Fifteen year olds no longer have nice figures

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why people are so offended by this thread? Maybe if people weren't so afraid to discuss this topic there would be more push to put physical education back into our schools. It is obviously needed.

Obesity is a problem across all age groups. It is rising across all age groups. Targeting teen-agers as having a particular problem is not based on evidence.

There's a whole lot of smugness in this thread about how hot PPs were when they were 15. There's a whole lot of delusion in this thread about how hot PPs are now, compared against 15 year olds. There's a whole lot of misogyny as 15 year old girls are being singled out, while 15 year old boys are (mostly) ignored.

Think you and a lot of other posters are misreading OPs original intent. No one is talking about "hot" bodies, but healthy ones. It is objectively true that teens have gotten chubbier since many of us were growing up in the 70s and 80s. And because girls stop growing sooner than boys, perhaps, the growing number of overweight girls is more obvious.

As for instagram posts being an indicator, that's a laugh. The only girls who post those are the ones with good figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why people are so offended by this thread? Maybe if people weren't so afraid to discuss this topic there would be more push to put physical education back into our schools. It is obviously needed.

Obesity is a problem across all age groups. It is rising across all age groups. Targeting teen-agers as having a particular problem is not based on evidence.

There's a whole lot of smugness in this thread about how hot PPs were when they were 15. There's a whole lot of delusion in this thread about how hot PPs are now, compared against 15 year olds. There's a whole lot of misogyny as 15 year old girls are being singled out, while 15 year old boys are (mostly) ignored.

Think you and a lot of other posters are misreading OPs original intent. No one is talking about "hot" bodies, but healthy ones. It is objectively true that teens have gotten chubbier since many of us were growing up in the 70s and 80s. And because girls stop growing sooner than boys, perhaps, the growing number of overweight girls is more obvious.

As for instagram posts being an indicator, that's a laugh. The only girls who post those are the ones with good figures.

UM. OP's thread was ALL about "hot" and not at all about "health"

and you all fed that troll up well.

Ugh. You can have a squishy, unattractive body and be at a healthy weight. You can even manage to do this while exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. This is about looks and shame. And about children. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Are you in suburban VA OP? My kid goes to a private school and most of the girls are in great shape.

[Anonymous]

Kids themselves don't recognize they have a problem.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2014/07/23/Overweight-kids-dont-know-theyre-overweight/8981406128156/

[Anonymous]

Have to agree with this, and I think anyone who doesn't is just being PC. I don't think the OP (or at least those responding) is saying that anything about teens' sexual attractiveness -- but rather just their inappropriate size.

Back in the day I feel like if someone showed you prom pics of their niece or cousin -- you'd maybe think that her dress was ugly or she was making a weird face in the pics, but you wouldn't be utterly shocked. Recently I've been shown prom pics and I've thought "THAT is your 18 yr old cousin???" Carrying that much weight just makes these teens look like they're 10-15 yrs old than their actual age. And apparently these teens are so fragile that their parents or doctors don't want to say anything for fear of causing an eating disorder. Guess what -- if it's ever "easy" to lose weight in life, it's in your teens. If they don't lose it now, don't think they'll just stop gaining -- instead they'll continue to gain through their 20s-30s and then be forced to struggle to lose it later if health issues develop. Why roll the dice on that just to be PC and to not harm "self esteem" -- of which these kids have plenty, as the chubby kid 20 yrs ago stayed covered up even if it looked odd to be the only kid in jeans when everyone else was in shorts -- no so much any more.

[Anonymous]

I think these kids just have more cash in their pocket and use it at places like Starbucks or Chipotle. While we hung out plenty as teens, it was mostly at the mall, in the neighborhood or at someone's house -- not at food places, so there was as much of a habit of snacking. If you were being unhealthy, a snack at someone's home would be a stack of cookies -- not a burrito or a Frappuccino.

I don't understand the obsession with Starbucks starting in the pre teens. Back in the day (like 15 yrs ago not 100 yrs ago), kids didn't drink coffee; the few that did -- it was cultural to have coffee with milk in the mornings -- which hardly adds any calories. Now you have kids going to Sbux a few times a week or maybe even daily ordering drinks that are pretty much dessert. A 16 oz Frappuccino with whipped cream has 500+ calories. You'd think if they consume that much "stuff" in a beverage -- they'd be inclined to skip a meal!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why people are so offended by this thread? Maybe if people weren't so afraid to discuss this topic there would be more push to put physical education back into our schools. It is obviously needed.

Obesity is a problem across all age groups. It is rising across all age groups. Targeting teen-agers as having a particular problem is not based on evidence.

There's a whole lot of smugness in this thread about how hot PPs were when they were 15. There's a whole lot of delusion in this thread about how hot PPs are now, compared against 15 year olds. There's a whole lot of misogyny as 15 year old girls are being singled out, while 15 year old boys are (mostly) ignored.

