Noticing very chunky young kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a high poverty school and by 5th-6th grade, nearly every student is overweight. It's sad. Some of them stayed overweight as they grew but some of them were a normal weight and then just packed on the pounds.

Its all the cheap food loaded with unhealthy grains and sugar / high fructose corn syrup.

Healthy food is expensive.

No it isn’t. Can we just stop this? It is a cultural shift to eat crap as the majority of your food intake, especially for low income.

Ingredients can be inexpensive. But there is time involved in making it into food. That is something the parents may lack. Also the possibility of living in food deserts. I remember my parents making a 45 min trip on the one day they both had off (one car only) so they could go to the nearest grocery store to get ingredients for food.

More BS excuses. People have been living on simple foods such as beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, season fruits and vegetables that are cheap for thousands of years- and the lived much busier and harder lives than anyone is living now. The only difference is they didn’t have a choice but to eat nutritious foods. There wasn’t the options of Cheetos and Kraft Mac and cheese. If given the option, 9/10 times people will pick the crap food bc it’s less work and tastes good. Not because they are too busy or can’t afford anything else. And people are more likely to pick the crap food if everyone around them is also (such as in poor American communities).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I offer my kids the same meals. One is very hungry and wants a lot. One is not very hungry and does not want very much. They have similar activity levels. I’m serious — you guys thinks I should say “no you can’t have another bowl of soup, Larlo”?

Yes! And follow it up with "we feed our bodies enough that they take care of us, then we stop."

And then all of us here at DCUM can look for mom’s post when kid starts sneaking out of bed at night to raid the fridge.

Awesome that you have all the answers, though.

So you haven’t even tried it and you’re already making up ridiculous scenarios as to the inevitable, catastrophic results.

I’m not the PP. But I’ve read enough to know that your hypothetical isn’t going to end well.

FWIW, I’m thin and so are my kids. But I’m also humble enough to know that it’s mostly due to lucky genes and resources, so I don’t feel compelled to cast blame on those who didn’t win the same lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a high poverty school and by 5th-6th grade, nearly every student is overweight. It's sad. Some of them stayed overweight as they grew but some of them were a normal weight and then just packed on the pounds.

Its all the cheap food loaded with unhealthy grains and sugar / high fructose corn syrup.

Healthy food is expensive.

No it isn’t. Can we just stop this? It is a cultural shift to eat crap as the majority of your food intake, especially for low income.

Ingredients can be inexpensive. But there is time involved in making it into food. That is something the parents may lack. Also the possibility of living in food deserts. I remember my parents making a 45 min trip on the one day they both had off (one car only) so they could go to the nearest grocery store to get ingredients for food.

More BS excuses. People have been living on simple foods such as beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, season fruits and vegetables that are cheap for thousands of years- and the lived much busier and harder lives than anyone is living now. The only difference is they didn’t have a choice but to eat nutritious foods. There wasn’t the options of Cheetos and Kraft Mac and cheese. If given the option, 9/10 times people will pick the crap food bc it’s less work and tastes good. Not because they are too busy or can’t afford anything else. And people are more likely to pick the crap food if everyone around them is also (such as in poor American communities).

As one of many skinny adults who grew up eating Cheetos and Kraft dinner, that's not the problem. You guys really don't have a clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a high poverty school and by 5th-6th grade, nearly every student is overweight. It's sad. Some of them stayed overweight as they grew but some of them were a normal weight and then just packed on the pounds.

Its all the cheap food loaded with unhealthy grains and sugar / high fructose corn syrup.

Healthy food is expensive.

No it isn’t. Can we just stop this? It is a cultural shift to eat crap as the majority of your food intake, especially for low income.

Ingredients can be inexpensive. But there is time involved in making it into food. That is something the parents may lack. Also the possibility of living in food deserts. I remember my parents making a 45 min trip on the one day they both had off (one car only) so they could go to the nearest grocery store to get ingredients for food.

More BS excuses. People have been living on simple foods such as beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, season fruits and vegetables that are cheap for thousands of years- and the lived much busier and harder lives than anyone is living now. The only difference is they didn’t have a choice but to eat nutritious foods. There wasn’t the options of Cheetos and Kraft Mac and cheese. If given the option, 9/10 times people will pick the crap food bc it’s less work and tastes good. Not because they are too busy or can’t afford anything else. And people are more likely to pick the crap food if everyone around them is also (such as in poor American communities).

That’s the only difference between now and thousands of years ago? Lol

Also, it’s a myth that people will always pick the crap food. Fresh food tastes good and makes the body feel good. There is way more at play than you are describing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the posters who are saying something along the lines of, “I let my kids eat whatever they want and they are still thin, I don’t understand how it’s possible for any kid to be overweight or obese” are in for a rude awakening when your kids head off to college. Armed without any substantive nutritional knowledge, 99% of the time these are the people who end up really struggling with their weight as adults.

