Study: Nearly 1 in 5 American four year-olds are obese

[GoSkins561]

However, the average American eats about the same number of calories that his great grandfather ate.

I am not following you.

[twa]

While I agree there are too many fat ass kids, the BMI is a joke,and penalizes certain genetic groups.

Both of my kids and I are considered obese as a result of muscle mass/density

How can you be obese and have six pack abs?

[zoony]

As harsh as it is, my kids won't have video games to play with

IKids have the internet and Xbox now. Screw tag, cops and robbers, and capture the flag.

Seriously, I hated being inside when I was a kid. I was always playing sports after school and if I wasn't doing that I was in the woods with friends building treehouses.

exactly, I'd have him outside running after butterflys or something...I'd tell him that if he caught a butterfly, I'd give him a candybar (he'd never catch a butterfly )

Little zoony is coming up on 3 years old. No video game consoles, and limited TV. We're always getting him outside, to the point where he prefers it.

Even in the snow

[SkinsHokieFan]

Tuna is dirt cheap. So are grapes, apples, and natural peanut butter.

The myth that "healthy" food is more expensive is just that, a myth

If you go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes looking for stuff, yea, it'll be pricey. Go to your local Wal Mart or ethnic grocery store and you'll find cheap healthy food

[Spec138]

I played video games when I was young, however, I also played baseball, football, swam, built forts, played tag and all kinds of stuff. You have have to equal it out.

Also, how expensive is low-calorie food? I used to work at H-E-B and Twinkies are as expensive as a lean cuisine.

EDIT: H-E-B is a Texas Grocery Store.

[zoony]

spec- your sig is too big. please remedy. tia

[SkinsHokieFan]

Little zoony is coming up on 3 years old. No video game consoles, and limited TV. We're always getting him outside, to the point where he prefers it.

Even in the snow

If anything, I'd just want my kid outside to wear him out so he falls asleep at night

I do that to all of my cousin's kids that visit our house and are under the age of 7. I go outside in my yard with them, throw the football or baseball or whatever in all sorts of directions and make them run and go get it

They are exhausted and my cousins love me for getting them to sleep easier

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Tuna is dirt cheap. So are grapes, apples, and natural peanut butter.

The myth that "healthy" food is more expensive is just that, a myth

If you go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes looking for stuff, yea, it'll be pricey. Go to your local Wal Mart or ethnic grocery store and you'll find cheap healthy food

Not an excuse (ignorance), but I do believe that many people have no idea which foods are healthy and which are not. Obviously, most people know that apples are good and McDonald's is bad. But I'm talking the stuff that falls between the extremes.

People need to learn how to read and interpret the nutrional labels on foods before they will eat a balanced diet.

[Skinz4Life12]

We are a nation of fat asses. Of course we're going to have fat ass kids. I know two fat asses who drink trim spa and then go out and eat fried chicken wings with so much ranch dressing on them it looks like a freakin ice cream cone.

I don't know what the solution is other than to tell these fat ass Parents to get off their fat asses and make their fat ass kids exercise.

:applause::applause::applause:

mad respect after reading that

[Skinz4Life12]

so who's kids on ES are obese? there are certainly more than four of you with 4 year olds.

its too bad this question will never get answered

[zoony]

Not an excuse (ignorance), but I do believe that many people have no idea which foods are healthy and which are not. Obviously, most people know that apples are good and McDonald's is bad. But I'm talking the stuff that falls between the extremes.

People need to learn how to read and interpret the nutrional labels on foods before they will eat a balanced diet.

My wife is a teacher - she was telling me yesterday how the Univ of TN was at her school and how they were conducting a special program on teaching kids proper nutrition. The jist of it was very touchy-feeley, with the kids at the end being able to make their own snacks, and have fun, etc. etc.

And while I think that's great, I also think that at some point, the gloves need to come off. I remember as a kid being taught about smoking- we were shown pictures of diseased lungs, video of guys talking thru their throat, etc. It was completely over the top, but all true of course. That cigarettes are POISON.

I think the same needs to be taught about a lot of the foods these kids are eating. Hydrogenated oils, trans fats, corn syrup and refined sugars, etc. The food is literally poison; it is making our society sick. Kids should be taught that, no holds barred.

jmo

[TD_washingtonredskins]

My wife is a teacher - she was telling me yesterday how the Univ of TN was at her school and how they were conducting a special program on teaching kids proper nutrition. The jist of it was very touchy-feeley, with the kids at the end being able to make their own snacks, and have fun, etc. etc.

And while I think that's great, I also think that at some point, the gloves need to come off. I remember as a kid being taught about smoking- we were shown pictures of diseased lungs, video of guys talking thru their throat, etc. It was completely over the top, but all true of course. That cigarettes are POISON.

I think the same needs to be taught about a lot of the foods these kids are eating. Hydrogenated oils, trans fats, corn syrup and refined sugars, etc. The food is literally poison; it is making our society sick. Kids should be taught that, no holds barred.

jmo

That makes sense to me. If this is determined to be an epidemic in the country, then the government needs to step in and teach people how to eat. As for how touchy-feely or brutally honest it is, I don't really care as long as it's effective.

It's unfortunate that most parents don't possess this knowledge, but the number of fat adults leads me to believe they don't know healthy from unhealthy in many cases as well.

[Special K]

OTOH, exercise is free.

This appears to be an economic issue more than anything. Ironically enough, the poorer the kids, the fatter. (same for adults)

Yep, that's absolutely true. When I worked on a research project promoting nutrition and exercise among HIV + homeless persons in San Bernardino, this is what my group found.

