Hi, hope this belongs in this forum - it looked the best place for it.

BBC news are reporting an obesity time-bomb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3501234.stm) in Britain, and I know there are similar concerns in the US where deaths related to obesity are outnumbering those from tobacco-related illnesses. The BBC story tells how the UK government are now trying to educate fat Brits not to eat crap and to do small amounts of exercise.

This got me wondering whether if I'd known what I've learned here at a younger age, would I have put on so much weight in the first place? At school, our physical eduction consisted mainly of team sports. Being useless at those I stopped as soon as I could. Since then, gyms have been an option, but you have to be a self-starter to join a gym and learn about fitness, and not everybody has the time or willpower to do that.

What about you? It would be interesting to hear about your own health education, whatever your current age and wherever you live. If it had been different would you have got to your 'before' state quite as easily?

Absolutely! To put things in perspective, I was raised on corn chips and soda pop - when it came time to eat healthy, I had no clue what to believe and like many people, my information came from companies trying to advertise products instead of sound, unbiased sources.

My daughter, on the other hand, is now 4. She was raised healthy from birth, because she was born right when we made the change. She would rather go outside than watch the TV, has incredible health, is growing fast, maturing quickly (she is already a year ahead of the rest of the class in her schooling), and can curl and dead-lift with the best of them (no, I don't organize training with her - she's too young - but I encourage an environment with light weights, ropes, hula hoops, balls, etc so she can continuously engage in activity, and she likes to mimic her Dad when I lift).

Remember, we train kids to have a difficult time making tough decisions.

For example, what do 99% of Americans (and possibly people in your country as well) when their kids do something good? They reward them with pizza and ice cream, so that "good feeling" is associated with junk food. Now, when the child is older, and feels bad, what do you think they'll do to feel good?

With our daughter, we try to reward her with new books, outing (she loves to hike, etc) things that if later in life she is seeking happiness, she'll find it through health rather than junk.

Many people put kids in front of the TV to shut them up and babysit them. If they fuss, stick a lollypop in their mouth. Had one parent tell me the other day, "Oh, we have a secret we'd like to share - we get these pudding pops, they are really cheap, and when our kids act up, we just give them a pudding pop and they shut up - it's great."

So in other words, encourage unhealthy eating and contribute to the rise in juvenille-onset diabetes rather than take the time to spend time with the child, perform activities with them, etc. You know what? I haven't been out dancing or to the movies in a long time, because I don't babysit my daughter in front of the TV - I spend quality time with her, outdoors as much as possible or in an environment where she learns.

So there are a lot of ways that I think schools and parents can help tackle obesity. The schools in the U.S. are failing miserably. For budget cuts, they have actually eliminated physical education - the one class where children are active. On the same hand, in order to raise funds, they have installed Coke machines and have McDonald's cater the lunch room. So instead of the child's health and education, it's more about sacrificing health and encouraging obesity for profit. Of course, it may benefit the SCHOOL but it negatively impacts the economy - 1/6th of the US economy, trillions of dollars, is spend managing health issues. Yet a recent study reported that the two leading causes of death are smoking and improper nutrition/lack of exercise. These aren't on the death certificate - instead, it reads cardiovascular disease, stroke, etc - but the two leading causes of death, and the disease group which accounts for a huge block of our country's spending, are both PREVENTABLE. Go figure!

Jeremy

Well said, Jeremy.

The first thing to go at schools in the US when budget cutting is phys ed. But even when it's there, it was pretty much useless, quite frankly, at least in my experience. Having kids throw big balls at each other's heads (dodgeball) did not teach us anything about health of sport.

My parents, god bless 'em who I love and are great in every other way, totally screwed me up in the food department so that now, at 26, I'm teaching myself to undo everything I've ever done and learned about eating and exercise. Of course I have myself to blame as one does assume complete responsibility for themselves at 18, but the behaviours learned as a child are so ingrained that it takes a lot to change them.

The rate of child obesity is still growing and the numbers are insane, while we allow corporations to continue peddling their poison by marketing directly to children who don't understand the concept of advertising and can't properly absorb this constant barrage of cartoons and sugar.

It's ironic and sad that our society has found so many cures and extended our life expectancy, but that most people die from preventable causes. :d_frown:

For example, what do 99% of Americans (and possibly people in your country as well) when their kids do something good? They reward them with pizza and ice cream, so that "good feeling" is associated with junk food. Now, when the child is older, and feels bad, what do you think they'll do to feel good?

