Chubby Kids...

[mkingdomlvr]

I think that there is also a lot of denial when dealing with obesity. And portion size is definitely a culprit. Fruits and veggies are a great alternative to junk food, but it still has to be in moderation.

I, personally, think that it also has to do with the hormones in our milk and meat products. With all of the steroids and antibiotics that they put into those cows, I think it absolutely has an affect on humans who are consuming it.

I agree! How many times do you hear people say-"it's genetics, it's my metabolism, I'm just a big person..." Yes, genetics, metabolism and family history DO matter, but they are NOT the issue in every case.

Bottom line (pardon the pun) we as a country have got to wake up, stop making excuses and make serious changes. If the majority of our citizens ate nutritious food and got 30 minutes a day of exercise, that would really be the health care reform we need!

 

[java]

How about letting kids have recess again? Around here they have cut recess to only K-4 grade and it's only 20 minutes long.
Growing up recess is where I ran around like a lunatic for the entire 45 minutes.

Avoiding HFCS is an easy way to change eating habits. Generally products with that in it are highly processed and not the best for you. (not to turn this into a HFCS debate but just another idea. )

 

[mjkacmom]

I think portion size plays a big role in the problem. For example, on WW, 2 slices of pizza and a soda would use up all of my points for the day. However, many people wouldn't hesitate to eat 2 slices (or more) of pizza. I think most people underestimate the calorie content of what they eat. I remember when I started dating DH, and he thought a pint of ice cream was a serving!

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Thank you to all of you who see this for what it is. I think it is a very importnant issue in today's world. That needs a closer look.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

I think portion size plays a big role in the problem. For example, on WW, 2 slices of pizza and a soda would use up all of my points for the day. However, many people wouldn't hesitate to eat 2 slices (or more) of pizza. I think most people underestimate the calorie content of what they eat. I remember when I started dating DH, and he thought a pint of ice cream was a serving!

Portion size was a huge eye-opener for us too! We had a nutritionist speak at our church and she showed us something very similar to the pictures in a previous post. I measure everything I make now-except vegetables! DH even measures his cup of cereal in the morning!

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I love your post! I was a very skinny child and a very skinny adult (until I turned 40 ). In fact, my teachers in elementary school used to give me their extra cookies, bread-and-butter, etc. because they knew or suspected I was not being fed properly at home. Judging people by their weight reminds me very much of the ECV threads on the Theme Parks board where people speculate and criticize people for using electric carts at Disney "when they are not really disabled."

You can NOT look at somebody and determine their health, ability, disabilities, etc. We are not clairvoyant! As another poster mentioned, she has a friend whose child has gained lots of weight because of treatment for a brain tumor. I've met numerous people who are weighty because of their heart disease, or skinny because they have cystic fibrosis and burn double the calories of a healthy person.

We need to all try not to judge people on the basis of the quick snapshot we see when we look at them.

Just wanted to repost. That I am not juding anyone.
Of course, I think we can all understand that there are people in our lives who are heavy beyond their control. My own mother had a thyroid issue. That really is not the point.

Yes, seeing a big kid in the grocery store or wherever for that matter reminds me of the issues at hand. But I don't sit there and say to myself or anyone.."OMG< look at them, they don't need that!" I am just reminded of society's issues with obesity and how it is effecting even the most innocent. THE CHILDREN!
The point is about those folks that feed junk to their kids, w/o a second thought. Then those kids grow up with a load of health issues, social issues, and have to dig their way out as uninformed adults.

I am that person, I know how that goes.

And I do agree that a lot of parents and people in general are in denial about their eating and their weight. I HAVE BEEN THERE TOO!

I think that you CAN overeat on ANY FOOD. Not just junk. I think that portions need to be examined more than anything.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

And to further illustrate this issue, here is part of the problem. Portion sizes have increased significantly in the past several decades.

This gives an example of portion sizes in the 1950s vs today:

So although we may think we're eating "healthy foods", we also have to pay close attention to serving sizes, too.

Another article:

THank you for all the great info!

 

[TomLovesBecky]

I also recently read a study that linked childhood obesity to the lack of sleep in our children. It said something like-children 6 and under need at least 12-16 hours of combined sleep(naps and nightime) a day and children 6-12 needed at least 10-12 hours a day. It said that sleep regulates the metabolism.

People think I am strange for making my kids sleep as much as they do, but I find they stay healthy and are less prone to temper tantrums if they get 12-14 hours sleep per day.

