Really sad-so many kids have gained weight during covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you think should have been done differently to prevent this, OP? It’s obviously not a good situation but I’m not sure what the solution should have been. In my opinion, there was sadly no real safe option pre-vaccine except for kids to stay home from school and activities/sports and for athletics facilities to be closed to the public. What do you think should have been done?

Not OP, but keep the schools open. It's not kid's responsibility to sacrifice for 85 year olds. For the families and staff who are not comfortable, offer online schooling and/or early retirement due to medical reasons.

[Anonymous]

I noticed the same thing at my child's soccer practice this week, OP. This is a combined 3rd and 4th grade age group and mostly 3rd graders, so 8 and 9 year olds. It would be pretty unusual for puberty weight gain at this age.

And going to soccer practice and games with friends is FUN. Kicking a ball around by yourself or with your parents is NOT fun.

[Anonymous]

If kids are so busy that it's only homework and travel sport that doesn't sound great to me. One of the many reasons I'd keep my kid out of travel. They're overscheduled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you think should have been done differently to prevent this, OP? It’s obviously not a good situation but I’m not sure what the solution should have been. In my opinion, there was sadly no real safe option pre-vaccine except for kids to stay home from school and activities/sports and for athletics facilities to be closed to the public. What do you think should have been done?

Not OP, but keep the schools open. It's not kid's responsibility to sacrifice for 85 year olds. For the families and staff who are not comfortable, offer online schooling and/or early retirement due to medical reasons.

Also not OP, but we should have done much more to encourage outdoor activities, including organized sports, and to minimize indoor activities. Instead, we had people afraid to go to their community pools last summer, and then by October, were fatigued and gathering indoors and unmasked.

Newton's First law of Motion - a body in motion stays in motion and a body at rest stays at rest. WE CLOSED PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS FOR THREE MONTHS. And you wonder why people didn't immediately adjust their lives to engage in more outdoor activities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every year there are a ton of posts where parents either freak out that their 10 - 12 year olds are gaining weight, or they judge other parents whose 10 - 12 year old kids are gaining weight. Why? Because 10 - 12 year olds bulk up as they head into puberty, and then they hit their growth spurt and their height catches up with their weight. it's a thing regardless of pandemic. The pandemic might be contributed, but it's not the primary cause here.

But beyond that, can we stop with the idea that healthy kids, with families who are stable enough to either pay for select/travel soccer, or apply for and get a scholarship, and to get them to soccer practice and games 4 times a week (note: this is not neighborhood rec soccer), are the ones who have been put "last" in this pandemic? Or that somehow it's impossible for a family who can manage practice 4 times a week soccer is otherwise unable to walk to a playground during the same time of the day? Like they had no time whatsoever to take the kid out and then soccer somehow magically solved that problem?

Yes, the pandemic has been hard on healthy 10 year old boys from stable families, but it hasn't been harder on them than it has been on the kids who have lost parents or grandparents who were primary caregivers, or the kids in families who have lost their income or their business, or the medically fragile kids who live every day in fear, or the kids in the hospitals who are separated from most of their family due to covid visitor policies. And that doesn't even include senior citizens, or college seniors, or kindergarteners, or business owners all of whom have been hurt far more than 10 year old boys.

The OP literally is talking about rec soccer. Which is usually once or twice a week for 6-8 weeks in fall and spring. Kids playing rec soccer are a much more representative swath of the kid population then kids who have been playing travel soccer 5x a week since June. They are also much more likely not to have played an organized sport since pre-Covid, because they were canceled last spring and iffy this past fall. So it is a good snapshot of how the general population of kids saw real health declines due to school closures, park closures, and sports/activities/camp closures.

In fact, another pp mentioned that the only public school kid in shape on her child's football team was the travel soccer player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If kids are so busy that it's only homework and travel sport that doesn't sound great to me. One of the many reasons I'd keep my kid out of travel. They're overscheduled.

