you claim it is.

85. Anon on February 19th, 2010 2:01 pm

    D — There is something to be said for local eating. We buy local apples from the orchard when we can (by the bushel, cheapest option) and the apples in the store from my province are cheaper than imported. Peppers are always expensive where I live, we don’t have a climate that’s conducive unless it’s green house. We just don’t eat a lot of peppers, but go for chard or beets or kale or squash or a myriad of things that grow with more ease near us.

    (I also buy 14 apples for 3.99 or LESS if it’s by the bushel.)

    We buy potatoes for the winter by the bushel also. I pay the same amount for ONE BUSHEL as I would for ONE single solitary BAG at the “fancy” grocery store in town.

    I know not everyone can STORE one bushel or has cold storage (simply my un-heated storage room or garage shed) but shopping for foods grown near you, buying bulk, these things are all things which can DRASTICALLY lower your food bills.

86. Sharon on February 19th, 2010 2:19 pm

    As a parent I think it is our responsibility to provide nutritious foods for our children along with plenty of opportunities for exercise. I also think it’s important to model these behaviors. I make sure that we eat well and that our family activities are physical ones most of the time. I do point out to them the consequences of not doing these things. Obesity, disease, and that being healthy and active can help you to feel good about yourself. We still have treats, eat out, but my kids know that these are treats. It’s important to teach them to love their bodies enough to take the best care of them;

87. Sound Body, Sound Mind on February 19th, 2010 2:23 pm

    D – That little sautee recipe was just a suggestion to spice up a meal. Not a staple. And I get my peppers cheap at a little bodega near my house.

    In respons to D-

    You certainly can’t argue that frozen veggies, pastas, breads, rices and beans aren’t cheap. Because they are. I gave a whole list and you found one thing to scoff at. If you can’t afford fresh fruit (the ones in season are always cheapest of course), eat the frozen veggies. Broccoli is a great one! So is spinach.

    This is exactly what I mentioned – stay away from Negative Nellies. Don’t focus on what you CAN’T do – focus on what you can. Got two legs? Then WALK. JUMP ROPE. Got two arms? Then do PUSH-UPS. PULL WEEDS. PICK UP LITTER FROM STREETS. Exercise is everywhere. Focus on the positive. Drink water. Cut out the sugar and salt. Stretch.

88. Jess on February 19th, 2010 2:58 pm

    My problem with the whole thing is the way that it’s framed. This isn’t specific to childhood obesity–it’s all obesity. We all need to be living healthy lives with lots of physical activity and good nutrition. I am sick of obesity being used as a proxy for health. Why do we have to stigmatize and blame and assume that we can tell so much about a person’s lifestyle and choices based on what their bodies look like? I think it’s pretty clear that there are a lot of factors that go into body type and environment is only one of them.

    So, why can’t we focus on the things that we know (exercise and good nutrition are important), without tying it into this gray area about obesity? Plus, focusing on obesity gives the mistaken impression that thin people are healthy. Remember the whole fat-skinny debate over at Bodies? The whole issue there was that a lot of people felt that thin people didn’t have a reason to try to improve themselves, their bodies, and their health. Not true, but it’s hard to blame them for feeling that way when all we hear is THIN = GOOD, FAT = BAD. ALL parents should be modeling and encouraging healthy behaviors in their children, regardless of what those kids’ bodies look like.

89. SkinnyMinny on February 19th, 2010 2:59 pm

    Sound Body Sound Mind, it’s not just the cost, it’s the accessibility. When I lived in midst of one of the worst parts of Oakland, there was no real grocery store in walking or biking distance (we had no car). We had to take the bus (and transfer once, and then walk several blocks). This cost money, took time, and limited how much we could buy to what we could carry.

    Many people in our neighborhoods bought food at corner markets and liquor stores because that was what was nearby. While they did carry a small selection of fresh fruits and veggies, most of the foods were canned or processed because that was easier and cheaper for them to stock. (And *brown* rice? Not a chance.)

    We managed to eat healthy, but it was much harder than it is now, when I have easier access to good foods.

90. melanie on February 19th, 2010 3:01 pm

    I certainly think its an issue, and that yes parents have responsibility, HOWEVER and this is big, I think just because a parent has thin children does not mean they are raising a HEALTHY child, for example, I have a cousin who married a gal who is very thin despite her love of all things junk food, their first two children had the same body type as the Mom, the third, while having the same “sports-oriented” lifestyle got overweight eating the exact same foods the thin siblings enjoyed with no consequences…. that child took after the body type of dad and will FOREVER have to watch every single bite of food that goes into his mouth. My inlaws eat food that I swear if I ate, I would be 300+lbs, all full sugar sodas at every meal (and yes EVERY meal) yet if you were to put us all in the photo you would swear it was me who was eating fun sized snickers bar as a bedtime snack and chugging mountain dew. I am fat, I struggle constantly, I so badly wish I had the willpower to eat nothing but salads and carrot sticks becuase I know that is the ONLY way I will ever be thin, as it is now, I am doing 40 minutes of exercise a day, and it has done nothing to change my size, sure I feel better doing it, but it has changed NOTHING.

    I guess my point in this whole thing is that until we find out what causes the metabolism switch to be flipped off for some of us, I dont think its a black and white issue, I work very hard to make sure my kids are active, healthy kids but you know what, my Mom worked just as hard for us, because we NEVER got soda, we NEVER ate out, we NEVER ate fried foods, we very rarely got chips or dessert and still we all struggle (though admittedly not as children, we were not thin, but we were certainly not fat).

    I wish I knew the answer, I truly do, because I hate living in my skin.

91. Kate on February 19th, 2010 3:20 pm

    Man, this issue just kills me – I have a chubby 2 1/2 year old, who was a chubbier infant, even before she was eating, when she was exclusively breastfed. She’s consistently been about 95% on the weight chart (and more like 75% on the height chart). My husband is thin; I could stand to lose 10 lbs. We were both chubby as babies.

    My daughter has what seems to be to be a pretty big appetite, but she eats healthy foods – the same thing for dinner that we do, and plenty of veggies, etc. And every time we go to the pediatrician, they ask about her juice consumption (almost none!) and what types of food she eats, in a way that I interpret as accusatory.