Think you and a lot of other posters are misreading OPs original intent. No one is talking about "hot" bodies, but healthy ones. It is objectively true that teens have gotten chubbier since many of us were growing up in the 70s and 80s. And because girls stop growing sooner than boys, perhaps, the growing number of overweight girls is more obvious.

As for instagram posts being an indicator, that's a laugh. The only girls who post those are the ones with good figures.

Read the whole thread. Lots of people posting about how THEY had good figures when they wer 15, but kids today are SOOOOOO FAT and GROSS!

There are a ton of narcissistic harpies on this thread who need to MYOB.

[Anonymous]

In my southern Virginia high school, all the 'popular' girls had meat on their bones. The skinny girl's did not get any guy's attention and were often made fun of for being so thin.


Signed-
Skinny Girl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my southern Virginia high school, all the 'popular' girls had meat on their bones. The skinny girl's did not get any guy's attention and were often made fun of for being so thin.


Signed-
Skinny Girl

How long ago was this? I went to HS in southern NJ and the people who got made fun of consistently -- the 2-3 overly fat girls in the class of 400 (going way way beyond athletic or meat on the bones) or the really thin, short unathletic guys -- think 5 ft and 95 lb as a senior with membership in the AV club.

Thing is -- when someone shows me a random picture from their niece's prom now, it often looks like the girls who were mercilessly picked on back then, which causes me to think -- oh their niece is that girl in the class. Until I see more pictures and notice that she's surrounded by 10 other girls who look like her. And these girls don't have any issue being in sleeveless, strapless etc. dresses -- whereas back in the day they would have tried to be fashionable but a bit more covered up.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the trend toward earlier puberty has something to do with it too. I was thin until two years after I got my period when I stopped growing but didn't realize it. I gained weight because I didn't know it was time to drop my calorie intake.

My daughter is headed toward early puberty and I think it'll be tough when she's still so young to stop eating like a kid.

[Anonymous]

It's also the fact kids (even older ones) are given snacks all day. My daughter goes to camp from 9-4:30. During this time they give the kids lunch plus three snack times! That's insane!
When I was ten I didn't still get a mid morning snack like a toddler and why on earth do they get a snack at 2:30 and then again at 4!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Yes, the snacking thing has gotten out of control. In my daughter's class the kids are given snack because they don't have lunch till 12:15. I see this as totally unnecessary. Why does a kid need to have a snack between breakfast and a normal lunch time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the snacking thing has gotten out of control. In my daughter's class the kids are given snack because they don't have lunch till 12:15. I see this as totally unnecessary. Why does a kid need to have a snack between breakfast and a normal lunch time?

Agree. Apparently kids need to be fed all the time now. A 1 hr soccer practice, where a good portion is spent listening to instruction -- so no calories are being burned -- apparently necessitates orange slices or granola bars of whatever afterwards. No wonder kids can't keep the weight off. Any calories burned are immediately put back on due to the non stop snacking. And if you don't let your kids partake apparently you are the parent who is guiding their kid towards an eating disorder.

Snacking is more common in adults too now. I was raised eating 3 (really 2 - as I could never eat first thing in the morning) square meals a day and that's it. The people in my office think it's bad and that I'm underweight because I don't have a constant stream of almonds or hummus or whatever all day long because protein is SO important in making you feel full. I'm not sure how those protein calories ever get burned off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I coach teenagers and most of the girls I encounter (in my sport and other students) look great! OP, where are you seeing this?

The OP mentioned noticing it in the DC museums. Lots and lots of tourists from other parts of the country in DC museums over the summer. DC is a relatively wealthy/fit area. But lots of other places in the US, particularly the South, have some pretty significant childhood obesity problems to deal with. It's terrible. These poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the snacking thing has gotten out of control. In my daughter's class the kids are given snack because they don't have lunch till 12:15. I see this as totally unnecessary. Why does a kid need to have a snack between breakfast and a normal lunch time?

Agree. Apparently kids need to be fed all the time now. A 1 hr soccer practice, where a good portion is spent listening to instruction -- so no calories are being burned -- apparently necessitates orange slices or granola bars of whatever afterwards. No wonder kids can't keep the weight off. Any calories burned are immediately put back on due to the non stop snacking. And if you don't let your kids partake apparently you are the parent who is guiding their kid towards an eating disorder.

Snacking is more common in adults too now. I was raised eating 3 (really 2 - as I could never eat first thing in the morning) square meals a day and that's it. The people in my office think it's bad and that I'm underweight because I don't have a constant stream of almonds or hummus or whatever all day long because protein is SO important in making you feel full. I'm not sure how those protein calories ever get burned off.

OMG this made me LOL. So true about the protein junkies. Strange how they're not losing weight...