Child obesity plan gets donation

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Chinquapin wrote:

Hundreds of thousands of dollars for a program to "track" childhood obesity? Yeah, I see the value in that.
Let me save you about half a million and assure you that they are spending too much time sitting on their butts in front of the TV or Nintendo and eating too much junk food. How about we do something to actually combat the problem? Like mandatory daily physical activities in schools. And stricter limits on the types of food that may be purchased with food stamps.

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laughing at morons wrote:

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The money is a private DONATION to study the current eating and exercise habits of children. If it were coming from tax dollars you would have a right to complain. It's not, so you don't.
It's science, not some half-assed class-based guesswork by an uneducated clown. That's your specialty.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions across all income levels, not just people on food stamps.
That said, Americans as a whole are fat, lazy, arrogant, and stupid.

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Ancient Elf wrote:

<quoted text>I am 100% American and proud of it! I am NOT fat, lazy, arrogant nor am I stupid! I am offended by your statement. I have never been on food stamps nor do I work. I am fortunate enough to have a husband that has a great job so we don't need food stamps. However, I believe that any deserving person who is hungry deserves food stamps. And I said deserving. I agree that kids need to be into something other than TV and video games...especially if they are overweight. But to call them FAT and STUPID is WRONG! What nationality are you? How much do weigh and how dare you get on here and call us Americans fat, lazy, arrogant and stupid. If we're so bad then why are you in America?! I'm sure that wherever you are from there are overweight people! No one is perfect, no, not even you! I give to many causes, because of your ignorance I would never give to a cause for you. That was a cruel thing for you to say so it leaves me wondering how educated and devoted you are to this cause. I can only hope that you don't face these children with a daily greeting of 'good morning fatso'!

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laughing at morons wrote:

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Be offended.
I said that Americans as a whole (Americans in general, Americans as a whole) are fat, lazy, arrogant, and stupid.
Perhaps this study will help reverse one of those characteristics. It won't do much for reading comprehension, though.

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CSID wrote:

How about stop killing your kids with happy meals and little debbie snack cakes?
If you eat fast food constantly, or gas station food, you don't deserve a dime for your health.

Ancient Elf wrote:

<quoted text>I am 100% American and proud of it! I am NOT fat, lazy, arrogant nor am I stupid! I am offended by your statement. I have never been on food stamps nor do I work. I am fortunate enough to have a husband that has a great job so we don't need food stamps. However, I believe that any deserving person who is hungry deserves food stamps. And I said deserving. I agree that kids need to be into something other than TV and video games...especially if they are overweight. But to call them FAT and STUPID is WRONG! What nationality are you? How much do weigh and how dare you get on here and call us Americans fat, lazy, arrogant and stupid. If we're so bad then why are you in America?! I'm sure that wherever you are from there are overweight people! No one is perfect, no, not even you! I give to many causes, because of your ignorance I would never give to a cause for you. That was a cruel thing for you to say so it leaves me wondering how educated and devoted you are to this cause. I can only hope that you don't face these children with a daily greeting of 'good morning fatso'!

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non-believer wrote:

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First, to your comment „where do you come from…I am sure there are obese people there too…“…of course there are obese people in most countries, but the US is ranked # 1 worldwide with 30% of its population being obese followed by Mexico at 24.2% etc…the US is leads by 6 points!!!!! And yes, America as a whole is lazy which is the number one factor in obesity. When I lived in Natchitoches my neighbor would drive down their driveway to pick up the mail…and this is the rule not the exception in US.
That being said, I agree with Whudunnit that the biggest problem is parents not taking control. It is much easier to give a child a snack instead of dealing with a fuzzy child (and it begins in infancy, how many parents use food to comfort a baby!). Furthermore, when you notice your child getting a bit chubby there is nothing wrong with curbing snacks and soda so that your child has the best chance of voiding the life long struggle of obesity and the health problems that accompany such.
Lastly and the most sad thing of them all…I have to agree with chinquapin and would favor control of what items can be bought with food stamps. The truth is, most (not all) people on welfare are not very educated and do not know what is or isn’t healthy and would in the end greatly benefit from a system that only allowed for healthy foods to be bought.