    I’m pretty sure what she eats is fine, but I’m less sure about how much she eats. She definitely has a healthy appetite. So I wonder, all the time, if I’m doing something wrong, and temper that worry with an unwillingness to, essentially, put my TWO YEAR OLD on a diet. Most of the time I think she’ll grow out it. Some of the time I think she won’t, and that’s okay, if it’s not something I’m doing TO her. But sometimes, I worry that I’m somehow screwing her up, and she’s going to fight weight issues her whole life because I let her have too much dinner as a toddler.

92. Titanium on February 19th, 2010 3:24 pm

    As a mom and a certified personal trainer who specializes in “special populations”, including children, I certainly have dealt with every aspect of this equation.

    There is no “one size fits all” answer, just like clothing with that label that never really fits anyone.

    I’ve seen miserably “skinny-fat” kids with rail-thin legs trying to play soccer on the team I coach and when I ask them about their eating habits, these 8 and 9 year old girls admit to “not eating” because they’re terrified of being considered fat. I also deal with kids who don’t fit in ANY clothing because they are over 200 lbs at age 7.

    Our society is tormented, ass backward and colossally wrongly-prioritized. The children are the ones who hurt the most, just as with everything else.

    My answer? Do what you can. Within your circle of family, friends, teams you coach, children you care for- show them by example. Lead an active lifestyle. Get out and play WITH them. Eat well, eat a variety of ethnic cuisines from all over the globe. Work hard, play hard. It works for farm kids, there were very few fat farm kids where I grew up. We were too busy milking cows, throwing hay bales, wrestling cattle, riding horses, playing soccer/hockey, climbing trees and riding our bikes to worry about what we were eating or when.

93. Michelle on February 19th, 2010 3:40 pm

    I think it’s a problem, but I also think it has a relatively easy solution. Breastfeed your infant. When s/he moves to solids give them food. Real, whole foods. No chemicals. No processed “foods.” I’ve never met an overweight person who existed solely on whole, unprocessed foods.

94. Kelly on February 19th, 2010 3:53 pm

    Parents teach children how to eat. Period.

95. Penny on February 19th, 2010 4:07 pm

    I think I would be concerned if my children were overweight, because it would be unusual for our family, but not necessarily for other kids. I agree that weight as the sole measure of health is incomplete. It annoys me that the media constantly harps on this issue, but their entire pieces begins and ends with how much children weigh.

96. Anonymous on February 19th, 2010 4:23 pm

    I am going to very honest with you Linda. I am fat. Morbidly obese. And I am having health problems because of my choices. Thankfully I have pulled my head out of my ass (did you hear the pop all the way from Oregon?) and I am taking the right and healthy steps (no pun intended) to lose weight for health not to have a hot smokin body. At 46 almost 47 I am way beyond that.

    While at the pediatrician I expressed my concern over my son who is chunky. I am not sure what I expected but he asked me pointedly “Who buys the groceries in the house, you or your son” I meekly said “I do” and he said “Then you control what goes in and out of your child’s mouth at home”

    I felt stupid. Literally.

    I am not sure how I feel about fat acceptance. I know how ashamed I feel being obese. And if I feel that badly about being obese I am sure others who see me don’t see someone who is smart, well educated, and articulate. They see someone who is slothly, fat, let her self go and pathetic.

    So that’s what I have to say about that.

97. Kirsten on February 19th, 2010 4:32 pm

    I have been wanting to check out the book The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos. My husband greatly respects this guy’s thinking and writing. I think the jist of it is that fitness is much more important than weight.

98. Beth on February 19th, 2010 6:23 pm

    It is a real issue for sure.. seeing multiple 1st graders unable to get up from the floor without rolling over on to their stomachs then shimmy up to their knees from there. There are areas of the country and within certain states where it is more prevalent than others so sometimes it seems like an overrated issue.

99. Mimi on February 19th, 2010 8:13 pm

    I recently moved back to the US. I grew up here, but spent my 20s in Eastern Europe and Asia. When people say that weight is determined more by genetics than environment, obesity is as healthy a condition as being a more proportional weight, and it is impossible for some people to lose weight… it just goes in one ear and out the other. It can’t stick. My life experiences make it impossible for me to believe those things to be true (in any frequency worth noting, at least).

    To answer the questions in the post, I believe:

    Childhood obesity is very much a concern. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. Even if childhood obesity did not cause any health problems, wouldn’t its sudden increase alone be cause for concern?

    I believe obesity in childhood is a different issue than obesity in adulthood simply because children aren’t in control of their lives. Since, with some exceptions, parents do truly want the best for their child, I think it proves that the obesity epidemic is more than making bad choices, it is about not knowing how to make good choices.

    I hope that was civil. One thing I’ve also learned since being back is that it can be seen as very negative to talk about food and exercise. My friends and I overseas would constantly talk about what we were eating, how much exercise we were getting, whether we were losing or gaining weight, whether we were too full or too hungry, new diet tricks that really worked for us… it was simply a part of life. I really feel like I can’t talk about those things here. Maybe that is part of the problem?

100. Sascha on February 19th, 2010 9:00 pm

     Oh boy. I wasn’t going to comment, but just couldn’t help it. I am the mom of three. My 7 year old is what you would call fat. My 6 year old is skinny and the baby is only six months old so we’ll leave him out of this. I have a whole new appreciation for genetics. My side of the family is very small. My husbands, very big. My lovely “fat” son is a mystery to me. I’ve never struggled with weight so I don’t know how to approach this topic in the future. I do know that he eats well and honestly has only ever had birthday cake once in his life (second birthday). He hated it and hasn’t tried it again. Halloween candy… he gives it all to his sister. So after years of pediatric endocrinologists poking and prodding him I said enough! So there’s my two cents.

101. Sound Body, Sound Mind on February 19th, 2010 10:10 pm

     Skinny Minny-

     I lived in one of the worst parts of Washington, D.C. with a 5-year old. No car. Barely any money. My grocery store options were my corner market – scary place to buy meats and not much in the way of fresh and a Whole Foods far from me (had to take train). And I was a vegetarian. I bought potatoes, grains, frozen veggies, breads, bananas and water from corner store. And bought what I could afford from Whole Foods – mainly dry beans.

     Nutrition is vital. If you can’t lose weight, start writing down everything you eat. Everything counts!!! I can’t stress it enough. I do a lot of running (about 9min miles) and I’ll only burn about 250 cals per 30 mins. That’s 2 cookies! If I run an hour, I’ve burned 4 cookies. Not much at all.

