Childhood Obesity

[Guest guest]

1) Hamburger = steak and salad if you take off buns (at least one). Dont

add fries or coke to that or worst yet supersize it.

Diet coke or water. You have cut out 90% of carbs.

2) Rotate adult supervision of neighborhood 1 adult one hour a week sitting

on a chair can make sure the environment is safe for 5-10 kids.

No we don't live in Leave it to Beaver land, nor do we live NEW JACK CITY

land. That is the whole point...that is t.v. land.

Sorry to burst your tv reality. I have experienced millions of murders,

robberies, and worst in my life but they have all been on tv news and

movies.

Diego Crespo

Quito, Ecuador.

Re: Re: Childhood Obesity Epidemic

> >

> >I have 2 practical solutions:

> >1) Return to old fashion diet, not 90% carbs.

> >2) Encourage play, pick up games,etc...put a basket up,encourage

> >neighborhood kids to play on it, drive to park 2x week with kids for

> >informal pick up games,etc...

> >

> >Diego Crespo

> >Quito,Ecuador

> >

>

>

> Sorry to burst your bubble, Diego, but it's not that simple. #1: there's a

> time element in both buying and preparing healthy food. When I was working

> 60 hour weeks, I simply did not have the time to go to the store and buy

> fresh fruits and vegetables every other day. Frozen and canned items are

not

> as healthy but do have a longer shelf life. I have relatives in Mexico

that

> have servants to go buy fresh produce on a regular basis but here in the

> United States -- where often both parents are working full-time and

> full-time sometimes involves working 60 hour weeks -- it's just not

> feasible. When you also factor in how much time adults spend driving to

and

> fro, there's not enough time left for planning, cooking healthy and

balanced

> meals.

>

> Secondly, who is supposed to supervise these kids when they play outodoors

> and where, exactly, are they supposed to play? Not everyone lives in a

LEAVE

> IT TO BEAVER neighborhood as portrayed on television. There are drug

> dealers, child molestors, speeders, loose dogs and a host of other

problems

> with just turning kids loose to play outdoors. One of my neighbors used to

> do that, until a car coming around the curve in the road nearly hit one of

> the kids, then the nice social workers from Child Protective Services came

> over to tell her to watch her kids more closely. Now they sit in front of

> the television set watching Disney films.

>

> This is a complex problem and your simplistic answers just totally miss

> reality for too many Americans.

>

> - Mari Steele

> Las Cruces, NM

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

Bob Forney wrote:

>>>I am beginning to think it has to do with portion size here in the U.S. I

have never been to Europe, but my friends who have say they eat a lot less

food at each setting. France seems to eat tons of saturated fat, and the

friends I have who visited France say that the people there are more lean

then here in the States. Has anyone else on this list been to europe, or

lives in europe that can support that they are leaner in Europe?

**** I would have to disagree with this statement. Being from Russia (well,

geographically, being from the border of Europe and Asia, which runs through

the Ural mountains), I remember those breakfast meals that were the

equivalent of supper portions served in the United States. For lunch, it

was customary to have a 3-course meal, with soup (you should try borsht

sometimes if you haven't), some carbohydrate-rich dish, and desert

accompanying the traditional tea after each meal. Supper was pretty much

the equivalent of supper in the United States. Most dishes served in the

former USSR were fried, salad dressings are heavily mayonnaise-based, but,

on average, I believe that the population of Russia is a lot leaner than the

population of the United States.

[Having stayed in Russia on a few occasions, I would have to agree with Eugene's

observations. Mel Siff]

The reason for this disparity, I believe, lies in the lifestyle and the

environmental conditions that are out of control of the general population.

An average Russian family does not own a car (or, if they do, it would be

just one for the whole family), so the dependance on public transportation

is heavy. Public transportation network is unreliable at best, hence people

often walk some of the distance towards their destination. It is quite

common, I would assume, for people to walk an average of 5-6 miles a day,

without qualifying themselves as " fitness bums. " To Russians, as well as to

most Europeans, I suppose, the concept of suburbia is foreign, and the

frequent walks in the local city parks, walks to the theater/movies are a

part of everyday life. Based on this observation, one could speculate that

lifestyle can counteract the effects of unhealthy diet when it comes to

fighting obesity...

[since moving to the USA from Africa, the one striking thing that I have

noticed

is the scarcity of people walking reasonably long distances for non-exercise

reasons

in many suburbs and cities and the huge number of kids driving cars, which they

seem to

regard as right, not a privilege, when they reach about 17 years of age. Mel

Siff]

Jon Beyle wrote:

>>>2. I am constantly bombarded by kids who complain of pains in their

>>>knees, back, etc. I personally think some of it is from growing, but a

>>>lot of it is from lack of work, training, etc. I just think kids these

>>>days, on a whole, are weaker than past generations. Any comments?