I would kind of describe my family that way, but I think a lot of well-off/well-educated families just naturally have patterns where they eat meals together as a family, they have time to cook real food, days have structure and routine, kids go to bed at a specific time. Our kids go to camps in the summer where they are supervised and there are "snack times." We have healthy food in the pantry and the fridge along with junk food, and kids are used to eating both. My kids never drank a lot of soda or juice and now as older kids, 2 of the 3 largely prefer milk and water, even when offered soda. It is a much different reality from families that don't have any of these habits or patterns.

Why do so many of you people attribute your habits as the perfect housewife because you’re well-off/well-educated. It’s embarrassing. Many families regardless of their income have kids and parents with wildly different schedules. People with jobs sometimes travel or work long hours. Kids have activities that are scheduled through dinner time, even some for younger kids. And how about all those athletes with practices and games after school? STFU with your well educated people just naturally have patterns.

Yikes. The fact that you are shuttling your kids around to multiple sport practices means you are in the "well-off" group (You are describing routine, scheduled activities (which presumably take place after a school day that your child reliably attends) that are available to people with time and money and are designed for the enrichment/benefit of the children). I'm not sure why you are being defensive or "embarrassed."

[Anonymous]

This thread is off the rails. It was answered early on that we have many environmental factors disrupting our endocrine systems nowadays. People are more interested in touting their virtue and ability to cook wholesome meals at any budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a high poverty school and by 5th-6th grade, nearly every student is overweight. It's sad. Some of them stayed overweight as they grew but some of them were a normal weight and then just packed on the pounds.

Its all the cheap food loaded with unhealthy grains and sugar / high fructose corn syrup.

Healthy food is expensive.

No it isn’t. Can we just stop this? It is a cultural shift to eat crap as the majority of your food intake, especially for low income.

Ingredients can be inexpensive. But there is time involved in making it into food. That is something the parents may lack. Also the possibility of living in food deserts. I remember my parents making a 45 min trip on the one day they both had off (one car only) so they could go to the nearest grocery store to get ingredients for food.

More BS excuses. People have been living on simple foods such as beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, season fruits and vegetables that are cheap for thousands of years- and the lived much busier and harder lives than anyone is living now. The only difference is they didn’t have a choice but to eat nutritious foods. There wasn’t the options of Cheetos and Kraft Mac and cheese. If given the option, 9/10 times people will pick the crap food bc it’s less work and tastes good. Not because they are too busy or can’t afford anything else. And people are more likely to pick the crap food if everyone around them is also (such as in poor American communities).

That’s the only difference between now and thousands of years ago? Lol

Also, it’s a myth that people will always pick the crap food. Fresh food tastes good and makes the body feel good. There is way more at play than you are describing

No, it’s not. Spend some time in a low income school lunch room and see what foods are getting tossed in the trash. Hint: it isn’t the pizza that you can drink the grease from with a straw (yes, I’ve seen kids do this).

I’ve also worked at kids camps where they have beautiful salad bars always available. Same thing. Another PP gave an example of when their work offered free fresh foods. Same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the same boat OP. We don’t withhold much of anything, they get a treat after dinner, and they have very low BMI. I don’t understand how children can become so overweight. It’s tragic and the parents should have to attend mandatory child nutrition classes.

I cook from scratch, don’t stock junk food but don’t withhold healthy food, have occasional treats, etc etc, and I have one 15th %ile kid who eats like a bird and one 90th %ile kid who will have thirds of chicken and rice and salad. It’s complicated.

What is complicated about this?? First off, because your kid is 90th percentile doesn’t mean he has high BMI, it’s how his weight is distributed relative to height. If he has high BMI, he is eating too much and you are responsible for making sure he cools it on the thirds or gets more exercise. Calories in calories out - IT IS NOT COMPLICATED FOR 8 YEAR OLDS

So your advice is that when a child is hungry, I should deny them healthy food? “Sorry honey, you’re fat.”

First off, high calorie/high carb wheat bread is not the same as green beans. I guarantee you are overweight yourself and wouldn’t know how to read the food pyramid if it was mailed to you. Second, um yes? You think you’re a better parent to let him get fat and struggle his entire life with health problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is off the rails. It was answered early on that we have many environmental factors disrupting our endocrine systems nowadays. People are more interested in touting their virtue and ability to cook wholesome meals at any budget.

Yeah, the environmental factors are Golden Corral, McDs, and muffins the size of your face

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is off the rails. It was answered early on that we have many environmental factors disrupting our endocrine systems nowadays. People are more interested in touting their virtue and ability to cook wholesome meals at any budget.