     Exercise will make you stronger – but nobody can outexercise poor food choices. They’re both crucial.

     To the people who are frustrated because they aren’t losing weight YET, all I can say is get rid of all excuses and find a way. YOU CAN DO IT!!! Start by keeping a food journal – one of the hardest things to do. You will begin to see how much more you’re eating. It’s this way for everyone.

     It is such a small percentage of people who are genetically skinny. 99.9% of all skinny people can be fat if they eat poorly or overeat.

     And yes, skinny people can be unhealthy and unfit, of course. But what sort of logic is this? It’s like a heroin addict saying cocaine addicts can overdose too. Just because skinny people can be unfit, DOES NOT mean fat is ever fit because it isn’t. That said, I’m not for people trying to look like runway models. Be a comfortable size. The main thing is to be healthy in body and mind.

102. D on February 19th, 2010 10:22 pm

     Sound Body, I am not being a “Negative Nellie.” Yes, many of the items you mentioned are not that expensive, but you make it sound like every fresh fruit and veggie is affordable and GOSH anyone who doesn’t eat that is just making excuses!

     Despite the fact that your comment seemed to interpret mine as a excuse I was making for myself, I am lucky enough to have a large food/gym budget, and I do pretty well in the healthy eating area. I don’t eat fast food. I’m lucky that I can afford to buy fresh produce – I’m not making excuses, because I think my diet is pretty decent, actually. But I spend a lot of money on groceries buying all those fresh veggies, and I was merely pointing out that not everyone is lucky enough to have the resources I do. Nor, as Anon mentioned(but also sorta dismissed at the same time), does everyone have the luxury to be able to buy cheaper and in bulk without food going bad.

103. D on February 19th, 2010 10:25 pm

     Gah, my grammar was atrocious on that last post. Basically, to clarify, I disagree with both the people who refuse to admit they can change their eating habits at all AND the people that think not buying oodles of fresh produce must mean you’re a lazy fat pig who’s just making excuses.

104. Frannie on February 20th, 2010 12:06 am

     I believe that childhood obesity is a real problem. But the big picture is that it’s a general obesity problem. To answer your question, I think that children and even until their teen years, are taught to eat by the way their parents eat. That influence stays with them even into adulthood, so I believe that children should be able to make choices for their food, but what difference would it make if their parent’s choices are poor..I don’t think the majority of parents, much less children fully understand all that they are consuming, nor are they really concerned about the consequences. The labels on foods are very misleading, and the FDA cannot control what companies put on food boxes.
     After watching Food, Inc. last night, I’m reminded by how much other factors affect our daily decisions, like eating. The government, corporations run the show.
     Grocery stores and food makers know that better food can cost higher, and they take advantage of us. It would be the wise choice to spend extra at Whole Foods, but in a way, it’s disgusting that something like food that is nutritious or meat that is grass fed has to be a luxury. I am actually apprehensive of buying so-called “organic” foods at times because they’re marketing schemes are nearly as bad and misleading as fast food and processed sometimes.

     I think fat acceptance should be called fat tolerance. It just insinuates that yes, there is a problem and it should be addressed, but let’s just accept it and not do anything about it. It’s easy to go from admittance to despair and missing the doing something about it part. I say that with the understanding that people come in different shapes. I don’t agree with it if people who are for fat acceptance want to be accepted for their poor choices and poor health, not because they are bigger by nature.

     I also agree with Erica -schools have a lot of junk food and sell sodas and nutritionally poor snacks in their vending machines. I am not surprised that more children are developing diabetes at a younger rate, due to cheaper foods that are full of high fructose syrup, sugar, fats, etc. Schools taking away sports from their schools sends the message that physical fitness is not important.

105. SKL on February 20th, 2010 7:03 am

     Reading some of the comments, I’m beginning to think “Fat Acceptance” could do more harm than good. I mean, do we really need yet another label for “respect everyone”?

     Fat acceptance, fat tolerance, fat health, whatever – they all focus on “fat.” What you focus on, you get more of. It’s a basic law of human nature.

     Just listen to what the first commenter and many others have said (and thought): when we see a “fat” kid, we think, there is something wrong with that child and the parents have knowingly, intentionally let this happen. To be honest, I can remember a few times when I have thought the same. This is how we unevolved humans think, but let’s not syndicate it into a movement. Sugar-coating it with PC “but I’m cool with that” doesn’t undo the negativity, it just brings more attention to it.

106. SKL on February 20th, 2010 7:08 am

     By the way, just yesterday the Obama administration announced that they are going to take steps to increase access to fresh foods in the so-called food deserts in the USA. So I guess we will get to see whether this will end the link between poverty and obesity, or disprove the theorized causation, or just be another big waste of taxpayer money.

107. Robyn on February 20th, 2010 8:59 am

     I am a drug addict. I began taking drugs when I was a child. My family life was rough and my coping skills were limited at that age. Drugs eased the pain and provided me with an escape.

     In my house drugs were plentiful. My parents did drugs and made them readily available to me. That is until they saw what they were doing to me and then tried to restrict me which made me want them all the more. My life revolved around drugs and when I could get my next fix. My life became an endless cycle; constant and all-consuming longing for drugs, succumbing to the desire, crushing feelings of remorse, shame, and worthlessness. Every morning I would build up my resolve to stay sober only to fail time and time again. My drug addiction continued into adulthood, affecting almost every aspect of my life and is something I struggle with to this day. My drug of choice,food.

     Imagine telling a hard core drug addict that quitting cold turkey is not an option. They must have drugs to survive but only a limited amount and never enough to satisfy the longing. Then put them in a situation where every other commercial on TV hawks their drugs. Drugs are available on every street corner. There are magazines and cable channels entirely devoted to drugs. Family occasions revolve around drugs. Family members push drugs on them. Drugs are legal, they are cheap, and they are in your face at every turn but the drug addict is expected to resist on will-power alone. This is what it is like to live with a food addiction.

     Frankly, I never understood how people can be addicted to alcohol because I have always been able to take it or leave it. Alcohol does nothing for me. But I do acknowledge that for some people it can be a life-crippling addiction, a fact recognized by society. The concept of food addiction however is met with much incredulity from people who don’t have that relationship with food-which I would say is the large majority. Until it is widely recognized that food addiction exists and that the root cause of obesity (for some, not all) is a food addiction and is treated as such, all of the lectures on eating right and exercising will do nothing to combat the problem. These measures are as helpful as telling an alcoholic to just quit drinking.