**** Probably slightly off topic, but, perhaps, these complaints could be

circumvented and enthusiasm for physical exercise could be brought up by

communicating the disturbing statistics and the importance of physical

education to parents of those kids. Back in Russia, it was common for

parents to have a monthly meeting with our teachers. After one of those

meetings, where my father learned that his chubby 11-year old was barely

sliding through the Phys. Ed. with a " C " , I was dragged outside and was

trying to pull my overweight body over the bar... Some years later, I have

to thank my Phys. Ed. teacher for all of the benefits of that one event

(including being on this list). In fact, eventually, this propelled me to

help others build a better physique and appreciate an active lifestyle in

general. Communication with parents may be a drop in a bucket in reversing

the obesity trend, but, I think it can be controlled by individuals such as

yourself and can be practised with certain degree of success.

[When I was in Russia, I was impressed by the fact that parents would regularly

be called in by the schools to account for the poor performance or behaviour of

one's children, something which emphasized the learning and growing process as

being a family concern, rather than an individual problem to be solved by some

long-suffering teacher whose ability to offer even a modicum of discipline is

often hamstrung by parents and sociopolitical do-gooders. Mel Siff]

But, who needs exercise anyway, when I can get some fried chicken without

leaving my car :-)?

[Or simply picking up the phone to have the junk food delivered right into one's

already copious laps ! Mel Siff]

Eugene Chuvyrov

ville, FL

[Guest guest]

From: Mari Steele <msteele@...>

> Sorry to burst your bubble, Diego, but it's not that simple. #1: there's a

> time element in both buying and preparing healthy food. When I was working

> 60 hour weeks, I simply did not have the time to go to the store and buy

> fresh fruits and vegetables every other day. Frozen and canned items are not

> as healthy but do have a longer shelf life. I have relatives in Mexico that

> have servants to go buy fresh produce on a regular basis but here in the

> United States -- where often both parents are working full-time and

> full-time sometimes involves working 60 hour weeks -- it's just not

> feasible. When you also factor in how much time adults spend driving to and

> fro, there's not enough time left for planning, cooking healthy and balanced

meals.

>

> Secondly, who is supposed to supervise these kids when they play outodoors

> and where, exactly, are they supposed to play? Not everyone lives in a LEAVE

> IT TO BEAVER neighborhood as portrayed on television. There are drug

> dealers, child molestors, speeders, loose dogs and a host of other problems

> with just turning kids loose to play outdoors. One of my neighbors used to

> do that, until a car coming around the curve in the road nearly hit one of

> the kids, then the nice social workers from Child Protective Services came

> over to tell her to watch her kids more closely. Now they sit in front of

> the television set watching Disney films.

>

> This is a complex problem and your simplistic answers just totally miss

> reality for too many Americans.

I disagree. The reality is that the inflation of American wants and demands

cause us to choose material goods over time. Obviously there is a wide

spectrum of people and lifestyles, but if we look at average Americans,

there is an abundance of time. Please see Dr Siff's recent post on marketing

and

deceit. How much weekly time do people spend in front of the TV? About 15 to

25

hours each. That pretty much right there covers preparation of nutritious

foods, and exercise for most kids. There are parks all over American cities,

and in rural areas there's plenty of room for kids to play. Citing a

previous post, does an apple take more time to prepare than a Twinkie?

There's just too many examples of American choice based on sugar, salt, and

fear of sweating. I guess the obesity epidemic shouldn't surprise people.

How much investment do people make in finding easy-to-prepare nutritious

foods? Why is it some people find the time, and other don't? The scary

fact is that we are in the driver's seat of our own lives. We decide what's

important, and how to spend your time. We have (thankfully) the option to

simplify our lives, and spend time with our kids. Some of us choose not to.

And some of us don't.

Regards,

Lester Long

New York, NY

[Guest guest]

This has been a very interesting thread to follow because everyone who posts

really has a very valid reason. There is no one set of circumstances or one

particular thing that cause kids to be obese, but if you take a lot of the

things mentioned and lump them together, it's no wonder kids are fat.

One thing I do notice, and have noticed for a great many years, is that many

parents simply do not do what it takes to remain in control. When I was a

youngster, a lot of folks indulged their children because they wanted them

to have all the things they didn't have (they were Depression Era folks and

often came from poor immigrant families). Nowadays, it seems that many

parents are just too exhausted to lower the boom. Being a good

disciplinarian and then having to listen the the whining that follows is

draining to say the least. It's easier to give in, or hand the kid a wad of

cash so he/she will simply disappear.