Hmm, that's very interesting to me. I have one kid (my youngest, boy) who has NEVER slept more than 10 hours in a 24 hr. period, even including naps, even when he was a newborn. The rest were "normal" or average sleepers (by my estimate). This child is very lean and muscular. Not skinny, because he has muscle and is very, very athletic (you name a sport, he has probably tried and enjoyed and been good at it). By far he is the most athletic and "in shape" of all my kids, although the others range in normal, healthy weights for their size, etc. (according to the ped). They just aren't as active naturally nor do they have the same level of musculature. I always thought he was just a little freaky, and now I think so even more after reading that info! Anyway, all attempts by me to get him to sleep more haven't worked. I tried for years and finally gave up. For a while, his bedtime was later than that of his older siblings because I didn't want him waking up at 5 AM when he didn't have to be anywhere until 9. He still stays up what I consider very late for a child of his age, but he has boundless energy and is at a healthy weight. Anyone else have a kid like this?

 

[DisneyBeagle]

We are so used to eating until we are stuffed and not satisfied. Many people believe that if they don't have that stuffed feeling like you get after eating a Thanksgiving meal, then they are still hungry.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

We are so used to eating until we are stuffed and not satisfied. Many people believe that if they don't have that stuffed feeling like you get after eating a Thanksgiving meal, then they are still hungry.

I agree. Very much so.

 

[mkingdomlvr]

We are so used to eating until we are stuffed and not satisfied. Many people believe that if they don't have that stuffed feeling like you get after eating a Thanksgiving meal, then they are still hungry.

We're also a nation of mindless eaters. We eat when we are bored, thirsty, at the movies, watching TV-good grief, parents bring food for kids to eat during an hour long church service!

If we only ate when we were actually hungry, that would help too, but like that feeling of being satisfied, we don't know what hungry really feels like either.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

We're also a nation of mindless eaters. We eat when we are bored, thirsty, at the movies, watching TV-good grief, parents bring food for kids to eat during an hour long church service!

If we only ate when we were actually hungry, that would help too, but like that feeling of being satisfied, we don't know what hungry really feels like either.

I used to work for the local recreation department and would oversee the t-ball and soccer games during the summer. Parents started out bringing small snacks for the kids to help rehydrate them after the game like oranges and gatorade. A few years later the snacks had morphed into large cookies, pizza, soda and juice pouches. Everything we do involves food.

 

[Cindyluwho]

We are so used to eating until we are stuffed and not satisfied. Many people believe that if they don't have that stuffed feeling like you get after eating a Thanksgiving meal, then they are still hungry.

I firmly believe that if you keep eating after you are full, YOU ARE WASTING FOOD!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Portion control is one of several reasons we are NOT doing DDP.

Of course, DH and I routinely take home food to the puppies or just leave it on our plates at restaurants.

Now I'm off to exercise. I'm thinking I'm off in the head. . .5th night in a row to exercise. I was TOMming this week and ate and ate and ate. So I'm paying and paying and paying. But Oh! The wonderful sugar rushes I've have this week!

 

[aprilgail2]

I used to work for the local recreation department and would oversee the t-ball and soccer games during the summer. Parents started out bringing small snacks for the kids to help rehydrate them after the game like oranges and gatorade. A few years later the snacks had morphed into large cookies, pizza, soda and juice pouches. Everything we do involves food.

That drives me crazy during soccer and baseball- its always "who's turn is it to buy snack"- my daughter really does not need a snack to play soccer for an hour or to play a few innings of ball. She can have a bottle of water and make it through just fine-no need for eating just to run around for an hour. However did we do it as kids without our parents standing by to shove food down our throats for playing a little ball??

 

[Todd&Copper]

I think that there is also a lot of denial when dealing with obesity. And portion size is definitely a culprit. Fruits and veggies are a great alternative to junk food, but it still has to be in moderation.

I, personally, think that it also has to do with the hormones in our milk and meat products. With all of the steroids and antibiotics that they put into those cows, I think it absolutely has an affect on humans who are consuming it.

I agree with this completely. I am large framed and currently about 15 or 20 lbs over my ideal weight (I can thank the holidays for an extra 5). I *used* to be almost 50 lbs over my ideal weight. I thought I was eating healthily. And I was eating lots of veggies and fruits, whole grains and lean meats. But I was eating double or triple the serving size for so many things. I just assumed that I was genetically pre-determined to be a bigger girl. After all, my dad was huge (now much closer to his ideal weight, thanks to diet and exercise, after learning he has diabetes), his whole family was huge, my mom is a little overweight (15 lbs. maybe), but her mom is a plus-size woman, and my aunt and her family are all obese, too.

Once I started couonting calories and measuring out my food, I was shocked at how much "extra" healthy food I was eating. For dinner, I routinely ate 8 - 10 oz. of lean chicken, fish or steak, instead of a more appropriate 4 - 6 oz. serving. I was eating a full cup of wild rice or other grain, rahter than a half cup. I was eating 2 cups of breakfast cereal, or granola scared1 instead of the 1 cup or 4 oz. serving size. Sure, it wasn't chips and ice cream, but it was still TOO MUCH FOOD.