+1

Wholesome meals are nice but they, or their lack, aren't the reason that some kids are skinny and some kids are thick. It's partly genetics and food abundance (or a coping mechanism for abuse) but it's mostly an endocrine/metabolism issue caused by environmental factors, particularly pervasive antibiotics but also microplastics and probably others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I offer my kids the same meals. One is very hungry and wants a lot. One is not very hungry and does not want very much. They have similar activity levels. I’m serious — you guys thinks I should say “no you can’t have another bowl of soup, Larlo”?

Yes! And follow it up with "we feed our bodies enough that they take care of us, then we stop."

And then all of us here at DCUM can look for mom’s post when kid starts sneaking out of bed at night to raid the fridge.

Awesome that you have all the answers, though.

So you haven’t even tried it and you’re already making up ridiculous scenarios as to the inevitable, catastrophic results.

I’m not the PP. But I’ve read enough to know that your hypothetical isn’t going to end well.

FWIW, I’m thin and so are my kids. But I’m also humble enough to know that it’s mostly due to lucky genes and resources, so I don’t feel compelled to cast blame on those who didn’t win the same lottery.

So 2/3 of American adults are just unlucky in the genes and resources department? That’s 66% if it makes it more clear to you how massive (no pun intended) this problem is.

[Anonymous]

I do not understand these posters who are not listening to people who have a thin child and a husky child who are fed the same and are equally active; especially the ones who think the answer is to give even less nutrition to the husky child as if food intake is the problem. Read up people; your luck in life is not all to your merit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I teach in a high poverty school and by 5th-6th grade, nearly every student is overweight. It's sad. Some of them stayed overweight as they grew but some of them were a normal weight and then just packed on the pounds.

Its all the cheap food loaded with unhealthy grains and sugar / high fructose corn syrup.

Healthy food is expensive.

No it isn’t. Can we just stop this? It is a cultural shift to eat crap as the majority of your food intake, especially for low income.

Ingredients can be inexpensive. But there is time involved in making it into food. That is something the parents may lack. Also the possibility of living in food deserts. I remember my parents making a 45 min trip on the one day they both had off (one car only) so they could go to the nearest grocery store to get ingredients for food.

More BS excuses. People have been living on simple foods such as beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, season fruits and vegetables that are cheap for thousands of years- and the lived much busier and harder lives than anyone is living now. The only difference is they didn’t have a choice but to eat nutritious foods. There wasn’t the options of Cheetos and Kraft Mac and cheese. If given the option, 9/10 times people will pick the crap food bc it’s less work and tastes good. Not because they are too busy or can’t afford anything else. And people are more likely to pick the crap food if everyone around them is also (such as in poor American communities).

That’s the only difference between now and thousands of years ago? Lol

Also, it’s a myth that people will always pick the crap food. Fresh food tastes good and makes the body feel good. There is way more at play than you are describing

No, it’s not. Spend some time in a low income school lunch room and see what foods are getting tossed in the trash. Hint: it isn’t the pizza that you can drink the grease from with a straw (yes, I’ve seen kids do this).

I’ve also worked at kids camps where they have beautiful salad bars always available. Same thing. Another PP gave an example of when their work offered free fresh foods. Same thing.

I have spent time working directly with kids receiving free meals and seeing what they eat. And having kids ask to take home seconds for their young siblings. And I don’t think our school lunches in this country are a point of pride. But it’s really beside the point. What a kid does or does not choose to eat in a lunch room is a factor of what is familiar to them and palatable. The people on this planet who have unlimited budgets and personal chefs will tell you, real food cooked right is delicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swimming at the pool this year and have really noticed a lot of chunky kids. I know a lot of kids are overweight and obese now but it still surprises me every time I see kids who are clearly overweight at a young age.

DH and I had the opposite problem growing up and our kids are sharing our genetics. No matter how much they eat they can’t really gain weight. Our 9.5 year old only weighs 66 pounds and eats like a horse!

A friend of mine said her 8 year old weighed 100 pounds!

My kids don’t eat perfectly healthy all the time and do eat junk food so it’s not like they aren’t also consuming the highly processed food. I just feel bad for kids having to go through this at such a young age.

Don't you have enough to do to focus on your own kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is off the rails. It was answered early on that we have many environmental factors disrupting our endocrine systems nowadays. People are more interested in touting their virtue and ability to cook wholesome meals at any budget.

+1

Wholesome meals are nice but they, or their lack, aren't the reason that some kids are skinny and some kids are thick. It's partly genetics and food abundance (or a coping mechanism for abuse) but it's mostly an endocrine/metabolism issue caused by environmental factors, particularly pervasive antibiotics but also microplastics and probably others.

Agree and also, trauma and stress are huge determinants.