Comments on: Weighing in On Childhood Obesity In School

By: MIriam

MIriam — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 09:35:23 +0000

Thanks for your insightful comment.

By: Steve Bonesz

Steve Bonesz — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:09:58 +0000

Good article! Obesity is becoming a very large problem in our country today. Parents and teacher leading by example is key, however many parents and teachers are also in the weight challenged category. Proper diet and exercise are the obvious answers to the problem, but these lifesyle changes are not easily adhered to, and I think one of the main reasons is America’s relience on inexpensive highly processed foods. There are so many reasons these food choices are popular; they are abundant (American farmers produce massive amounts of corn and wheat each year), processing makes these products easy to pack and extends their shelf life, they feed a ytremendous number of livestock for a cheap and tender meat supply and they are more palatable to children than their healthier countrerparts. What child wouldn’t choose a hamburger and fries over a salmon filet and string beans?
I personally think the answer to this issue has to start with our government. Corn is grown at a loss in this country. It is only profitable to American farmer because our government subsidises it’s production. Let’s start subidising corn less and other fruits and vegtables more. Let’s start subsidising sustainable, locally grown, non-processed, healthy foods and stop subsiding less healthy foods and I think we will heading in the right direction.

By: dpierce

dpierce — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:04:30 +0000

Dianne is right. The parents and teachers must lead by example.
There is simply big money in selling processed carbohydrates. Corn syrup and granulated sugar are cheap ingredients which as commodities benefit by third world labor and fossil fuel and fertilizer support ias well as Government agricultural subsidies. Until all this is modified, we will see kids eating Cheetos and candy even if we put apples and carrots on every tray. There is big money in making America fat, and I say it amounts to a corruption if not a form of terrorism or even treason.
Follow Dianne and throw the Halloween candy, Valentine candy and Christmas sweets and stop gorging on sodas and breads and desserts on Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day and whatever day in between. Give up the sugar filled lattes and frappes and the Slurpees….hard to do in the face of pressure of advertising and your friends. Take up a sport that asks for calories – hiking, running, swimming – Masters programs are all over and most who join are able to be less obese more healthy and happier – and they don’t snarf down juices or candy except when they burn the calories first.
Fat parents usually have fat kids. Trim parents usually have trim kids and it comes from understanding food – especially the food offered to us by the commodity industry gremlins of corn syrup and sugar.

By: Miriam

Miriam — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:24:46 +0000

Wishing you the best of luck with the Fit and Trim program. It sounds like a worthwhile project. Feel free to share a link to your site.

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:52:21 +0000

I applaude all teachers and educational administrators for their efforts in fighting childhood obesity. I work with 150 schools,and the statistics are true.Children need positive role models.Teachers and Parents who say..Do as I am doing. Diet,nutrition,and exercise. It is hard to get motivated if your teacher is overweight,and your parents. Could lead to thinking that fat is norm. I help schools with a fitness fundraiser/weight loss challenge that gets everyone involved in the process of lifestyle changes. The war on weight continues to be fought.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:00:49 +0000

if schools are going to take on the childhood obesity problem the first thing they need to do is get rid of all the premade, carb filled, proceced crap they feed our kids on daily basis and return to on site fresh prepared meats..breads..fr…uits and veggies. Secondly they have to bring back daily physical education insytead of children going to PE twice a week. ALso they have to bring back the twice daily recess that many have taken away from our kids. Take a lesson with Jamie Oliver.