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PDF version'Parents oblivious to overweight kids'
by Tom Gallagher on Jul. 01, 2010
This Newsweek headline is shocking and seems to reflect a deeper, psychological component to childhood obesity: Parents are in denial and suffering from what's called the "skewed weight perception" phenomenon.
"The obesity alarm bells are ringing again. A new report out this week finds that more than two thirds of states (38 total) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent—a striking increase since 1991, when no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Hardest hit: Mississippi, which weighed in at 33.8 percent, followed by Alabama and Tennessee (tied at 31.6 percent), West Virginia (31.3 percent), and Louisiana (31.2 percent).
"A new poll included in the report finds that the majority of Americans believe that childhood obesity is a “significant and growing challenge for the country,” and yet 84 percent say their children are at a healthy weight—despite national stats showing that nearly one third of children and teens are overweight (their body mass index, or BMI, falls between the 85th and 95th percentile for their age and sex) or obese (at or above the 95th percentile). Americans understand there’s a problem; they just don’t think their kids are a part of it. The consequences are dire. “We’re in danger of raising the first generation of children who could live sicker and die younger than the generation before them,” says Dr. James Marks, RWJF’s senior vice president.
So, of course, since the
So, of course, since the parents are at best in denial and at worst pure evil, the government should step in and dictate to all American children (and then, of course, to all Americans, period) how often they should exercise, what and when they should eat, what and where they should not eat. How quickly the Obama Administration becomes Big Brother!
This article is hardly a call
This article is hardly a call to a "big brother" conspiracy. It is a wake uo call to all us to the importance of taking full responsibility for our health. Obesity is the result of gluttony - literally a deadly sin - and ultimately every American pays higher health costs as a result. Denial has never solved a problem.
And if such a thing should
And if such a thing should come it will be at the behest of the insurance companies, who will not want to pay for obesity related diseases. They will write and pay for the necessary legislation Big Brother will enact.
That was certainly a helpful
That was certainly a helpful comment.
Downside of the internet. No
Downside of the internet. No one walks to the library anymore to read or learn. Everyone has a computer somewhere in their home. And if not, an elctronic toy that you can play sitting on the sofa. No more playing in the woods. Not that the world is safe enough for that anymore. Sad really. The problem with this culture, and I have seen many others in person, is that the desire to "be your own person", or "that is too ostentacious" (women in a beautiful evening gown, or even those long 70's dresses after 6 pm and men wearing ties or jsut blazers once in a while) is that it has become the excuse to be lazy, to do nothing. Call it being your own person, and someone loving you the way you are, but in the end do you love yourself? For every overweight person, and I have been at times, I can say we are NOT happy with ourselves. I would rather be in a 32 inch waist. Who wouldn't? So let's stop hiding behind being our own person. You can be your own person eating well and at the gym, and so can your kids. The rejection of all things masculine and feminine, the definitive things in which their can be no mistake, has led to an almost comalike state in regards to our personal appearances on most occasions. Look back to the 40's and 50's women had less money to buy new wardrobes so they stayed thin in order to continue to fit in their clothing. Men often had the same tie and jacket which they changed their slacks to. It was also a time when yu could constructively remind your frineds or family about thier weight without the contemporary "Don't you dare tell me or my children what to do or how to look" You'd be lucky to voice the concern without a lawyer being sicked on you for abuse, mental cruely or whatever charge can be construed. Something is terribly wrong here. We were thinner then. Why?
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