Realizing this is an unpopular view in some circles, I would urge those of

child bearing age who do not have children to really think things over

before they do. There are too many humans in this world, so if you don't

make a contribution, the Earth will probably be better off. But even if you

don't agree with that viewpoint, consider that raising a child takes a good

20 years, a lot of money (even to buy necessities) and a huge amount of

effort and commitment from the parent. If you cannot see your way clear in

any of these ways, enjoy your relatives or work with disadvantaged children

(there is no shortage).

Unfortunately having children has been overly romanticized. It's not

romantic in the least, it'simply Nature's way of keeping the species going.

I chose not to have children, not because I dislike them, but because I knew

full well I could not afford to raise them on a secretary's salary (I knew

too many women who were trying) and I didn't trust my then-husband to stick

it out with me for the duration. The handwriting was very boldly on the

wall! I have been told I was selfish but I have never been able to identify

with that opinion, especially after observing the situation my stepsons were

in before they came to live with me.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rosemary Wedderburn-Vernon

Marina del Rey, CA

IronRoses@...

[Guest guest]

Dear

Do you have the address in York for the Centre for Reviews and

Dissemination. My laptop will not open this attachment so I plan to write to

ask for a hard copy of the document. Thanks

Malcolm

childhood obesity

> Thanks to Royal college of Nursing update for drawing this to my

> attention; others may find it interesting. It is a University of

> York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination/Effective Healthcare

> bulletin on the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

> Summary

>

>

> Obesity is now considered to be a global epidemic. In the UK,

> the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst children of all ages

> is increasing.

>

> There is debate around the reasons for the increasing prevalence

> of childhood overweight and obesity, and possible explanations

> include an increase in sedentary lifestyles and changes in dietary

> patterns and eating habits.

>

> Halting the rising prevalence of childhood obesity is a public

> health priority. However, there is a lack of good quality evidence on

> the effectiveness of interventions on which to base national

> strategies or inform clinical practice.

>

> Currently there are a number of government initiatives

> specifically targeting schools and there is some evidence that

> school-based programmes that promote physical activity, the

> modification of dietary intake and the targeting of sedentary

> behaviours may help reduce obesity in children, particularly girls.

>

> Family-based programmes that involve parents, increase physical

> activity, provide dietary education and target reductions in

> sedentary behaviour may help reduce childhood obesity.

>

> Future research must be of good methodological quality, involve

> large numbers of participants, be carried out in appropriate settings

> and needs to be of longer duration and intensity.

>

> Looks like a good basis for research proposal for somebody here!

> Best wishes

>

[Guest guest]

Happy new year Malcom, and everyone.

It is from an 'Effective Healthcare Bulletin' volume 7, number 6. You

should be able to identify and download it from their web site:

www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd

Other information on the bulletin states:

" Individual copies of bulletins from Vol. 5 onwards are available priced

at £9.50. Discounts are available for bulk orders from groups within the

NHS in the UK and to other groups at the publishers discretion.

Please address all orders and enquiries regarding subscriptions and

individual copies to Subscriptions Department, Royal Society of Medicine

Press, PO Box 9002, London W1A 0ZA. Telephone (020) 7290 2928/2927; Fax

(020) 7290 2929; email rsmjournals@...

Enquiries concerning the content of this bulletin should be addressed to

NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York, York YO10

5DD; Telephone (01904) 433634; Fax (01904) 433661; email revdis@... "

Best wishes

M.Rigler wrote:

>Dear

>

>Do you have the address in York for the Centre for Reviews and

>Dissemination. My laptop will not open this attachment so I plan to write to

>ask for a hard copy of the document. Thanks

>Malcolm

>

>

[Guest guest]

The Washington Post is running a series of articles on childhood obesity.

In today's paper there's an interesting timeline which shows the

correspondence of obesity and certain events called " How We Got there " .

Unfortunately that part of the article is missing from the online edition of

the paper. Here in brief is the timeline from the hard copy:

1970: Trend begins toward larger portions by food manufacturers, fast-food

eateries and national chain restaurants. Childhood Obesity estimate: 4%

1972: HBO is launched

1975: High Fructose CS use expands rapidly as in processed food and drinks.

1978: More women in work force causing more food consumption outside home.

1980: Rates of overweight children and adolescents starts to climb sharply.

1984: 7-11 introduces the 44 oz. super big gulp.

1987: More than 70% of U.S. Households own VCR's.