     My primary concern regarding childhood obesity is not for the health dangers that exist in childhood, but for the potential of a child to form addictive behaviors that will continue through adulthood. A little pudge alone is not the greatest danger for a child. Weight can be lost. But if a child develops an unhealthy relationship with food during those critical formative years it will shape the way that child relates to food for the rest of their lives.

     There is a reason why children are by law not allowed to smoke or drink before they reach the age of decision. Children are only capable of making decisions based on what makes them feel good physically and emotionally without a true understanding of the consequences. If you offered your kid a few shots of vodka every day would you be surprised when they struggled with alcoholism for the rest of their lives? Why then is making junk food available in mass quantities to a child any more acceptable or less life-impacting?

108. Rachel on February 20th, 2010 1:42 pm

     I was simultaneously cheering and panicking as I read Robyn’s comment, because I can see this happening in my daughter and I don’t know how to stop it. She seems to have got the short end of the stick on genetics (both her father and I tend toward overweight, but not startling obesity; her brother is tall and lean; she is tall and… definitely not lean), and she also has our LOVE of food. Food is, as Robyn eloquently says, like a drug to some people, with the same kind of joy/regret cycle. It tastes good, it makes you feel good, it’s a social thing, it’s a family thing, it’s a comfort thing, it’s a reward thing, but it’s BAD, too much food will HURT YOU, too much junk is BAD FOR YOU, eat something HEALTHY DAMMIT, get out and EXERCISE or you will CROAK and also be UGLY and EMBARRASSED. This is the kind of stuff we say to ourselves, and I know I speak for a lot of people when I say that. What breaks my heart is seeing my daughter step into this same cycle.

     And yes, she’s obese. She’s ten years old, 4′10″, 120-ish pounds. Ten years of age tends to be a chubby stage, but she’s gone from sturdy to chubby to beyond-chubby so gradually over the course of the last five years that I don’t think it can be only that.

     It’s such a delicate balance — I want her to be healthy, I want her to eat healthy, but at the same time I don’t want to contribute to lifelong food issues (how many of us, when we’re finally free of our parents’ restrictions, go a little crazy and do exactly what we’ve been told for all those years not to do?). We’ve tried overhauling our entire family’s eating lifestyle, and that does help while it lasts. We go roller skating. We take walks. We jump rope. I took a nutrition class a couple of semesters ago and now we are all well versed in our dietary needs. (Did you know a fourteen-year-old 6′-tall 140-pound boy is supposed to eat NINE SERVINGS of grains a day? NINE.) But we also have unhealthy food traditions and candy-sale fundraisers (frankly I think these are stupid — why not just have the kids sell cigarettes?) and generations of entrenched habit to overcome, and she is slowly, inexorably gaining. I am near the point of taking her to her pediatrician and letting the doctor play the heavy so that it’s not her mom telling her she needs to slim down, it’s a doctor, because, I dunno, maybe THAT would help keep Food Issues at bay.

     I ramble. But this is an issue that’s near and dear to my heart and there’s no easy pat solution and oh God I wish there was. I wish.

109. Anonymous on February 20th, 2010 2:19 pm

     Seriously, you CAN go cold turkey and kick your food addiction. Stop eating toxic foods (animal products, white flour, sugar, caffeine) and eat fruits, vegetables, and WHOLE grains instead. You will go through withdrawl symptoms for a few weeks like headaches and cravings and some digestive discomfort, but that’s because what you’ve been eating IS a drug and you ARE addicted.

     Check out this site.
     http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/are-you-a-nutritarian.aspx
     It’s so easy to turn this around for yourselves and your kids. You can get the book at the library and then it’s just a matter of cleaning the crap out of your kitchen and shopping better.

     Like Robyn above, I was a food addict. My five siblings, my parents, most of my cousins are overweight or obese. I saw myself going down this same path in my early 20’s as my weight climbed higher and higher. Then I decided I was entirely responsible for changing my life. I am now thin and healthy (and NO I do not have “skinny genes”), as is my husband and our kids. It’s because we eat FOOD, not garbage, and we play outside riding our bikes, walking, just playing. It’s simple.

     Do it for your kids. This is something that’s entirely in your control.

110. Mimi on February 20th, 2010 2:37 pm

     I think it should be noted that not every child surrounded by unhealthy eating behaviors will suffer from food addiction as an adult, just like not everyone who drinks will become an alcoholic. A lot of my generation was raised on wonderbread, HFCS, processed cheese, and McDonalds, and we don’t all have eating disorders.

     Also, if a child is obese, food issues are *already* present.

111. JustLinda on February 20th, 2010 3:13 pm

     I started to read the comments as this is a topic very close to my heart.

     But just from the get-go, I got anxious and defensive and then the tears start to leak out without my permission.

     So I stopped reading them. I can’t. It’s too sensitive for me. You see, I have an obese child.

     I blog on this topic occasionally – most recently last month when I read another blog entry elsewhere that had me all wanting to explain to people that many of us parents ARE trying really hard.

     I do think it’s an important problem, and I’m not interested in fat-acceptance (the kind that means “let’s not try to address the root cause”) but I am interested in fat-acceptance in the “let’s not pass negative moral judgments on the children or parents dealing with this.

     I believe there is a lot more to be learned. And I think it’s WAY more complicated than just indulgent people (either parents indulgent with their kids, or fatties indulgent with themselves). Way more complicated.

     I fight my own weight battle – have undergone LapBand surgery last year.

     I invite anyone to come over my way and read more on this topic. It occupies my mind and is the subject of my writing quite regularly.

112. JustLinda on February 20th, 2010 3:24 pm

     I’m going to go on a bit more on this…

     I have always struggled with weight and I have 3 siblings who did not.

     I have 5 children of my own and only 1 of them has had any weight challenges.

     In both those cases, parenting was consistent, diet and activity levels all consistent.

     What is different is the genetic lottery.

     That does not abdicate my responsibility as a parent to give SPECIFIC support to my obese daughter tailored to her situation, and that is what I’m doing. But as someone else upstream pointed out, mental health is part of our overall health and so therein lies the balancing act – I want to keep her body healthy and keep her spirit/mind healthy.