lurker wrote:

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You commented on another thread about Americans working too much and not getting enough vacation time, yet now Americans are also too lazy? Which is accurate? Also, your witnessing your neighbor driving to pick up his newspaper does not make that the "rule" in the US. That's an absurd comment.
I do agree that parental responsibility is key.
Finally, I believe there are already some restrictions on what can be purchased with food stamps. Whether they are adequate I could not state.

non-believer wrote:

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I never said Americans worked too much because they wanted to...they work to much because the HAVE to...there is a difference!
Also....working does not equate physical activity...I work 8-9 hours a day...sitting behind a desk...typing on a computer...not exactly what I would constitute as physical activity

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laughing at morons wrote:

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That said, Americans as a whole are fat, lazy, arrogant, and stupid.

WhuDunnit wrote:

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Good point...it's very difficult to muster the gumption to exercise after a full work day for most adults, much less drag the kids somewhere to get active with you.
Statistically, Americans are fat and inactive (I know this isn't EVERYONE). So before anyone gets their feathers ruffled, think STATISTICS people. What is sickening is stay home moms who are overweight. What kind of example are they setting for their children? Typically, their kids are overweight too. How disgusting it is to see a whole family who is obese. Again, I know this isn't every stay home mom. I know a number of parents who stay home and/or work from home who are very active and fit, and the overall health of their family reflects that example.
I stayed home with my kids for three years, and I became overweight during that time. But I was highly motivated by my children in the very fact that I couldn't keep up with them with the extra weight! Now I work full time, but it is extremely difficult to go full steam all day then go work out at the end of the day (I too have a desk job). There really aren't enough hours in the day. What I would really like to see is money spent on research to magically creat more time and energy so that we didn't have to work our fingers to the bone to survive, so that we could actually enjoy more of the life we struggle to maintain!
One thing that keeps me going is the fact that my sons, in particular, are brutally honest when comparing me to other moms. They remember the days when I was overweight and are proud of me now. Kids really notice other moms, and dads. They realize what their friends families are active, and inactive in. Kids want what they see other families have. I don't overly spoil my kids with material things. What I want to give them are the things that will last throughout their lives. Good health is vital to making those lives long and productive.
I know I probably sound like a nut. But this is a big issue. My point about parents role in their childrens health is essentially one of responsibility. Allowing a child to become obese is damn near child abuse. It is neglectful. Obesity itself is not a disease. It is not something the government or private donations need to spend money on to find a cure or a cause.
What actually is the "childhood obesity plan" originally queried in this thread? Also, what are some of you other parents suggestions? Successes? Lessons learned? I'm really curious in a proactive discussion. Not this petty bickering that so often turns into cat fights on this forum!

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WhuDunnit wrote:

I don't know anything about the "study" or where money for it comes from, and I really don't care. What I do know is that kids will do what parents let them do. If we let our kids eat crap and sit around getting fat, they will.
It is up to parents to take control of their own health and that of their families. We all should be getting off our duffs and teaching our children healthy habits by positive personal example. When my kids see me exercise and strive to live a healthy life they learn from my example. Even though I exercise and try to eat reasonably well, I still have to monitor what my children eat and how much/little physical activity they maintain.
If parents took more initiative to not be lazy in their roles as parents then kids wouldn't end up the subjects in studies like these. Maybe more donations and government funding should be vested in programs to teach parents how to do their jobs as parents, or to help parents who are struggling in a way that would enable them to be more effective parents.
I'm not bashing parents, I'm one too, same boat as everyone else. But it seems kind of ridiculous to look at a fat kid and wonder how they got that way, much less to waste money (donated privately or appropriated by the government) to find the solution and/or cause. Am I the only one who "gets" that?
My suggestion is for parents to take a proactive approach in raising their kids. Stop buying so much junk food, teach kids moderation in all things (balance), and to make changes in daily life to get yourself active as well as your kids.
Stop the problems where all problems start...at home.