1989 Nintendo releases Game boy.

1994: Average cheeseburger tops 533 cal. Americans dine out 25% of the

time.

1998: White potatoes, iceberg lettuce and canned tomatoes make up 1/2 of

American's vegetable servings.

1999: Cable tv household numbers double since 1989.

2001: Husky car seat is marketed for young children.

2008: One in 3 children and adolescents is overweight including 15% who are

obese.

[Guest guest]

I suspect we could come up with a very long list of factors. I see the compounding of both increased energy intake and reduced energy expenditure.When I was a kid we walked 5 miles to school, uphill both ways.. :-) Seriously it was about a mile. After school we would often pedal several miles on our bicycles, or climb trees, play ball, do the things kids did.Today, kids get a ride to school, I can count the number of kids I see driving by my house on bicycles with fingers of one hand, while I see all too many kids driving by (illegally) on 4 wheel gas powered off road vehicles, and even in electric golf cart like vehicles, There's a few old people cruising around in the electric carts too.Another thing diverting kids attention from spending time outdoors is electronic computer games. When I was a kid we'd play variations on baseball depending on how many neighborhood kids we could get together... now thanks to the www they play "grand theft of an actual life"  instead.I am encouraged that at least one new computer game is getting the players standing up and trying to balance... not quite an exercise bike but a step in right direction. If I had kids, I'd probably hook a generator to a bicycle and make them pedal to play or watch TV..  (perhaps why I don't have kids, or a wife).The diet involving too much of the wrong stuff is what we get when we turn over our decision making process to the food industry, they'll only stop overfeeding us low quality food when toddlers die of heart attacks and they lose too many target consumers.JROn May 19, 2008, at 3:24 PM, Francesca Skelton wrote:The Washington Post is running a series of articles on childhood obesity.In today's paper there's an interesting timeline which shows thecorrespondence of obesity and certain events called "How We Got there".Unfortunately that part of the article is missing from the online edition ofthe paper. Here in brief is the timeline from the hard copy:1970: Trend begins toward larger portions by food manufacturers, fast-foodeateries and national chain restaurants. Childhood Obesity estimate: 4%1972: HBO is launched1975: High Fructose CS use expands rapidly as in processed food and drinks.1978: More women in work force causing more food consumption outside home.1980: Rates of overweight children and adolescents starts to climb sharply.1984: 7-11 introduces the 44 oz. super big gulp.1987: More than 70% of U.S. Households own VCR's.1989 Nintendo releases Game boy.1994: Average cheeseburger tops 533 cal. Americans dine out 25% of thetime.1998: White potatoes, iceberg lettuce and canned tomatoes make up 1/2 ofAmerican's vegetable servings.1999: Cable tv household numbers double since 1989.2001: Husky car seat is marketed for young children.2008: One in 3 children and adolescents is overweight including 15% who areobese.

[Guest guest]

One item I can think of which might be very important is the introduction of

A/C everywhere.

Another is the weight room in HS athletic dept's. Football farming

pre-college.

Another is the Kennedy emphasis on sports in 1960, in all schools.

Today I stood back of a young man at a cafeteria, who got chicken fried

steak with mashed potatoes, gravy and for a vegetable (ha) macaroni and

cheese. He was a thin guy.

I got squash, fried okra, collard greens, sweet potatoes and a 3 oz corn

muffin as my main meal today. For some reason and I can't explain why I've

switched from coffee to black tea, and a lot less meat.

Regards

[ ] Childhood Obesity

The Washington Post is running a series of articles on childhood obesity.

In today's paper there's an interesting timeline which shows the

correspondence of obesity and certain events called " How We Got there " .

Unfortunately that part of the article is missing from the online edition of

the paper. Here in brief is the timeline from the hard copy:

1970: Trend begins toward larger portions by food manufacturers, fast-food

eateries and national chain restaurants. Childhood Obesity estimate: 4%

1972: HBO is launched

1975: High Fructose CS use expands rapidly as in processed food and drinks.

1978: More women in work force causing more food consumption outside home.

1980: Rates of overweight children and adolescents starts to climb sharply.

1984: 7-11 introduces the 44 oz. super big gulp.

1987: More than 70% of U.S. Households own VCR's.

1989 Nintendo releases Game boy.

1994: Average cheeseburger tops 533 cal. Americans dine out 25% of the

time.

1998: White potatoes, iceberg lettuce and canned tomatoes make up 1/2 of

American's vegetable servings.

1999: Cable tv household numbers double since 1989.

2001: Husky car seat is marketed for young children.

2008: One in 3 children and adolescents is overweight including 15% who are

obese.