Shaq's big challenge

[guekjian]

I am watching Shaq's Big Challenge and I have tears in my eyes. How can we have a system that doesn't push physical activity EVERY SINGLE DAY??? Childhood obesity is just insane...and seeing what some of those kids were eating on a daily basis makes me want to cry. Anyone else watch it?

[guekjian]

no offense intended to anyone eh? My nephew is overfed like that and my sister just doesn't seem to see it...she says he is big boned...I just really feel bad when I see that...kids can be so mean...

[*Wendy*]

I didn't see it but I know what you mean. One of the other mom's at my daughter's summer care program was there during lunch the other day and you would NOT BELIEVE what some of the kids had in their packed lunches - one little girl had 4 different kinds of cookies, a juice box and a PBJ sandwich. Another kid had just Froot Loops cereal and a juice box. I could go on and on ... It was one of the few times when felt like I truly AM a good mom!

And around here they are cutting gym class/phys.ed. out of the school day for some grades due to lack of funding. It really is awful.

[Kinyo]

Ack, missed it. Was on the ellitpical and watching the gym's tv monitor and saw the commercial but toally forgot about it. Will try to catch a rerun, if not download the episode online somewhere.

[misplaced southerner]

hey. as a first grade teacher, i am mandated by the state to teach PE so many minutes a week. we do not have PE teachers in our district'e elementary schools. lately, we have also been mandated to MONITOR what the kids eat at recess and at lunch. i gotta tell you that ticks me off. i CARE about my kids a lot. MANY of my students, especially over the last 5 years are probably obese for their height and age.

in talking to them as i do, i hear what their afterschool activites are...mainly...TV AND VIDEO GAMES...when they get a new toy, it is a VIDEO GAME. they get rewarded with food, trips to chuck e. cheese and mcdonald's. they bring HUGE grab bags of chips and cookies for snack...i had one kid bring a "chocolate sandwich" one day for lunch. chocolate frosting spread on a roll. surely it was a mistake. i called her mom to speak with her and she said "oh, well she is a picky eater and that is what she wanted to take." after that, i gave up. i can teach and model good health. i will take my kids out to recess and PE. i can not force them to eat healthy...SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME, SOMEHOW WE MUST MAKE PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN. the schools have so much to do to teach the 3 R's. table manners, responsibility, good behavior, self esteem, social skills, you name it...all because so many parents do not.

WHAT CHILDREN LEARN TO EAT AND HOW THEY ARE FED IS THE RESPONSIBILTY OF THIER MOM AND DAD. you know what is strange, no one, not me or the nurse or anyone ever wants to mention weight issues to the parents. it is a hot button. MANY of these 6 YEAR OLDS are TERRIBLY OVERWEIGHT....it is sad i tell you

i will continue to talk healthy foods, discuss good choices, encourage exercise over video game brain drain...but in the end, i can not pack their lunches or babysit them after school. they are too young to make their own choices....we need PARENTS to be PARENTS. (often times when i SEE the parents, i know why the KIDS are OVERWEIGHT.) sad, sad, sad.....

[guekjian]

You are SOOOOOOOO right Misplaced Southerner. It is a major hot potato...My own sister's son is pretty close to obese as far as I am concerned. She seems to think this is normal because his father is rather built, big boned, Samoan build. I wish I could tell her that at 6yrs old, he should not be weighing 90 pounds...Poor baby...She says that he is always hungry...well duh...his stomach has been stretched. She works crazy hours and doesn't spend as much time with him as she would like, so when she does, she gives him everything he wants...no discipline...junk food...that kid can eat as much as any grown up man! No one can confront her though because she gets agressive...and that is the way it is with many parents I think...It is easier to give in and give the junk than to force the child to try new vegies or healthier options of just about anything...At least you are talking to them...you can't be everyone's mom...too bad...

[misplaced southerner]

you know, maybe your nephew's pediatrician would discuss it with her. i know so many parents who take that same tact....give in so they don;t have to listen to the crying and whining. they'd rather be friends than parents. my own daughter has issues with junk (but she is a stick)...still, i allow her certain kid treats but she MUST do the good stuff first. i want her to develop good habits that will follow her into adulthood...now my son. HE is the health freak....kid makes me sick he is so good. as a result, he is 6'4", healthy, happy, active, ready to go at the drop of a hat. makes a difference, he has an active lifestyle and he loves it. CHILDHOOD DIABETES IS AT ITS HIGHEST RATE EVER RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP PARENTS...YOU ARE POISONING YOUR CHILDREN AND SETTING THEM UP FOR PHYSICAL DISASTER!!! it kills me. if she will not listen to you , maybe she will listen to her child's doc...that "big-boned" theory only goes so far!! (as we all know@!)

[BluegrassMama]

What an important thread this is.

I've watched a couple of episodes of Shaq, and was ill at what I saw going on in school gyms and cafeterias (did you catch the cafeteria manager complaining about the new menu not coming in at $1 per meal??? ONE DOLLAR?!?!).

My son is still a baby just starting with solids, but there are already serious ground rules for what he can/cannot will/not eat. I just cringe when I go to the grocery store and peek in parents' carts--Lunchables, Cap'n Crunch, Wonder bread, Doritos, ice cream, juice, soda, and maybe--*maybe*--two or three bananas.

Misplaced Southerner, you are my hero. God bless you for doing what you do. I hope my little one has a teacher like you one day.

[misplaced southerner]

hi bluegrass. sounds like you have your child's best intentions in mind. it used to drive me crazy to hear people say "my child won't eat...fill in the blamk". children will GENERALLY eat what is modeled by their parents. then.....my daughter came along. she did not even eat solid foods til she was about 10 months old. doc said not to worry. she was thriving. as she grew, she had distinct favorites and some things that no matter how i disguised them, she would NOT eat (bananas). sorry mom, you can't FORCE food down their throats. (my mom used to say MAKE her!) so i did relax my approach a bit in that i learned to be creative with how to include the fruits and veggies, dairy, etc. yes it was a little harder but she still gets what she needs. she wants the occassional kid stuff, i allow it in moderation. i knew someone once who did not let her kid have anything off her "list" and the kid would sneak and borrow and GORGE on the stuff when it was available. being too extreme can have reprocussions too. it is all about BALANCE.

if we MODEL good eating habits, PROVIDE healthy foods that are fun and readily available (my dd LOVES frozen go-gourt! waterlemon chunks, veggies and dip, juice bars, pita chips and hummus....) and model ACTIVITY OVER LETHARGY....they will do the same. mama always said "the nut does not fall far from the tree."

thanks for your kind words...i like having PARENTS in my class like YOU!

[LuckyD]

I have 4 daughters all 11 and under. It is a struggle to make sure they are all fed proper foods. We stress healthy eating here with lots of fruit and vegetables and no fast food. My kids would rather eat at home than even here the word McDonalds...they think the food is disgusting..hahaha! But they or I are no angels. We have sweets and treats around and of course ice-cream. They can pretty much decide what they want to snack on. I am pleased to say that more often than not they will grab a piece of fruit or some carrots to nibble on. My youngest at 7 actually will make herself a salad! Everything in moderation I say. All young parents start out with the best of intentions, but trust me feeding children is not as simple as dictating their menu. You can but they will tend to gorge themselves if the oppotunity arrives to eat the other stuff if it is never, ever allowed in the home. Ive seen it through personal experience as a child with strict parents to kids who come over for play dates. I think as parents we just need to offer a variety of good, healthy foods for our kids. And we also need to get them of their butts!