Obesity in the US - aka Food For Thought

[ArmorOfGod]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12122112/

Sad.

Now the baby car set makers are having to make the seats bigger because our US kids won't fit in them.

I am seeing this everyone here in the United States. Several of my kids' classmates are so large that they look liked stuffed turkeys.

I read an article that said that serving sizes of food has increased about 5 times since the 1950's in the US. That means that for each meal, we are eating 5 times the amount our grandparents used to.

Food for though......

AoG

[Ironberg]

LOL! I find myself feeling like a stranger around the US all the time.

If parents would be reasonable, I believe a conciderable amount of obesity would be uprooted at the bud. I'm not saying children themselves are not to blame, but I love my parents for the healthy attitudes they instilled in me. And I love martial arts for completing that attitude.

However, as a guy, I sometimes bout with aneorexia.

[lordtariel]

That's sad. What's even more sad is the article is more about car seats than this growing trend.

[HumanTyphoon]

Yeah, the obesity rate is raising very quick among the past few years. Schools seriously should put more health programs and more PE classes for children.

[Ironberg]

Yeah, the obesity rate is raising very quick among the past few years. Schools seriously should put more health programs and more PE classes for children.

I don't know of a highschool that doesn't have a Health Ed program in it's curriculum. Does it help... heck no.

I really have to blame parents and families -- not a government born system.

[marie curie]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/WeightManagement/tb2/2998

A large part of this is that lifestyle has changed more quickly than our bodies have had to adapt- usually we've had many many generations for major changes, (ie. hunters and gatherers with constant foraging to farmers with "down time") but advancement happens at such a crazy rate now. People used to mostly do all physical work. 8 hrs of working out per day everyday will do wonders for keeping off the pounds. Also, all that movement keeps the metabolism up. Now that we mostly have desk jobs or ride in cars or just stand around, we don't use the number of calorie, but our metabolism drops because of the inactivity. Well, we are tired because of this, and the only way to boost our metabolism (without drugs) is to eat. Of course that only works for a couple hours, so then we have to eat again. So, by time we get home, we are exhausted due to the nature of our work (usually very eye-straining), and we don't want to spend the rest of every day working out.

Of course the usual "we are too busy and eat poorly and quickly" and "food now is full of crap" and its true.

Anyway, so it's not all "the system" or "the parents".

[Blackbeltblonde]

So sad! How do parents not realize their child looks rediculace! Seriously!

Make your kid do a few laps around the house!... I wonder if younger siblings are "skinnier" than older ones.. I know my brother and I used to make my younger brother run laps around the house when the parents were gone and he was misbehaving... or he was running from us

~BBB

[lordtariel]

Make your kid do a few laps around the house!

I used to have to do that when I got in trouble.

[jaymac]

There is alot too blame. Video games and television for instance have become babysitters. Rising costs require both parents too work so fast food becomes easier. We live in a society where we want everything done for us and at a rapid pace. That is why MA is so awesome. you can put your whole family in it and lose weight and train together.

[Menjo]

I think the enviroment is much more important issue than obesity. Yes obesity is horrible, but fix the enviroment, you will eliminate the factors that promote obesity, and many many other issues.

While I do harm and everyone harms the enviroment in some way by even using a computer or cell phone is somehow hurting the enviroment, I think people in general should be more concerned. More for Humankind really, the earth will eventually heal itself over thousands or millions of years after were gone, so I think we should look at this International and globl issue, rather than focus all our power on individuals. Its like fighting a fire, dont bother with your "wants" focus on saving either the building itself, or the main populace inside it. What I'm saying is being of course, exaggerated, however I think my idea should be thought of in a smaller scale.

I agree with many posts above on this topic.