Our initial investigation revealed several problems related to this issue:

1. The vast majority of the patients were clueless about nutrition. Clueless. Like, they didn't know what a carb was, or protein, or fat, much less the difference between good fat and bad fat or how many calories a normal adult should consume.

2. Once we taught them about nutrition, we had to also teach them how to cook properly. Again, the majority of the people did not know ANYTHING about healthy cooking.

3. They were housed in a gang-riddled part of San Bernardino (which is essentially all of SB :doh: ) and did not feel safe even walking around the block outside. I can second their worries with this as when one of my partners and I were helping the patients with a lunch at their housing project, there was a freaking huge drug bust in the front yard of the house where we were eating lunch. This is the middle of the day. Throughout our study, there were multiple drug busts/gang activites in that entire neighborhood, so I can kind of see the hesitation to take a sunday stroll around the block...

4. Furthermore, in these lower socioeconomic areas, environmental factors are not conducive to exercising. For example, the public services are minimal, so there were very few streetlights (lights that might help to deter crime at night), sidewalks are in disarray and unkept, holes, cement fragments, and trash everywhere, etc. We've found that to be a big factor in deterring people from exercising outdoors.

[Special K]

Not an excuse (ignorance), but I do believe that many people have no idea which foods are healthy and which are not.

People need to learn how to read and interpret the nutrional labels on foods before they will eat a balanced diet.

This is exactly what we found in a lifestyle intervention study my colleagues and I did last year.

Honestly, I was shocked by the level of ignorance. I'm not trying to say that in a disparaging way or anything, but I was literally shocked.

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Tuna is dirt cheap. So are grapes, apples, and natural peanut butter.

The myth that "healthy" food is more expensive is just that, a myth

A huge myth. Healthy food is way less expensive than fast food.

You can buy about 3 boneless chicken breast for about $5 (Just an example)

[TMK9973]

Anyone think this might also have to do with Schools cutting recesses and Gym classes?

[TMK9973]

There is a economic tie to healthy kids.

A kid that grows up in suburbia with a stay a home mom is going to play out side more, do more activities, and eat better.

A child who grows up in a apt in the inner city who is in day care all day, unfortuantly, can not exercises as much, does less activities, and is going to eat more "quick & cheap meals".

[Special K]

Anyone think this might also have to do with Schools cutting recesses and Gym classes?

Clearly that is a contributing factor. However, this study focused on preschoool children and younger, 4 years old. Because they were obese by 4 years old, it does not stand to reason that school gym and P.E. classes played a significant role in this particular study.

[WVUforREDSKINS]

The picture of McD5's kids is straight up wrong, their parents should be smacked.

what I thought it said at first glance

:hysterical:

[TMK9973]

Clearly that is a contributing factor. However, this study focused on preschoool children and younger, 4 years old. Because they were obese by 4 years old, it does not stand to reason that school gym and P.E. classes played a significant role in this particular study.

Good point. I would have loved to seen the econmic break down.

[GoSkins561]

so who's kids on ES are obese? there are certainly more than four of you with 4 year olds.

I have the cutest 22lb - 7 month old ball of baby fat you have ever seen. Some parents get him confused with a baby sumo wrestler.

[Bang]

There is a economic tie to healthy kids.

A kid that grows up in suburbia with a stay a home mom is going to play out side more, do more activities, and eat better.

A child who grows up in a apt in the inner city who is in day care all day, unfortuantly, can not exercises as much, does less activities, and is going to eat more "quick & cheap meals".

I think this is a huge factor. Couple that with the sheer numbers of parents who must choose between working 70 hour weeks and taking their kid to the park and it is a real problem. I don't think it's always as easy as "lazy ass parents", although there certainly are more than a few who fit that XXL mold as well.

for the record, my son Max is 12, trim and healthy. He's a baseball player, and takes it pretty seriously. While he would love to snack on sugary junk all the time, he gets fruit most of the time. His usual favorite is grapes.

My wife eats traditional chinese most of the time.. meaning lots and lots of fish and fresh vegetables. Lots of soup stocks. There's always a pot of some kind of stuff bubbling on the stove. She hasn't got an ounce of fat on her, and she's passing these good habits on to Max.

~Bang

[Special K]

Good point. I would have loved to seen the econmic break down.

Well, I think your point still stands as a contributing factor to overweightness/obesity in older kids and teenagers.

They break down everything in terms of ethnicities. Among those ethinicities, there are socioeconomic differences. For example, American Indians and Hispanics tend to be of lower economic class. So this study just adds to the net studies exemplifying the disparities between class and ethnicities in terms of health care here in America.

[skinsfan07]

I think this is a much better answer than child molesters. lol

Kids have the internet and Xbox now. Screw tag, cops and robbers, and capture the flag.

Seriously, I hated being inside when I was a kid. I was always playing sports after school and if I wasn't doing that I was in the woods with friends building treehouses.

And I agree with Goskins that the parents are mostly to blame.

+100000000

Same with me. I had a playstation until high school. While everyone else was getting their new gaming systems, I had a playstation. haha My parents were never for "we'll get you whatever you want" which is why I'm glad I didn't have an xbox or whatever. I have an xbox 360 now, but still play outside all the time, and go to the gym when I can.

When I was younger, I'd always be riding bikes, making ramps and jumping off them, and playing in the woods, snow, leaves, playing bball, football, swimming until the sun went down. As soon as school got out, it was homework, then play. 5 minutes to bs the homework, then 4 hours outside until dinner time. Damn I miss my childhood.

[HogNose]

It's child abuse to let a children become malnourished and obese at such young ages. Sickening and sad.

My 3 year old actually will ask for fruit or a yogurt, etc. , he's never had a drop of soda, etc. I've actually seen parents letting their toddlers drink soda and munch on French fires while playing on the playground. :doh: