Yesterday I had to visit a school with a coworker and jeez...some of the kids are freaking massive. The kid we had to visit was 5yo and 86 pounds - 10 pounds lighter than my coworker! Whenever little Johnny (not his name) was bored they'd hand him something to eat. We entered the class and it was mayhem....yet on the playground only a couple of kids did anything resembling movement.
At my daughter's school (it's private) they have NO machines. All lunches have to be healthy - no prebagged stuff. Snacks can be fruit or nuts...no candy and cookies ONLY if they're sugar free. Dranks are limited to water and a little juice, soda will get you a note from the teacher.
I asked the headmaster about this (knowing the answer) and he said that the kids are much more manageable in this environment. The kids aren't aggressive and can sit patiently w/o getting too roudy. When the kids come in they sit in a circle for 10 minutes and do nothing before starting their day, I'd love to see that happen if they were all amped up on sugar. When lunchtime rolls around they have to queue in line, wash up, get their lunches, then sit at the table quietly until the teachers sit down, then they can eat. Amazingly enough they pull it off...it's wild.
Yes, it is one of the saddest things I have ever seen. Not just in Arkansas either. I'm afraid that it is literally everywhere. That is why I have such little help for that next generation. My gen was Gen X (code for whiners), These guys will be gen Blob, or generation Lax. They will be unemployable, uninsurable, and so fat and sluggish that their brains aren't operation on a high enough level to accomplish technical things.
What is going to happen? These kids will hit all at once and bankrupt businesses with their medical problems, and then the whole stucture will have to be change, and the government is going to have to do another bailout. In other words, TAXPAYERS are going to be the ones bailing out all the tubby little young adults.
When I go to school with my daughter, I don't notice a greater number of overweight kids than I remember from my school days. What I do notice is that the ones who are overweight are grossly obese, not just chubby. Maybe it's just me, or an artifact of this particular school.
Since my kid spends most of her week in school or after-school care, I'd like to see the schools emphasize exercise more by
A) more time in P.E. and not letting kids sit out or be lazy about it
B) making sure that teachers had the option of letting the kids get up and move around when they get antsy, especially in the spring or right before a break when kids tend to get "cabin fever" instead of constantly having to worry about test scores. Geez. I feel sorry for teachers.
C) better access to monies for gym equipment and games for after school care providers. I know that some after school programs are geared to activity like Kidsports and the Y but many aren't and don't have the money or the training to change. (there's a program for the Big G's council JP)
I think many schools, including my daughter's, are trying to make lunches healthier. They still aren't great but they're making improvements. I've noticed this year that there are more baked and oven fried meats, turkey hot dogs, baked fries, and whole wheat buns. Jury is out on the whole wheat buns, I suspect they are not whole grain but the ones sweetened with molasses to make them darker to appear healthier. Even so, it's a start.
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The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'.
Aftercare at her school is OUTSIDE. Unless it is raining or snowing, they're going to be running around. if not they can play in one of the larger rooms, they'll do musical chairs or something. The little kids (2, 3 or so) can sit inside and draw, but the others...out you go!
It is an insane epidemic. I recently watched the movie "Super Size Me" and it blew my mind. He does a piece in the movie on lunchrooms in schools and with the things they offer to the kids it's no wonder they're becoming obese. The statistics on childhood obesity and diabetes are shocking.
Children seem to be getting more lazy. My sister is a P.E./Health teacher in a highschool here in CT and she says that it's like pulling teeth to get some kids just to move.
My son was born at 11lbs11oz..(22") and at 3 kids would ask him at the park in what year he was at school.
But no way was I going to have a chubby / fat kid! no diet but 2% milk starting at 1 year old.. and mother/son swimming at 6 months.. gymnastics for balance etc at 4.. yes.. I took him to all kinds of classes.. he was ok by the time he started school. but I bet many parents would have made a sumo wrestler of him!
Some kids are big though, a friend of my daughters is HUGE...he's tall and stocky but by no means fat. A former coworker's daughter was 15 and hit the scales at 275, they blamed it on baby fat. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
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