Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below the fitness levels of children these days is very low and the answer is not to stick them in a gym as some people think. The answer is for them to use cars less and play more. When we were kids we didn't have a TV so we played a lot, we ran around outside and cycled everywhere - my parents didn't get a car 'til I was 12 and then it only came out the garage at weekends. We never used taxis and we all walked to school/work which was 1-2 miles away. I still do that, my city has a big traffic problem mostly because everyone drives to work even if they are like 1/2 a mile away!
Fat kids
- Thread starter wilson6
- Start date
Dingo....
noticed u were from the UK...our company headquarters is there....and I was over there last year....that was one big thing I noticed....lack of overweight people! but then everyone does walk more there....I went with a friend to do her daily Sat. shopping for groceries and such....all the open air markets were just wonderful....she walked my butt off! plus not nearly the amount of fast food every where....well unless u count all the chip stands and curry take aways!
noticed u were from the UK...our company headquarters is there....and I was over there last year....that was one big thing I noticed....lack of overweight people! but then everyone does walk more there....I went with a friend to do her daily Sat. shopping for groceries and such....all the open air markets were just wonderful....she walked my butt off! plus not nearly the amount of fast food every where....well unless u count all the chip stands and curry take aways!
fat kids...
So is that why those monster SUV's are so popular? The moms are always saying to me 'but we need the room...'
All kidding aside, has anyone ever heard of the "over-scheduled child" phenomenon? I don't think it's a coincidence that many of the over-scheduled kids of today are also fat. For one thing, these kids have no idea how to entertain themselves, so when they're not being carted to some sort of "organized" activity, they have no idea what to do with themselves.
Along with being over-scheduled, they're also over-stimulated. No wonder they plop down in front of the TV when given a chance. Their brains are on overload, and they just want to zone out. Junk foods are used as stress-relievers.
The seated family meal has gone the way of the dinousaur. Not only are kids not getting proper nutrition, they're not even learning it by example.
So is that why those monster SUV's are so popular? The moms are always saying to me 'but we need the room...'
All kidding aside, has anyone ever heard of the "over-scheduled child" phenomenon? I don't think it's a coincidence that many of the over-scheduled kids of today are also fat. For one thing, these kids have no idea how to entertain themselves, so when they're not being carted to some sort of "organized" activity, they have no idea what to do with themselves.
Along with being over-scheduled, they're also over-stimulated. No wonder they plop down in front of the TV when given a chance. Their brains are on overload, and they just want to zone out. Junk foods are used as stress-relievers.
The seated family meal has gone the way of the dinousaur. Not only are kids not getting proper nutrition, they're not even learning it by example.
Sassy69
New member
How depressing huh? My mom used to tell us all summer to go out & play - basically go entertain yourself. I walked to school until I was 23 -- no joke -- K-12, first 2 years of college at the local school and thru my 1 st year of grad school. I did have a bike the last 2 years, but on campus the parking was so bad and you still had to cover several acres of distance to get to class. Now that I'm a "professional", I pile into my car in the morning, walk 1/2 block to the building , sit all day, drive home, drive to the gym and sweat my way through 5 miles on the treadmill or something like that. Its too hot to go outside (I'm in FL) and I won't go out running / biking / blading if the sun is going down because it ain't safe. Same for a lot of kids these days -- drug dealers or kidnappers on the walk to / from school.
While I definately think that there are gentic factors, I think a lot of it is parenting.
If we wanted snacks growing up, we not only had to ask, but we always had fruit, veggies, a yogurt, etc. We never had candy, soda, or chips around. That was SPECIAL food...as was fast food. We had well balanced meals and learned how to eat healthy. Until I moved out, we had all of our meals together as a family.
I grew up being encouraged to participate in athletics too. Sitting in front of the tv all day wasn't an option (always fun to grow up in Minnesota and be told to go play outside when it's -2º). Being in swimming from the time I was a bitty little thing taught me so much about goal-setting and time management. I learned how to push myself...it was a priceless experience. I have cousins who are overweight. Poor kids. They eat happy meals every day and spend their free time plaing video games.
I also don't get government issued height/weight/bmi charts. I think they're a whole lot of crap. The weights are SO low on them. They don't allow for differences in frame size, body fat, etc. I can be 135 and a size 4 and I can be 135 and a size 9. I'm coming to the conclusion that weight isn't really all that important.
Kate
If we wanted snacks growing up, we not only had to ask, but we always had fruit, veggies, a yogurt, etc. We never had candy, soda, or chips around. That was SPECIAL food...as was fast food. We had well balanced meals and learned how to eat healthy. Until I moved out, we had all of our meals together as a family.
I grew up being encouraged to participate in athletics too. Sitting in front of the tv all day wasn't an option (always fun to grow up in Minnesota and be told to go play outside when it's -2º). Being in swimming from the time I was a bitty little thing taught me so much about goal-setting and time management. I learned how to push myself...it was a priceless experience. I have cousins who are overweight. Poor kids. They eat happy meals every day and spend their free time plaing video games.