     Most of what we have done for the past 5 years, we’ve done for ALL in the house… no singling anyone out. But now, she’s 8 and we have singled her out – she’s following a food plan. I don’t feel rabid certainty on this approach, but then again I’ve not felt rabid certainty about anything regarding how to handle obesity, either for myself or my child.

     I’m just doing my best.

     And I hate (really, really HATE) the judgment. I hate reading the superiority in the “Well, I don’t buy junk for MY kids and I make sure they are active…” where the underlying message seems to be “If only you parents of fatties would have thought of that, you wouldn’t have this problem.”

     Seriously, the claws come out together with the tears because I know a few others like me and we DO those things and we HAVE thought of that and we hate knowing that so many of the people out there in the world look at us and our children and make a judgment of moral failing. Fortunately, I keep what I’m thinking inside, mostly. Because it ain’t pretty, not pretty at all.

113. JustLinda on February 20th, 2010 3:48 pm

     It’s embarrassing to post a 3rd time in a row (gawd, I’m so sorry) but I had intended to link people to the post that is pertinent to this topic, and within this post are a few other links:

     http://justlinda.net/blog/?p=514

114. maggie on February 20th, 2010 4:08 pm

     I work on a project that focuses on systems and policy changes (such as healthier school food) to improve the health of young people, including preventing obesity. It is not just about personal responsibility, but also about the policy and systems that are barriers to healthier lifestyles. This is a particular problem for poor communities (which my project is focused on) where access to healthy food and safe spaces for physical activity are sometimes non-existent. These communities see more health problems due to obesity than others. For us, it is not that childhood obesity is so out of control (although it is a problem) but teaching habits young and changing the environment in which these kids live will hopefully ensure that the changes last a lifetime.

115. Lauren on February 20th, 2010 4:37 pm

     When I asked my 7 year old daughter recently what she will look like when she’s a teenager, she responded that she’ll be skinny, not chubby or fat. She is a perfect example of how body image conscious girls are in this society. Her friends all watch what in our house are labeled “teenager shows,” mostly Disney like Hannah Montana and that’s not uncommon with little girls. She is not permitted to watch teenager shows, but society’s expectation that girls be pretty and thin hasn’t escaped her. Her father is overweight and she recognized this very young. She takes after her father and has a larger build. She’s always been tall for her age. Her father was fullgrown height at age 13 and I expect she will have a fully developed body by that age as well. That in itself is worrisome as it attracts male attention at too young an age. Since some of my husband’s issues with food stem from his parent’s own issues, we have been conscious of not using food as punishment or reward. Still, I am concerned she will be prone to developing an eating disorder. I have recently become vegetarian. It was a year long transition and haven’t required anyone else in the family to change. However, this affects her ideas of food and what is good or bad food. She eats many vegetarian lunches and told me compared to her friends her lunches are weird. Kids are also starting to give her a hard time, such as telling her her red pepper slices smell bad. She understands that most kids do not eat vegetables like she does. Society’s usage of “nonfoods” (completely processed foods full of preservatives, artificial coloring and flavoring) is a huge component in childhood obesity. My opinion of food and society’s opinion is making it very confusing for kids. Our governmental sponsered movement to prevent childhood obesity will fail because it supports the food guide pyramid which I believe is very flawed. See: http://www.detoxtheworld.com/

116. Anonymous on February 20th, 2010 4:38 pm

     I’m posting anonymously only because I’m talking about my family and I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’ve spoken my mind about this issue to them before and it wasn’t terribly well received.

     I think childhood obesity is a real issue because it is causing/is going to cause health problems for the children. That’s sad.

     I think kids can be fat for different reasons, as others have said. I think sometimes there are issues that have nothing to do with what a parent feeds a child.

     However, I will say that (1) Where I live, most people are not very affluent. As a matter of fact, many people are quite poor and many people around here struggle with substance abuse. Frankly, I see that the kids are fed really badly. (Disclaimer: I AM NOT saying that if your kid is heavy you are poor and addicted to The Drugs. Heavens, no.) The school lunches? Suck. My kids’ school provides breakfast because they receive a grant that pays for that. What is breakfast? Bagelfuls (did I spell that right?), powdered donuts, “honeybuns,” sugary cereal. CRAP. It makes me furious. I’ve heard that the issue has been raised year after year with the woman in charge of making these decisions for the school district and she simply informs everyone that she knows what she is doing. Oh, okay. I pack my kids’ lunches and never, ever let them buy lunch. If they are going to eat garbage, I will feed it to them. And sometimes I do, you know, once in a while. A lot of kids get packed really crappy lunches, too. Sometimes, I’m appalled. We are not super-perfect eaters at our house, but geez, Louise. (2) To reveal something a little more personal, I know my mom would say that she fed my brother and me the exact same food and we just turned out with different body types. She will swear that she tried to get him to exercise and you just can’t force someone. BUT it’s not quite like that. She always made garbage available to him. To me, too, to a certain extent, but if he asked for junk, he got it, and he did ask. “No” should have happened a lot more often. That’s a parent’s job. And in our home, there was not a culture of movement and activity. I guess you can’t nag at a kid and make him move, but if everyone is doing it, I think that kid is much more likely to move. Instead, it was just, “You get up and move. I’m going to sit here and watch TV.” I was the exeception: I was active and I didn’t overindulge (at that time). I think that is where the personality difference came into play, but I don’t think personality would have had as much of an effect in determining the difference in my weight and my brother’s, in childhood, at least, if our household had a different culture of healthy eating and movement, you know, if we all did it together.

117. Rachel on February 20th, 2010 4:45 pm

     ohmylord, justlinda, you made me cry just now, with this:

     ****
     And I hate (really, really HATE) the judgment. I hate reading the superiority in the “Well, I don’t buy junk for MY kids and I make sure they are active…” where the underlying message seems to be “If only you parents of fatties would have thought of that, you wouldn’t have this problem.”
     ****

     YES. Seriously. Because obviously we just let them sit around and shove Cheez-its dipped in Cheez Whiz in their mouths while they stare blank-faced at the TV all day, right?

     The thing is that this is the IN thing to be all hyperaggressive and smug about right now. For some people — and I try hard not to envy them — thinness comes more naturally, both from a genetic and a cultural perspective. We have a family of neighbor kids with not an ounce of spare flesh on their bones ANYWHERE, and their parents are both the same way. Our families, on the other hand — mine and my husband’s, and ours together — have never had skinny people in them. Some of our relatives aren’t overweight, and none of us are the kind of overweight that requires special consideration, say, on airlines, but all of us tend to be on the high end of the dreaded BMI percentile range. And yet this is supposed to be something we can just alter. Kudos to you if you have, and I hope *I* can, but it ISN’T easy and it ISN’T simple and it ISN’T something we haven’t already tried, contrary to what many people seem to think about those of us with weight issues. Yeah, it’s totally simple to undo untold generations’ worth of attitudes about food… and while we’re at it we’ll just tinker around with our DNA and excise a few million fat cells, because both are equally easy.

118. JustLinda on February 20th, 2010 7:09 pm

     Here are a few more thoughts. (You were waiting for me to come back, admit it… you thought 3 posts? And so much to say? She’ll be back. Ha. Egads, I’m a windbag…)

     There was a time not too long ago where depression and other disorders now known to be due to physiological issues, including brain chemistry and such were thought to be moral failings, behavioral. “Just pull yerself up by yer BOOTSTRAPS, for goodness sakes!” they were told.

     We now know that depression and many other conditions are not quite so simple to overcome – yes, there is a behavior component, and yes, we have some ability to impact that. But we are fighting physiological DRIVES here, people. Telling someone not to eat when their body is screaming for food is akin to telling them not to breathe when their body is screaming for air. It’s bound to fail, and we have a lot of evidence that it is failing big time.

     Our experts have so much to learn here, and they are all over the board regarding the WHY of it and especially the WHAT WE SHOULD DO of it.

     Obesity is not a moral failing. I don’t know exactly WHAT it is, but I know it’s a complex problem. It involves genetics and the western diet, the infrastructure of our lives, and yes – behavior too.

     But we will NOT solve it by laying all the responsibility on the shoulders of the fat people and the parents of overweight children. It’s BIGGER than that (no pun intended). We need to understand it better and we need to attack the problem SYSTEMATICALLY.

     I highly HIGHLY recommend a few books:

     Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

     The Hungry Gene, The Inside Story of the Obesity Industry by Ellen Ruppel Shell

     In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

     There are tons of books out there, and it’s a bit of choose-your-religion because they don’t all point you in the same direction on what to eat and how to eat. However, it’s all still fascinating to read and learn of. These books take a look at the road leading up to obesity, the past century and more, and the science behind what we think we know. Fascinating, I’m telling you. You will walk away challenging many of the things you think you know.

119. Gina on February 20th, 2010 9:56 pm

     I know that obesity is a problem. But as a person who has lived as a skinny, average, AND over weight adult, I also know that I am aware of my weight. I am aware of the affects of it. And I don’t like it. But it’s very very hard, and having the whole world looking at you, and criticizing you and seeing you as something less appealing, less worthy sucks. And it sucks extra because no one is looking at you, and criticizing you and seeing you as something less appealing, less worthy as much as you are yourself.

     And I know that the best thing you can do to treat obesity is to prevent it and that should start young, but when the school system is dictating what I send my kid for lunch or snack with rules that are so strict and yet still can allow a (pre-packaged) twinkie, but not some celery & carrot sticks I bagged myself then we clearly need to calm the fuck down a little.

120. akeeyu on February 20th, 2010 10:18 pm

     You can’t keep anybody from getting fat. You just can’t.

     I mean, didn’t your parents make you eat all your vegetables and try that (insert disgusting food here), even though you hated it, and make sure you finished your (healthy food) before you had your (awesome food)?

     Just about everybody’s parents did that. It’s a safe bet that 80 to 90% of the parents of overweight adults did that, too, and it wasn’t a magic bullet.

     I really like Ellyn Satter’s books on feeding kids. Basically, you offer healthy foods, they pick what and how much to eat. Period.

     Her theory is that some kids are going to be fat. Some fat kids are going to grow into fat adults. You can’t stop them, and it’s not your job to run around slapping forks out of their mouths. It’s your job to provide healthy meals.

     You can give kids healthy attitudes about food, but in the long run, that’s IT.

121. SKL on February 21st, 2010 8:06 am

     Does anyone see any parallels between the way parents approach good nutrition and general versus they way they approach food allergies? Nobody recommends that parents avoid all talk of food allergies. I have never heard of a link between food allergy talk in childhood and eating disorders later on. So why is general unhealthy-food talk banned?

122. Anonymous on February 21st, 2010 11:36 am

     I am yet to meet a fat vegan.

     Kids don’t become overweight gorging themselves on carrots and broccoli.

123. JustLinda on February 21st, 2010 2:14 pm

     Wondering how many children Anonymous has brought up… {rolleyes}

124. Simon on February 21st, 2010 3:13 pm

     It would be a mistake to completely eliminate childhood obesity because every kids movie about a rag-tag group of misfits that pulls together to win the league chapionship needs a fat kid.

     I’m just sayin’.

125. Jen on February 21st, 2010 7:12 pm

     I am commenting late in the game because I have been just hanging back and reading the comments for the last couple of days. So many great points are made. Of course child obesity is a problem that needs to be addressed, nobody can deny that in light of THE FACTS.

     Personally, I think the industrial revolution is to blame in large part because it allowed for everything to be massed produced with an increasing MINIMUM of human PHYSICAL effort and was responsible for the production of things like HFCS and all that processed WHITE FLOUR and packaged foods, etc, etc, etc.

     We just need to get back to our agrarian roots as a society. Food used to be such a different thing altogether. It used to be something we worked for, in one way or another, and now our society has become dependent on food BYPRODUCTS because of how we have developed over the last century.

     We have to start somewhere. The emergence of the organic movement is a START, but even processed foods can be organic. We just need to get back to our roots and make infrustructure changes that can make WHOLE FOODS affordable and available to ALL social classes in ALL areas of the U.S.

     It’s a crazy, long road ahead to make it happen, but for those of us that have the ability financially and otherwise, it’s a start.

126. Nila on February 22nd, 2010 12:56 am

     While I agree that we should all embrace our bodies for what they are, I think that also send the message that it’s okay to be over weight.

     The other day while having dinner with my friend who is obese, I noticed that she covered a fairly healthy meal with ranch dressing. It is about choices and our children are well aware of the choices we make in our lives. We should lead by example and I do believe that it all begins with us. We have to equip our children with what they will need in life, and that includes self awareness.