Yep - this happens in the UK as well. I read somebody's research recently that basically said that the generation now growing into adulthood had this sort of reward since they were kids. Now that they have their own income they can afford to 'reward' themselves whenever they like. I may be paraphrasing, but it seems quite true for most of the young people I know.


So there are a lot of ways that I think schools and parents can help tackle obesity. The schools in the U.S. are failing miserably. For budget cuts, they have actually eliminated physical education - the one class where children are active. On the same hand, in order to raise funds, they have installed Coke machines and have McDonald's cater the lunch room. So instead of the child's health and education, it's more about sacrificing health and encouraging obesity for profit. Of course, it may benefit the SCHOOL but it negatively impacts the economy - 1/6th of the US economy, trillions of dollars, is spend managing health issues. Yet a recent study reported that the two leading causes of death are smoking and improper nutrition/lack of exercise. These aren't on the death certificate - instead, it reads cardiovascular disease, stroke, etc - but the two leading causes of death, and the disease group which accounts for a huge block of our country's spending, are both PREVENTABLE. Go figure!

I snipped some of your post for brevity, but I agree with all that you've said. We have the same problem in the UK, although Coca Cola have apparently volunteered to take their logos off the vending machines in schools.

I'd rather see some real education about food, nutrition and exercise on a 'health for life' basis in schools. I doubt it'll happen, and I myself am a new convert as I really hadn't put it all together until I read this site. Like you I'm a father, and I want to make sure that my 14 year old son doesn't make the same mistakes that I have with regard to keeping himself in shape due to pure ignorance.

The first thing to go at schools in the US when budget cutting is phys ed. But even when it's there, it was pretty much useless, quite frankly, at least in my experience. Having kids throw big balls at each other's heads (dodgeball) did not teach us anything about health of sport.

Ah - great to see that it's universal. Mind you, I'm pretty good at dodging projectiles because of it ;)

For example, what do 99% of Americans (and possibly people in your country as well) when their kids do something good? They reward them with pizza and ice cream, so that "good feeling" is associated with junk food. Now, when the child is older, and feels bad, what do you think they'll do to feel good?

With our daughter, we try to reward her with new books, outing (she loves to hike, etc) things that if later in life she is seeking happiness, she'll find it through health rather than junk.

Interesting. I'm glad my parents chose to motivate me with books then. This could explain my skinniness (too skinny... :p ). Though I did have my fair share of food rewards, but that was later in life.

PE in my country is taken pretty seriously. I got taught games like soccer, baseball, rugby, basketball, tennis, even track and field events like long jump during my PE. Weight lessons too. Though it was only with selectorized machines, and they didn't teach any principles of weight training, just how to use the machines.

One of the biggest problems I see ( I haven't been to an American High school before, and my college in upstate NY serves a wonderful range of food at the dining halls) is the sale of unhealthy food to school children.

Snack machine food, and fast food should be totally banned from schools. The recent substitution of "juice" drinks for soda isn't much of an improvement. I don't see how that will help the kids. You might as well give them a multi-vitamin with their cola,( hmmm.. probably better too)

The fact is that kids turn to these machines, partly because there is simply no alternative choice available. I'd take snacks over yucky food anyday. Just the provision of affordable, palatable whole foods would go a long way.

As mentioned, gym was a pile of crap until high school. Now we can choose weight room over basketball, dodge ball, etc... Gym coach said there might be a class that replaces gym next year, which will focus completely on conditioning the body and nutrition.(WOO HOO)
Health class sucked the big one. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: That class should be called disease, not health. We learn about illness, not wellness. I actually mentioned that to the health teacher, and he agreed with me. FYI: The teacher used to be a pharmaceutical salesman(legal drug dealer IMO). Anybody else think thats a horrible person to teach HEALTH?
I learn alot about health and proper nutrition from the parental units(mom is the supplement queen :p ). My family is VERY active in alternative medicine, so I pick up most of what is discussed.
In conclusion, school has yet to teach me physical or health education. Parents taught me the most about HEALTH. Its weird, seems like noone here learned how to live a healthy lifestyle from school.

I agree about the snack machines. I don't think they have a place in schools since parents can't monitor whether their kids are eating from the machines or the regular lunch line.

I agree about the snack machines. I don't think they have a place in schools since parents can't monitor whether their kids are eating from the machines or the regular lunch line.

Quite honestly, I dont think theres much of a difference. Nearly all the meat served here is processed, potatoes are a staple(wedges, french fries, tater tots, etc..), and they top it off with a half-pint of milk.

I still think it's better than candy, coke, and potato chips. There's at least some nutritional value in the lunch line food. And it's not as packed with sugar.