To them, it's fun. They want to do it, so it is a huge loss when you take that away from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every year there are a ton of posts where parents either freak out that their 10 - 12 year olds are gaining weight, or they judge other parents whose 10 - 12 year old kids are gaining weight. Why? Because 10 - 12 year olds bulk up as they head into puberty, and then they hit their growth spurt and their height catches up with their weight. it's a thing regardless of pandemic. The pandemic might be contributed, but it's not the primary cause here.

But beyond that, can we stop with the idea that healthy kids, with families who are stable enough to either pay for select/travel soccer, or apply for and get a scholarship, and to get them to soccer practice and games 4 times a week (note: this is not neighborhood rec soccer), are the ones who have been put "last" in this pandemic? Or that somehow it's impossible for a family who can manage practice 4 times a week soccer is otherwise unable to walk to a playground during the same time of the day? Like they had no time whatsoever to take the kid out and then soccer somehow magically solved that problem?

Yes, the pandemic has been hard on healthy 10 year old boys from stable families, but it hasn't been harder on them than it has been on the kids who have lost parents or grandparents who were primary caregivers, or the kids in families who have lost their income or their business, or the medically fragile kids who live every day in fear, or the kids in the hospitals who are separated from most of their family due to covid visitor policies. And that doesn't even include senior citizens, or college seniors, or kindergarteners, or business owners all of whom have been hurt far more than 10 year old boys.

The OP literally is talking about rec soccer. Which is usually once or twice a week for 6-8 weeks in fall and spring. Kids playing rec soccer are a much more representative swath of the kid population then kids who have been playing travel soccer 5x a week since June. They are also much more likely not to have played an organized sport since pre-Covid, because they were canceled last spring and iffy this past fall. So it is a good snapshot of how the general population of kids saw real health declines due to school closures, park closures, and sports/activities/camp closures.

In fact, another pp mentioned that the only public school kid in shape on her child's football team was the travel soccer player.

+1 Absolutely. My rec player's mood and attitude changed so much in the fall when he started playing soccer again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If kids are so busy that it's only homework and travel sport that doesn't sound great to me. One of the many reasons I'd keep my kid out of travel. They're overscheduled.

We are discussing overweight children showing up for community *rec* sports. Travel sports aren't relevant because pay-to-play has been happening since last May. Those kids have paid $$$ to have access to all the benefits of regular, social exercise.

[Anonymous]

OP is right, and the health impacts will be permanent. Weight gained is largely impossible to keep off long term (statistically speaking). These kids will always be fighting the weight gain.

It is yet one more health impact that kids have from school closures that is not covid-19 itself.

[Anonymous]

I was just commenting on another posters comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every year there are a ton of posts where parents either freak out that their 10 - 12 year olds are gaining weight, or they judge other parents whose 10 - 12 year old kids are gaining weight. Why? Because 10 - 12 year olds bulk up as they head into puberty, and then they hit their growth spurt and their height catches up with their weight. it's a thing regardless of pandemic. The pandemic might be contributed, but it's not the primary cause here.

But beyond that, can we stop with the idea that healthy kids, with families who are stable enough to either pay for select/travel soccer, or apply for and get a scholarship, and to get them to soccer practice and games 4 times a week (note: this is not neighborhood rec soccer), are the ones who have been put "last" in this pandemic? Or that somehow it's impossible for a family who can manage practice 4 times a week soccer is otherwise unable to walk to a playground during the same time of the day? Like they had no time whatsoever to take the kid out and then soccer somehow magically solved that problem?

Yes, the pandemic has been hard on healthy 10 year old boys from stable families, but it hasn't been harder on them than it has been on the kids who have lost parents or grandparents who were primary caregivers, or the kids in families who have lost their income or their business, or the medically fragile kids who live every day in fear, or the kids in the hospitals who are separated from most of their family due to covid visitor policies. And that doesn't even include senior citizens, or college seniors, or kindergarteners, or business owners all of whom have been hurt far more than 10 year old boys.