I also don't get government issued height/weight/bmi charts. I think they're a whole lot of crap. The weights are SO low on them. They don't allow for differences in frame size, body fat, etc. I can be 135 and a size 4 and I can be 135 and a size 9. I'm coming to the conclusion that weight isn't really all that important.
Kate
SteelWeaver
New member
While we're on the "when I was young ..." wagon, we didn't even HAVE TV in South Africa until 1976, (censorship) and then it was the snow pattern until 6pm, when the news came on. We were allowed to watch the early news, and whatever came after it, and that was it. Dinner was eaten together at the table, as was Sunday lunch. My brother had food allergies, so my mom didn't buy anything with sugar, preservatives, colourants or other additives.
MacDonald's etc. didn't enter the market until a few years ago, and although there were other fast food outlets, they were only for rare occasions.
Even proper restaurants aren't that healthy. I was horrified when I went to a full-on sit-down restaurant in America last year and ordered a vegetarian burger and salad. They gave me one of those frozen Garden Burger things and a heap of iceberg lettuce (with supermarket dressing)! I could have made that at home for a tenth of the price, and it would have been tastier and healthier. Lessons learned.
When we weren't at swimming training or music lessons, we'd be outside playing on our bikes, skateboards or rollerskates (perfect weather year-round).
It's different now - people are afraid to go out on foot, fast food and convenience food is all over the place. People are busier, somehow. Basically, if you don't commit to getting in shape and staying that way, it's a lost cause.
Living in Japan, it's always culture shock to go home or to the States. People here are, on the whole, quite slim, if not downright skinny. Everyone in cities has to walk at least 40 minutes or so per day, getting to the station and to work and back. And the food's generally healthier, although increasingly people are eating fast food and convenience food. Apparently young people here are also getting fatter - they just play TV games when they're not at school.
So - let's get out there and kick butt! When people give you shit and say you're obsessed, look them in the eye and ask them if they ENJOY the way they look and feel, if they're comfortable with it. Show them how small, easy changes can affect their health and appearance. Educate them on nutrition labels and what they mean. People like us can help to create a new "oral history". Right?
MacDonald's etc. didn't enter the market until a few years ago, and although there were other fast food outlets, they were only for rare occasions.
Even proper restaurants aren't that healthy. I was horrified when I went to a full-on sit-down restaurant in America last year and ordered a vegetarian burger and salad. They gave me one of those frozen Garden Burger things and a heap of iceberg lettuce (with supermarket dressing)! I could have made that at home for a tenth of the price, and it would have been tastier and healthier. Lessons learned.
When we weren't at swimming training or music lessons, we'd be outside playing on our bikes, skateboards or rollerskates (perfect weather year-round).
It's different now - people are afraid to go out on foot, fast food and convenience food is all over the place. People are busier, somehow. Basically, if you don't commit to getting in shape and staying that way, it's a lost cause.
Living in Japan, it's always culture shock to go home or to the States. People here are, on the whole, quite slim, if not downright skinny. Everyone in cities has to walk at least 40 minutes or so per day, getting to the station and to work and back. And the food's generally healthier, although increasingly people are eating fast food and convenience food. Apparently young people here are also getting fatter - they just play TV games when they're not at school.
So - let's get out there and kick butt! When people give you shit and say you're obsessed, look them in the eye and ask them if they ENJOY the way they look and feel, if they're comfortable with it. Show them how small, easy changes can affect their health and appearance. Educate them on nutrition labels and what they mean. People like us can help to create a new "oral history". Right?
The best way to eat is to use those foods that don't need nutrition labels - fresh fruit & veg, grilled chicken, fish, oatmeal, grains. I only look at labels for those foods which are processed and I shouldn't really be consuming - like the mince pie I had in the office yesterday, I worked the fat, and carbs into my diet so damage was minimal. If that had been an apple, tub of cottage cheese etc I wouldn't have needed to look 'cos that stuff is the same whoever supplies/makes it.
What annoys me is when people drive to work, then join a gym to increase their fitness but drive there and back. All they do there is walk on a tread mill - they could be doing that on their way to work in the morning.
My current cardio is mainly walking, but not on a tread mill, I walk around the city centre which incorporates several hill climbs and is much less tedious than on a tread mill. I use the walk to the supermarket for my food shopping as cardio too! As well as extra trips into town to meet friends or pick up something from a shop.
What annoys me is when people drive to work, then join a gym to increase their fitness but drive there and back. All they do there is walk on a tread mill - they could be doing that on their way to work in the morning.
My current cardio is mainly walking, but not on a tread mill, I walk around the city centre which incorporates several hill climbs and is much less tedious than on a tread mill. I use the walk to the supermarket for my food shopping as cardio too! As well as extra trips into town to meet friends or pick up something from a shop.
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