Obesity in Kids (America, church, organization, Article)

[Ciscokid]

Heh, I remember going to a parent/teacher conference and the school cafeteria director stood up and gave a speech about putting timers on all the vending machines as well as not selling sodas anymore etc.

She then said let's start the party....the cotton candy is to the left and the footlongs are on the right. I thought it was humorous at the time.

[kateyes]

I have to say I think (at least in the US)--the government has far to much involvement in our daily lives as it is. So I would agree with you SunMessenger about not inviting the government to become any more involved--the problem on this issue is they are already involved. The National School Lunch progam is govt mandated--it was created in 1946 by President Harry Truman--to guaranteed that children attending school received at least 1 nutritional meal a day. The food served is received from the Federal Govt ( and it is generally food items like beef, pork and dairy that the govt is paying subsidies to farmers). The program is run by the FDA and like many government programs that had good intentions to begin with--became just one more waste of our Federal tax dollars. Now it includes fun things like catsup counts as a vegetable(I know I keep on about that but it is so stupid) If programs like the Jamie Oliver program in the UK--or banning junk food advertising can help cut down on the problem why not? If the government of the US is going to be held accountable for things isn't it about time we started making them do things right.

[tcprowling]

Kids are getting fatter, but what they eat may not be to blame, according to an Australian authored historical analysis of children's diets and activity patterns. A report in the latest edition of Australasian Science magazine says a 12-year-old Australian boy in 2006 is, on average, seven kilograms heavier and 25 per cent fatter than his counterpart from 1970.
The changes are due to increasing overweight caused by an energy imbalance brought about by either an increase in energy intake or a decrease in energy expenditure, or both, according to the report.
The article brings together 1,600 studies on more than 257,000 children and their diets from 25 developed countries.
Children's diets have changed dramatically over the past century due to the effect of technologies such as improved transport, canning and refrigeration, the report says.
The fat content of diets appears to have reached a peak in about
1965, when it accounted for about 40 per cent of total daily kilojoules.
But the report says the contribution of fat has been falling since then and in most developed countries it is now about 35 per cent.
Between 1955 and 1985 reported energy intake fell by four per cent per decade and there was a further flattening out in energy intake between 1985 and 1995, according to Australasian Science.
"These results are very surprising given that these apparent decreases in energy intake were occurring at a time when childhood overweight and obesity were increasing rapidly," the report says.
"If energy intakes really were declining, there must have been drastic declines in energy expenditure."
The average Australian child now spends about four hours a day in front of a screen of some sort, a finding which the report says suggests massive energy expenditure decreases over the past decades are conceivable.
The report also found that recent data indicates that energy intake may be on the rise again.
"If these trends are confirmed, children face the double impact of reduced energy expenditure and increased energy intake."
AAP

[SunMessenger]

Originally Posted by kateyes

I have to say I think (at least in the US)--the government has far to much involvement in our daily lives as it is. So I would agree with you SunMessenger about not inviting the government to become any more involved--the problem on this issue is they are already involved. The National School Lunch progam is govt mandated--it was created in 1946 by President Harry Truman--to guaranteed that children attending school received at least 1 nutritional meal a day. The food served is received from the Federal Govt ( and it is generally food items like beef, pork and dairy that the govt is paying subsidies to farmers). The program is run by the FDA and like many government programs that had good intentions to begin with--became just one more waste of our Federal tax dollars. Now it includes fun things like catsup counts as a vegetable(I know I keep on about that but it is so stupid) If programs like the Jamie Oliver program in the UK--or banning junk food advertising can help cut down on the problem why not? If the government of the US is going to be held accountable for things isn't it about time we started making them do things right.

I have found that many times the government re regulates matters already regulated. This side tracks the need to come to terms with the real issue. This allows more of our tax dollars to be waisted.


Be Well and God Bless...

[SoyLeche]

Originally Posted by SunMessenger

The problem is there is no unity among people. No compassion . This explains why we are in so much turmoil around the world.


My father taught me to think first and open my mouth second. When I do, I think about how my words may or may not hurt the other person. If I feel they will hurt I will, at the very least, phrase the same thought differently and at the same time reach the same objective. Care of an others feelings enough to temper ones words is part of what is called compassion.


When a child hears another child's taunting it sure upsets them but it is not life changing. When a child hears an Adult, A Doctor No Less, use terms that are hurtful to them it serves no positive purpose and is never forgotten. "Gee something must be wrong with ME because the Doctor even said I am an Obeast or something like that. I must be a monster or something." Imagine the lingering memory. It is not necessary and lacks compassion. One can control and teach and still have compassion.


Everyone forgot my favorite insult to overweight people who need the most help. Hows this for sensitivity... YOU ARE MORBIDLY OBESE ! Gee how helpful is that?


Don't expect the government to raise our children either. It is not its job . It is ours. It is the parents duty to raise children not the government . If people don't want that responsibility then they need to really think hard before creating them.


Be Well and God Bless...

Just saw an article that reminded me of this thread - so I'm resurrecting it

http://breitbart.com/article.php?id=...cle=1&catnum=0