The other big thing is exercise. When I was 50 lbs. overweight, I was severely depressed and didn't do much. I watched A LOT of TV. Now, I walk during my lunch break, jog with my dogs at night, and try to work in at least 2 days of strenght training each week. It makes a huge difference.

I strayed off a bit for the holidays, but jumped right back in once I got home. When I first started measuring my food and exercising more, it was really hard. After a couple of days, I was ready to give up and buy a pint of Ben & Jerry's and be done with it, and resign myself to a life of size 16 clothes. But after about a week, I found that I really wasn't hungry for snacks, and it was impossible to eat big restaurant-sized meals without feeling like yakking.

While I sympathize with everyone who is obese, and applaud their efforts to better themselves, I think our society does its obese members no favors. I know in school, the "fat kid" was 20-30s bigger than the average, and was teased. Fat rolls were hidden under roomy shirts. There were no "cool" plus-size clothes; you had to buy things at the "pretty plus" section of Sears and JCP. Nowadays, you can't go to the mall without seeing girls and boys who are easily 50 - 60 lbs. too heavy, wearing clothes which does ntohing to hide it. It is good that these kids are not being made to feel as badly as I did for being chubby as a tween, but I fear the strenght of the "fat acceptance" movement prevents anyone [except maybe their doctors, if they even going for regular check-ups] from telling them like it is - they need to lose weight and develop healthy habits now to prevent health problems later.

 

[MushyMushy]

I was in the store yesterday looking at the magazines at the checkout. Most of the women's magazines had articles on "Lose 15 pounds in a week!" or "Best weight loss secrets!" and then would show a picture of a big piece of chocolate layer cake with yummy white icing. When you flip through those magazines, you'll get 2-4 pages of this new diet plan (which is really just a rehashed 1500 calorie diet) and then 20 pages of fattening recipes for whatever season it is.

With all these mixed messages, is it any wonder some of us have so many problems?

 

[Briarmom]

OK, so thin mom, with her thin kids...cause you see it ALL the time with them as well! But they are thin now, so it is OK!?

The statements of it is fat adults making fat kids that I find wrong wrong wrong! At least where I live anyway. Seems to me...said ti before, that most of these overweight kids now a days aren't coming from heavy parents, but "normal" sized ones!

I rarely see a 'normal sized' adult when I'm in the US. I don't mean that to attack the States (I am an American, and I am working to lose about 25 pounds myself), but it's true.
I've been given a great chance to see how Europeans look, and lemme tell you, they aren't fat. We just got back from Disneyland Paris (again) and I saw very few fat people and even fewer fat kids. The parks were packed, by the way, with waits at 45-100 minutes per ride. Overweight people stand out here like crazy. When I go home to the States, it's culture shock.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I rarely see a 'normal sized' adult when I'm in the US. I don't mean that to attack the States (I am an American, and I am working to lose about 25 pounds myself), but it's true.
I've been given a great chance to see how Europeans look, and lemme tell you, they aren't fat. We just got back from Disneyland Paris (again) and I saw very few fat people and even fewer fat kids. The parks were packed, by the way, with waits at 45-100 minutes per ride. Overweight people stand out here like crazy. When I go home to the States, it's culture shock.

I've heard of this, too. And you always think of their culture somewhat revolving around food. I'm guessing it has to do with eating the right kinds of food and portion control. We have such a skewed view on eating here, it is insane! It's either don't eat at all and look like a skeleton, or eat for comfort because you don't....

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I was in the store yesterday looking at the magazines at the checkout. Most of the women's magazines had articles on "Lose 15 pounds in a week!" or "Best weight loss secrets!" and then would show a picture of a big piece of chocolate layer cake with yummy white icing. When you flip through those magazines, you'll get 2-4 pages of this new diet plan (which is really just a rehashed 1500 calorie diet) and then 20 pages of fattening recipes for whatever season it is.

With all these mixed messages, is it any wonder some of us have so many problems?

That and the "diets". The so called diets don't work for the long haul.
We've become so accustomed to having to be on a diet to lose weight constantly.

You go on the diet, lose the weight. Go off the diet. Put the weight back on. Go on another diet. Lose the weight. Go off the diet and put the weight back on. Etc, etc.

We have to chance our way of thinking. Put ourselves on a permanent diet. Not one to lose weight. But one to last a lifetime.

Admittedly, I am overweight. But, I'm hypoglycemic and 4'7". Even though I do try to eat fairly healthy, my economic condition doesn't allow me to pay the extra money for the better food all the time.
I really eat whatever I want. I just try to control the amount of the bad stuff as much as I can.

There's another thing that needs to change in our society. Stop making the bad food much cheaper than the good stuff. It costs me more money to make something from scratch without all the extra fat, sugar and chemicals than it does to buy it pre-made with all the extra crap. But then, I cook either only for myself or me and my dad.

My weight problem also stems from lack of exercise. I don't get near as much as I should. But, I have mostly maintained my weight for years. I'm not getting any heavier.