Fast Food Obese Kids

Moms Talk: Are You Keeping Your Kids Obese?

A bill recently proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives calls for Child Protective Services to temporarily remove obese children from their homes in "high-risk and extreme cases."

At the center of a media firestorm last week Dr. David Ludwig , director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital in Boston, stated in a leading medical journal that he believed removal of the child for intervention is more ethical than to allow the child to become more obese.

With the super-sized statistics on childhood obesity in America and the push toward healthy school lunches, surely parents are beginning to provide better nutrition for their kids, right? Wrong.  

Obesity is a byproduct of the U.S. economy. Fast food markets have made it cheaper to eat, and the failing farm markets are forced to increase prices for fruit and veggies at the same time. It's just cheaper to eat junk.  

A healthy meal with lean meat, vegetable, and whole grain can run anywhere between $20 to $25 to prepare for a family of four, whereas everyone could get burgers, fries and sodas for around $12. With the economy in mind, it's my guess that most "high-risk" obese children are coming from poorer neighborhoods with less-equipped schools. And so obesity is now a contributing health risk that continues with the cycle of poverty.

While I don't believe the foster care system—in its current state—is a good option for obese children, I do tend to feel like it's neglectful to allow your child to become obese. After all, they're eating what you're buying and following your lead on activity level.

Well, that is a difficult question, since many parents are both working and the kids are left making poor decisions. There seems to be very little time for kids to be at home with family anymore. We are stressing our kids out and should better monitor how many activities other than school they join. That only leads to kids eating on the run and most often at fast food places. Also, kids do develop there own eating habits no matter what. We all have a mind of our own and there is not much we can do to change it. I am not so sure if getting Social Services involved is the answer. these kids may begin to eat out of being "home sick" if placed with another family. There are to many cases of abuse out there that are not even being followed up on. I do think that parents should be educated along with there kids in school setting. It could be a requirement within the school system that every parent and child attend. Also, the economy is not helping the issue. Food is so expensive, so families end up having to purchase foods that have high calorie content and to many foods with refined sugar in them. Again, are there enough social workers out there that would allow the state to intervene?

Helping Obesity Kids | Atworkcom.com

Healthy eating and physical activity habits are essential to the well being of every single child. Eating too much and working out too little may result in being overweight and related health problems that could follow children into adulthood. Parents can take active roles to help children and the whole family, discover healthy eating and physical exercise habits which will carry on a lifetime.

Kids grow at various rates at different periods, so it is not always easy to tell if a child is obese. If a child is obese, discuss to a well being care provider. The doctor can determine if the weight and height of the kid are in a balanced range.

Involve the whole family in developing balanced eating and physical exercise habits. This rewards everybody and does not single out the obese kid.

Do not even placed a child on a weight loss diet unless a well being care provider advises it. If children do not eat sufficient, they might not grow and learn in addition to they should.

Remind the child that he or she is special. The feelings kids have about themselves are a result of how they think their parents feel about them. Accept a child regardless of what his or her weight. Children are more most likely to accept and really feel good about themselves when parents accept them. Listen concerns the child might have about his or her weight. Overweight children probably know much better than anyone that they have a weight issue. Children require support, understanding and encouragement from parents.

Encourage Healthy Eating Habits Purchase and serve more fruits and vegetables fresh, frozen, canned or dried. Let the child select them at the store. Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat or high calorie snack foods like chips, cookies and candy. These snacks might be okay occasionally, but usually keep wholesome snack foods on hand. Offer the wholesome snacks much more often at snack times. Make sure the child eats breakfast each day. Breakfast may offer the child with the energy he or she requirements to listen and learn in school. Skipping breakfast can leave a child hungry, tired and searching for less wholesome foods later in the day. Eat fast food less frequently. When visiting a quick food restaurant, encourage healthier choices options, like salads with low-fat dressing or small sandwiches with out cheese or mayonnaise. Provide a child water or low fat milk more often than fruit juice. Low fat milk and milk products are essential for development of any child. 1 hundred percent fruit juice is really a wholesome choice but is high in calories. Limit the quantity of saturated and trans fats in the family diet plan. Rather, most fat intake should come from sources like fish, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Strategy healthy meals and eat together as a family members. Consuming together at meal times helps children discover to enjoy a variety of foods. Don’t get discouraged if a child will not consume a new food the very first time. Some kids will have to have a brand new food served to them 10 times or much more before they’ll eat it. Attempt not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for instance, sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert. Kids learn to dislike foods they believe are much less valuable.

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