     Love your body, but strive for a healthier body. While I realize that it’s harder for some, it is about choices. Like not covering your healthy veggies and meat in ranch dressing.

127. D on February 22nd, 2010 8:17 am

     I should know better than to comment AGAIN, but I remembered something that I really wanted to add. A lot of people scoff at overweight people and say something like “our ancestors weren’t overweight, so genetics isn’t an excuse.” A few people have made that comment here. But those people fail to acknowledge that a lot of our ancestors burned more calories just working than we do – Americans work more hours now than they did 50 years ago. I work in an office, and I spend minimum 10 hours a day at my desk (and often have to work on the weekends). I do try to get up and walk around, and I try my best to squeeze in a gym session for lunch, but my job is very demanding and I have to be sitting here working most of the time. Of course I’m going to burn fewer calories than my ancestors from 3 generations ago, who were day laborers. That shouldn’t shock anyone.

     This is not to say that you can’t work an office job and exercise – Linda is proving that that’s doable. But personally, I struggle every day trying to find the time to exercise. I try my best to make it a priority, and I think I’m doing a decent job, but being heavier than my grandmother was at my age doesn’t mean that I’m simply a lazy person who shovels Cheetos into her mouth.

128. Jen on February 22nd, 2010 10:08 am

     Dear Linda:

     Its complicated.

     :)

     Jen

129. Debs3 on February 22nd, 2010 11:11 am

     I don’t know if someone else replied to warcrygirl and I missed it, but I wanted to clarify that WIC is a supplemental food program and that you can only buy the certain foods listed. Which, by the way, are not junk foods, but healthy choices such as juice, eggs, fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, milk, etc. See the information here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/benefitsandservices/foodpkgallowances.HTM

     I do not agree that everyone needs goverment intervention to decide what is or isn’t healthy, but let’s not throw a good program under the bus.

130. L on February 22nd, 2010 12:10 pm

     I found it really sad when my daughters little friends all started talking about weight and dieting at her 9th birthday party…this should not be a concern of 9 year old’s.

131. marilyn on February 22nd, 2010 12:50 pm

     I think even people who promote fat acceptance can agree that getting kids better access to healthy foods and more opportunities to be active is a good thing.

     The trickier aspects of the program to me, are the emphasis on BMI, which is controversial and simplistic, and whether the program will yield sensitive responses to overweight kids, or more ostracizing than they already get. I’ve seen studies that show that the more thought an overweight person gives to their weight, the more likely it is that they’ll GAIN weight, which is frustrating and sad. Here’s hoping that the emphasis will lean toward being active and eating well, and not on weight, per se.

     I also would be so pissed if I were Malia Obama, whose dad said something, with the disclaimer “though you’d never know it now!” about her having gotten a little chubby a few years ago. WTF?

132. tonya on February 22nd, 2010 1:06 pm

     Being overweight (obese) myself, this is my greatest fear for my kids. My 3 year old doesn’t even know what lies ahead for her. I was a fat kid, skinny (eating disorder) teen, and obese adult. My husband is not skinny and sees no reason to curb his eating habits or take on exercise in any way shape or form. I feel like I am combating the inevitable by myself (and have told him so on many occasions).

     That being said, I don’t believe we can’t ever have treats because we are already fat. However, they are “treats”, not every day or every meal. I try to reward good behavior with a high five and a hug rather than food, but let’s face it, sometimes ice cream helps. I have her in skating and gymnastics 3 days a week. We also live in NW Minnesota, so there’s not a whole lot of outdoors time (although, when we hit 30 degrees yesterday, we were out the door for a walk – but she was in the stroller).

     As of today, there is no weight problem. I know it’s only a matter of time. I want her to embrace who she is, and love herself enough to want to be healthy, not skinny.

     I don’t feel I want the government to intervene, however, if it makes healthy foods cheaper – or makes our manufacturing/growing processes better then I am all for it.

     (wow, that was lengthy!)

133. JustLinda on February 22nd, 2010 1:23 pm

     L, reading your comment – that you find it sad that 9 year olds are talking about this… I hope what you mean is that you wish 9 year olds didn’t HAVE to to worry about it. Not that it’s wrong for 9 year olds to know/talk about it. I’m not sure what you meant, to be honest.

     Last night was Trophy Night at our school and afterward, we took the kids out for ice cream to celebrate. As I said, I have an 8 year old who is obese. In January, we started a food plan with her. Oh, we’ve been trying to help her behind the scenes for years but we weren’t getting anywhere with that. So we moved on to a food plan made for her, based on her needs and likes and she’s been following it for a couple months now. (By the way, she’s dropped 7 pounds.)

     So last night we want to go out for ice cream. We need to find a treat for my daughter that will work within her food plan so we open up the web site for the ice cream shop and we look at the nutritional information. My daughter sees a hot fudge sundae is 1,500 calories and she says “Oh WOW. That’s more than I get in a WHOLE DAY!!” It was eye-opening for her.

     We then look at the kiddy menu and find something for 300 calories (a real splurge for my kid these days) and she’s happy as a clam.

     THIS is why some kids are talking about calories and fat. Because some kids NEED to. We have an obesity epidemic – we cannot stick our heads in the sand. These kids NEED to know this stuff so that before they choose a hot fudge sundae, they realize it’s more than a whole DAY’S worth of calories in that one treat.

     My kid needs to. I WISH it wasn’t so, but denying it won’t make it better. I hate that she has to deal with this (I hated when *I* dealt with being the fat kid) but we all have to play the hand we’re dealt.

     Those of us with an overweight kid… we are criticized for whatever we do. If we TALK about fat and calories, we are stealing their innocence. If we DON’T talk about it, we are putting our heads in the sand. If we put them on a food plan, we are condemning them to a future eating disorder, if we don’t put them on an eating plan, we are letting them be obese and endangering their health.

     Some of us parents ARE trying really hard and just don’t know which way to turn – we’re doing our best. What else can we do?

     But we cannot solve this alone. It’s systemic. It is embedded into our lives, our schools, the infrastructure of everything. As parents, we can only do so much for our individual children.

     As a society, coming together, we can do more. I, for one, am glad to see Michelle Obama take this one on. I hope that just in terms of AWARENESS, we make some progress.