The OP literally is talking about rec soccer. Which is usually once or twice a week for 6-8 weeks in fall and spring. Kids playing rec soccer are a much more representative swath of the kid population then kids who have been playing travel soccer 5x a week since June. They are also much more likely not to have played an organized sport since pre-Covid, because they were canceled last spring and iffy this past fall. So it is a good snapshot of how the general population of kids saw real health declines due to school closures, park closures, and sports/activities/camp closures.

In fact, another pp mentioned that the only public school kid in shape on her child's football team was the travel soccer player.

+1 Absolutely. My rec player's mood and attitude changed so much in the fall when he started playing soccer again.

OMG Same. We were on a waitlist for a psychologist for my 8 year old and once he started playing sports again in the fall, he was a new kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every year there are a ton of posts where parents either freak out that their 10 - 12 year olds are gaining weight, or they judge other parents whose 10 - 12 year old kids are gaining weight. Why? Because 10 - 12 year olds bulk up as they head into puberty, and then they hit their growth spurt and their height catches up with their weight. it's a thing regardless of pandemic. The pandemic might be contributed, but it's not the primary cause here.

But beyond that, can we stop with the idea that healthy kids, with families who are stable enough to either pay for select/travel soccer, or apply for and get a scholarship, and to get them to soccer practice and games 4 times a week (note: this is not neighborhood rec soccer), are the ones who have been put "last" in this pandemic? Or that somehow it's impossible for a family who can manage practice 4 times a week soccer is otherwise unable to walk to a playground during the same time of the day? Like they had no time whatsoever to take the kid out and then soccer somehow magically solved that problem?

Yes, the pandemic has been hard on healthy 10 year old boys from stable families, but it hasn't been harder on them than it has been on the kids who have lost parents or grandparents who were primary caregivers, or the kids in families who have lost their income or their business, or the medically fragile kids who live every day in fear, or the kids in the hospitals who are separated from most of their family due to covid visitor policies. And that doesn't even include senior citizens, or college seniors, or kindergarteners, or business owners all of whom have been hurt far more than 10 year old boys.

The OP literally is talking about rec soccer. Which is usually once or twice a week for 6-8 weeks in fall and spring. Kids playing rec soccer are a much more representative swath of the kid population then kids who have been playing travel soccer 5x a week since June. They are also much more likely not to have played an organized sport since pre-Covid, because they were canceled last spring and iffy this past fall. So it is a good snapshot of how the general population of kids saw real health declines due to school closures, park closures, and sports/activities/camp closures.

In fact, another pp mentioned that the only public school kid in shape on her child's football team was the travel soccer player.

+1 Absolutely. My rec player's mood and attitude changed so much in the fall when he started playing soccer again.

OMG Same. We were on a waitlist for a psychologist for my 8 year old and once he started playing sports again in the fall, he was a new kid.

I never realized this until it was hit home to me during the pandemic. Active kids and serious players will find a way to be active. Rec players aren't out there doing drills in their yards. They just want to play games and have fun. Keeping kids in organized sports as long as possible is invaluable to promoting a healthy lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If kids are so busy that it's only homework and travel sport that doesn't sound great to me. One of the many reasons I'd keep my kid out of travel. They're overscheduled.

To them, it's fun. They want to do it, so it is a huge loss when you take that away from them.

To each is own. I still wouldn't let my own kid do it, it's just too much. Good for the kids who do like it though.

[Anonymous]

Well, you can have an active kid who just wants to play with other kids (in PE class, outside at recess, playground after school, rec sports). Take away the other kids, and activity is a lot less fun.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure there is a contingent of people here who have everything all figured out, but I am one of the people who have kids that gained weight during the pandemic.

My son goes to school three days a week, is enrolled in virtual weight lifting twice a week, indoor (distanced) tennis twice a week, and he bikes like crazy in the neighborhood - and he gained a significant amount of weight during the pandemic.

We are a very active family - my husband and I are health-conscious, athletes, and not obese.

We don't buy much junk at all - but my son will chow down a whole box of fruit popsicles during the day out of sheer bordem when we are busy working.

Kids are suffering here just like adults are. I mean seriously, do you not know of some adults who gained weight during the pandemic? It's an epidemic.