why are children so obese?

Question

I am a product of the 80s and as I recall, I was skinny, fairly active and always did my chores. I also had my fair share of video games and fatty foods. I am just curious how children(being exposed to the same things) can be so obese? I am not saying they are unhealthy by all means, but they do weigh a lot more now then they did when I was growing up. Is this because the children are being exposed to more fatty foods and video games? Are the parents letting them do whatever they want and not caring about them being active or not? I just want to know why parents are letting their children get this way. For some, being obese can be life threatening and will cause these children a lot of pain in the future as adults..

Answer 1

I see ur point. I remember when I was a kid it was the opposite. Everyone was concerned about kids becoming anorexic. I doubt parents deliberately let thier kids eat and eat and eat. A lot of parents are just clueless about nutrition and have no idea what goes into the food that they give thier little darlings. One thing I have noticed a lot of is the children being served the same sized portions as mummy and daddy. Children don't need as big a dinner as mummy or daddy so straight away theyre over eating, whether it's healthy food or not.
And maybe they don't want to let thier kiddies out to play becoz it's too, well, dangerous. Safer to let them stay in and play video games, they say. I think it's a pity they couldn't go to some after school activity like soccer or hockey. They could learn a skill aswell as keeping fit and interacting with other children. Of course not everyone can afford to send their children to these sorts of activities, even if they did exist.
Have u never noticed how overweight children will almost always have at least one overweight parent? I have. What I usually see is two fairly heavy adults and one really overweight child. The parents are passing thier bad food habits onto thier kids and I think it's sad. The child is often overweight by more than the adults.
But at what point do u think it becomes the childs responsibility? At the age of 35 an overweight person can't still blame thier parents anymore. Sure, they may have been given a bad foundation but if they really wanted to be healthy it's up to them.
For the record I was a very overweight child. When I was 16 I weighed 252lbs. But I decided at that age to do something about it and am now healthy. I don't know if this makes my point weaker or stronger but it's the truth and it's part of who I was. and has had an impact of who I am now. I'm, at different times, proud *and* ashamed of it. Ashamed that I got to be so big and proud now that I made myself healthy. My boyfriend says I should be the latter. I showed him a picture of me from when I was big, Just a passport photo (it's not like I would've posed for pictures unless I *had* to, like for a passport) and he didn't recognize me at all.

Answer 2

It dose not have a thing to due with over eating nor having a hormonal imbalance it is because these parents don take time out for there kids, all they wont to due is throw them in front of a computer or bye them a video game X-box,Nintendo and let them have there way and then they wounder WHY. If they would get off there *** go out side and play do something other than talk on the phone and play games we would not have this problem . Yes I know step on a lot of toe's OLD and YOUNG but you all know I am right, It is time to change this because little do we know this generation of parents starting from age 22-40 yrs of age , the majority of use will out live our kids believe that.

Answer 3

You have the right idea, did you know according to those in the know (who ever they are?) in the child rearing books that are out now, your child comes first before anything else. My sister said that my neice explained that the parenting books she read as an example "if you are washing dishes or in the middle of something and your child askes for your attention to play with them or read or whatever, you are to stop what you are doing and pay attention to the child. You can tell more families are having only one or two childern, can you imagine my grandma who had 11 stopping for each child when they wanted attention. The farm, house etc would have fallen apart.
As for being obese, we start our kids eating at Micky D's what do expect. A lot of people don't have a good idea what is healthy food for themselves let alone a child. We are a junk food Nation.

Answer 4

You are right. Most , but not all, kids that are obese are due to lack of proper nutrition and lack of exercise. The child is not to blame for this because they will take and do (or not do) what they are allowed. As someone else said, many of the parents of the obese are also obese - but whether or not the parent is obese is no excuse for them to not see to it that their child leads a healthy lifestyle. I see no reason to blame the schools, restaurants, or anyone else, as it is the parents responsibility.

As i said, "most, but not all" are due to this. I realize there are those who have thyroid or other problems, and I do have sympathies for them.....they can't do much about their problem, but the others could.

Answer 5

I think parents are unwilling to say no, to say you've had enough, to say that's not good for you, so we are not going to buy it. This is especially true of parents who put their children in day care and get pressed for time, because (1) it is easier to eat snack foods than to prepare a well-balanced meal, and (2) the parents hate to say no to kids they feel, at least unconsciously, they are neglecting. Of course, letting them do whatever they want, and especially letting them develop bad food habits is a form of abuse/neglect itself.

Ideally, every child would eat healthy because their parents did not give them the wrong foods or more than they need. The statistics seem to suggest we fall further from this ideal all the time.

Answer 6

parents do not cook as much as they did in the past. Society has become so busy that it is easier to run through a drive-thru than spend the time cooking... Chidren have also become very lazy. TV, computers and game consoles are the babysitter..... kids are not told to go outside and play, ride bikes etc.... they spend too much time sitting on their rears instead of getting out and getting exercise. Society has become lazy... it is sad. Parents should make their kids get from in front of the TV or computer and exercise.

Answer 7

its all about the amount of fatty food that they are having these days! and the hours that they spend watching TV and playing video games! they simply don't do any activities other than eating watching TV and playing video games! parents should be aware and sign there kids in sport or dancing programs !

Answer 8

Fatty foods = Fatty kids

Answer 9

This generation is obsessed with so much technology, life outside the home is filled with crime so parents are scared to let them loose to go and play! Also with the government stepping in and trying to tell ppl what and how to raise your children is just absurd...with all the advancements in this day and age makes us Americans so lazy!!!

Answer 10

Parents are too afraid to let their kids play outside.
kids driven to school instead of walking/riding bikes because they live in the suburbs.
Too much processed food - parent who do not cook from scratch
Soda and juice drinking - too much sugar
Too much access to media - tv, computers, video games, etc. instead of playtime
Parents who are not exercising with their kids - watch tv together instead of kicking a soccer ball in the park.