     I’m ready to leave the judgment behind and work on how to move forward. Of course, I’ve never been a big fan of anyone playing their parental superiority trump cards (even if I am occasionally guilty of the same).

134. lisa on February 22nd, 2010 3:23 pm

     @D, you said:
     “But those people fail to acknowledge that a lot of our ancestors burned more calories just working than we do – Americans work more hours now than they did 50 years ago.”

     What you said is absolutely true. It also means we don’t need nearly as many calories as they did to maintain the same weight if we’re sitting in offices for 10 hours a day.

135. Debs3 on February 23rd, 2010 1:10 pm

     JustLinda,
     I think you ROCK for working so hard with your daughter. I wish more mom’s approached weight, health and well being with honesty and choices instead of condemnation, secrets or forced dieting.

136. akeeyu on February 26th, 2010 2:43 am

     Simon, you are awesome with sprinkles.

137. Nickles on March 16th, 2010 12:28 pm

     Well, I’m late to the party, but I wanted to thank you, Linda, for asking this question. It’s one I’ve been struggling with recently, and I don’t really have any answers. Reading the comments has been enlightening (and occasionally depressing).

     My stepson is 12 years old and overweight, especially in the belly and torso. He’s recently begun swim lessons and I have discovered that he has sagging breasts, poor kiddo. (When his top is off, he stands slouched, with his arms crossed over them, so it’s quite obvious he’s aware of and probably has been teased for the extra weight.) I’m frankly rather flabbergasted, because I thought we’d been doing a fine job of keeping an eye on his physical activity and feeding him healthy foods. For the record: he does not eat large amounts of food at any meal; soda is a rare treat around our house; he rides his bike to & from school every day, and has PE 4 times a week at school where he runs around for about 45 minutes (well, except for that week when they were doing badminton; I’m not convinced about the cardiovascular benefits of badminton). During the week he maybe watches 1-2 hours of TV, though he does get in a couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings while we sleep in. He goes outside and shoots hoops, plays tetherball, runs around with wooden swords, rides his bike or skateboard, etc. For breakfast he usually has oatmeal with a bit of fruit, and at dinner we have fresh veggies and health foods. I severely limit the amount of processed food that’s allowed into the house. Yes, we sometimes have desserts (his dad insists) — maybe twice a week? Yes we sometimes eat fast food, but always with the understanding that we will need to make up for it with more fiber, more veggies, more good foods.

     Despite this, my first reaction is: OMG, where are we (I) failing? Is his school lunch not healthy enough? Oh, crap, he’s been having sandwiches every day, that’s a lot of bread, which is carbs, OMG WE’RE BAD PARENTS. But, really? Are we doing such a terrible job? Sadly, for our specific son, yeah, we need to be doing more (and so does he). His mom and his sister both struggle with weight, and he’s got some hypotonia issues (weak major muscles, a result of prematurity we think) that he struggles with. His dad didn’t have weight problems as a kid, but he was also involved in a ridiculous number of sports, despite not really liking sports. And I’m afraid that’s going to be key for this particular kid: his genetics apparently predispose him, now that his hormones are changing, to need a *lot* of physical activity. Because apparently 20 minutes of biking twice a day plus 30-45 minutes running around during PE plus biking or skating or playing around outside every day isn’t enough for this child.

     And this is where I get really resentful of all the judgment I’ve been reading in some of the above comments. OK, sure, I can see room for improvement in our diets. I wish I never had to fall back on picking something up from the taqueria; I should probably cut out all sugar and bread products from our diets. We clearly need to get the kiddo into several organized sports (which is hard, by the way, when custody jumps back and forth and you have to make sure that both households can sustain the schedule, which is a whole other can of worms I won’t go into right now). But have we really fit the stereotype reflected in several of the comments, of parents who allow a sedentary, tv-filled life packed with soda and candy and junk food of all kinds?

     I’ve gone on for too long already, and I’m a few weeks late, so I’ll hold off on trying to discuss the issue of how to approach this with my stepson. (This aspect of the initial question appears to have mostly fallen by the wayside, anyway.) I will say, though, that unlike little kids they’re beginning to have some autonomy in their lives, but unlike high schoolers they still think more like little kids. By which I mean that they aren’t very good yet at looking at the larger nutritional picture and making well-informed decisions with zero supervision. Or maybe that’s just my kid.

138. Nickles on March 16th, 2010 2:02 pm

     Since this is an old thread, I’m probably just talking to myself, but I had to pop back on to share. After reading and writing about childhood weight and eating and exercise, my mind’s been turning to my own history. What was my experience as a child? And, you know what? I’m almost 40 years old, and have very little in common with those folks who talk about the good old days when kids stayed out until the streetlights came on. I’m sure that was true for many of my classmates, but I was as sedentary as they come, from the earliest of ages. (Comment from mother of tiny & active toddler to my own mom: Boy, Nickles sure is a…placid baby.) While others ran around and played, I sit and read, or daydreamed or what-have-you. Physical activity was uncomfortable for me (these days my parents would probably be taking me to an OT for sensory issues, and muscle laxity issues), and I avoided it whenever possible. If we want to overgeneralize, well, kids “nowadays” are heavily scheduled into all sorts of organized sports and physical activities that didn’t exist when I was young.

     As for my eating, well. From 5th grade on, I was a candy-eating fiend. Huge portions of my allowance went to candy and junk food, and there was even one shameful instance of stealing from someone’s coin jar to feed my candy hunger. The walk home from the busstop allowed me to purchase donuts or cookies or candy, plus soda, which I did every.single.day. In high school I didn’t eat anything until “nutrition” break, when I usually bought a school burrito and a soda, and then lunch was a school burger and soda, with perhaps a candy bar. When I was allowed off-campus in senior year, lunch was usually Taco Bell or some other fast-food joint. Food at home was alright, nutritionally. There were veggies and wheat bread, but there was also Velveeta and Cokes.

     I did join a sports team when I was 16-17, but before and after that my life continued to be majorly sedentary. Yet despite the lack of exercise and the terrible eating habits, I was somewhere between well-proportioned and skinny until I hit the age of 21. I’m not sure if it was hormones, or the living with a guy who go home at 11pm so that I ate a second, pasta-laden dinner every night or just the usual relationship pounds.

     So I guess what I’m getting at is that I *do* think that genetic and environmental factors play a role in weight gain. It’s just that different bodies have differing threshholds and responses.

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