I swear if I had any hair on my head I would have pulled it out upon reading the following:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Schools may need more money and regulators may need more authority to help America's children from spiraling into obesity, experts and politicians told Congress on Tuesday.
What? "Fat Police"?
Children need help to get away from television and video games and outside to walk, play and exercise, they said. And corporations can help with programs aimed at educating kids about good nutrition and exercise, they added.
Um, how about parents turning off the television and booting their kids outside?
More than 9 million U.S. children are obese, meaning their health is at serious risk. Another 15 percent of all children are overweight.
But hey, there's nothing wrong with being grossly overweight, it's my right as an American
Not only do they risk being fat all their lives, doctors say, but they have a higher than average risk of heart disease and diabetes.
So much for the argument that obesity does not help increase health insurance costs
"Half-measures won't work. It has to be a comprehensive national response. It is a clarion call to Congress for us to act boldly." [said Tom Harkin]
I'm picturing the Justice League right about now.
Last week, the Institute of Medicine (news - web sites) said it would take a full national effort to battle childhood obesity. The independent group, which advises the federal government on health matters, said food and drink labels need be clearer. It also asked restaurants to come up with more healthy alternatives for children.
A national effort... how about individual efforts: each parent of each child?
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd said he hoped the House could be persuaded to pass a bill introduced in the Senate last year aimed at reducing obesity, particularly among children and adolescents.
We need a bill to do this? What have we come to?
The bill, sponsored by Frist, Dodd and Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman (news, bio, voting record) of New Mexico, would authorize $60 million for a demonstration community obesity program and give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) more authority to gather information on childhood fitness levels.
Article comments
1 - Jason Koulouras
My older son gets weird looks too for what he eats. We exposed him starting young to all sorts of foods from all sorts of global cultures. He eats Sushi, Chinese, Indian, Italian and Armenian food all with the same vigor. He like yours knows the difference between foods and is very careful to make healthy choices like we as his parents are trying to do.
It really is not rocket science...Education Education Education!
2 - SFC Ski
My kids are picky eaters, but they don't get a lot of junk because of it. THe first thing that should be done is make recess longer in elementary school, and reinstate Gym as a mandatory class. Kids have lots of energy, and will use it if given an outlet, but if forced to sit still in class, then come home to TV and Nintendo, they won't make fitness a part of their lifestyle. Parents, of course, play an even bigger role in all of this, but physical activity should be part of the curricula, there is no magic anti-fat pill that will help anyone, fitness is a lifestyle best started young and encouraged. I am not talking about marathons every weekend, just the idea of walking from place to place would be a positive change. Kids who can bike or walk to school should do so (parents to work as well). Kids learn from good examples.
3 - Eric Olsen
I agree all the way around: I agree with Ski that it is an absolute crime that schools have cut back so much on physical education - it should be mandatory all the way through high school, then it's a habit and people just do it.
I also agree with SR that parents have to take responsibility for their own children, monitor their diets, explain about different kinds of foods and what they do and don't do, appeal to health and vanity (I've got some damned vain kids and that is helpful).
BUT, I also think this bill is a very good idea and not a waste of money or effort: there needs to be concerted institutional/governmental action to help counteract the pro-shit-consumption messages of our culture and in particular mass media. Kids need to hear a countervaling message and it needs to come from the same sources that they hear the pro-shit messages.
4 - Vic
...counteract the pro-shit-consumption messages of our culture and in particular mass media.
Yeah, I swear it should be illegal to have a commercial for "Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bomb Flakes" and call it
"part of a nutritious breakfast". What part, exactly? The weekly requirement for sugar delivered in a single bowl (and it's always a HUGE bowl) of cereal???
I think labelling should change as well on food. We've come a long way, and I know that trans-fats will soon be listed on nutrition labels, but one thing that should really change is units of measurement. Why, in a country that is not on the metric system are quantities of fat, carbs, and protein listed in grams? Who the heck in the states has a clue how much sugar 40 grams represents?
Change that 40 grams to 8.5 teaspoons of sugar on the label of a can of soda and just MAYBE parents might think twice about giving it to their kids.
That's assuming of course they bother to read the label.
Vic