This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Health / Food This Is Why Your Kids Are Fat
Posted by Dan Savage on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 10:02 AM
Between 1977 and 2002, the percent of the American populationeating three or more snacks a day increased to 42 percent from 11 percent, according to a large study of American nutritional habits conducted by the Agriculture Department with the Department of Health and Human Services.
Snacks at school, snacks at home, snacks after sports. Dumb, dumb, and dumber:
Once a week, Vivian Zachary’s 6-year-old son, Joel, goes dashing for the vending machine at the gym after his gymnastics class ends at 5 p.m. “Last week it was a Fruit Roll-Up and a can of 7Up,” Ms. Zachary wrote in an e-mail message. “I’m not sure why I let this go on, and I often think that if I were a better parent, or at least more able to tolerate incessant complaining, I would let him buy the snacks but not actually consume them until after dinner. But I have already established the pattern (the ‘rule’ in Joel’s mind), so there’s no going back now.”
Nope, there's no going back—and it would be so much better for little Joel if he had that can of corn syrup and that a sugar-bomb after dinner, not before.
1
Snacks aren't bad. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner aren't bad either. It's what is eaten and how much. Snacks in our house mean a piece of fruit or some veggies.
I wouldn't begrudge an active and growing kid a healthy snack. They eat what we give them. Junk food doesn't mysteriously pop up in the pantry. The adults need to act like adults.
I wouldn't begrudge an active and growing kid a healthy snack. They eat what we give them. Junk food doesn't mysteriously pop up in the pantry. The adults need to act like adults.
2
I agree - the problem is not that the kid is having a snack but what the kid is having for a snack. We actually have an open snacking policy in our home. The kids can snack whenever they want with the only exception being that they cannot snack as I am putting a meal on the table. The trick is that the snack is fruit, yogurt, veggies, nuts, whole grain based dry snacks, etc. It is better for a child to eat something healthy when they are hungry then to pig out at a pre-determined meal time.
3
meh... I was snacking on 7up and fruit roll-ups all the time when growing up - get home from school, eat some mini donuts and cookies and drink soda, watch cartoons. Then go skateboarding, etc. And I was thin and in shape then, and still am now.
Those kids are fat because they have lousy genes. Their metabolism sucks.
Those kids are fat because they have lousy genes. Their metabolism sucks.
4
@ROM - You're only half right. No matter how bad their metabolism sucks, they aren't going to get fat unless they're putting too much food in their mouths. The human body can't make fat out of thin air - only from food above and beyond what the body uses to run.
6
And maybe because they are eating crap at home too? Many of the schools dropped Phys ed or it's optional. Here in portland we these fine "alternative" schools where there is zero physical activity, and you can usually catch these emo (shudder) wankers smoking and drinking coffee (wtf do you need coffee for at 15? really?) I am not suggesting everyone should be sports person or jocks (yes nerds, i know they picked on you in school-move on) but when at 43 I am in far better shape than the majority of these kids-that is scary
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