Child obesity: Why do parents let their kids get fat?

[reggie124]

The health risks for obese children may be even greater than previously estimated, new research suggests. So why do parents let their children get fat?

BBC News - Child obesity: Why do parents let their kids get fat?

My young daughter have a same problem, any advice! will be helpful
she doesnt eat sweet, chocolate or junk food all the time. every few hours she feel hungry, same a (Stacey) in the article

 

[chookey]

Don't know about your daughters' case mate but I would say a lack of activity is the reason in most cases.
When I was growing up there were no pc's or game consoles, we were out kicking a ball till dark or riding bikes.
The only sport some kids are involved in now is the school sports lesson and FIFA on the xbox.

 

[Spectre]

Too much in the way of carbohydrates maybe? Starchy stuff?

 

[nara]

Can't comment on your own daughter reggie, but generally speaking it's down to a combination of bad parenting, over -protective parenting, junk food and the gradual erosion of PE and sports at school. I hope the Olympics hype gets more children off the couch and out of the house.

Kids are always hungry, it's part of the growing process, but if calories in aren't balanced by calories out you have a problem.

 

[Firemouth]

Can't comment on your own daughter reggie, but generally speaking it's down to a combination of bad parenting, over -protective parenting, junk food and the gradual erosion of PE and sports at school. I hope the Olympics hype gets more children off the couch and out of the house.

Kids are always hungry, it's part of the growing process, but if calories in aren't balanced by calories out you have a problem.

add to this that many families, who can get work, have both parent out at work for 10 of more hours a day (each). many now forced to work weekend, as if they were a normal day.
how can you be a "good parent" if you are, for the most part, not there for them?
even the schools peddle shite food. as this moronic government has no placed shite food firmly as the only alternative for many schools.
but the food industry is the most to blame.
if we are going to have to use "per Prepared" food. as many have time for little else.
its shouldn't be the salt, sugar, fat ridden dross they pump out now.

 

[Exos]

add to this that many families, who can get work, have both parent out at work for 10 of more hours a day (each). many now forced to work weekend, as if they were a normal day.
how can you be a "good parent" if you are, for the most part, not there for them?
even the schools peddle shite food. as this moronic government has no placed shite food firmly as the only alternative for many schools.
but the food industry is the most to blame.
if we are going to have to use "per Prepared" food. as many have time for little else.
its shouldn't be the salt, sugar, fat ridden dross they pump out now.

In all fairness, school food has always been poor so that can't really be used as a single point of blame, even when I was still at school only a few years ago however there is a lot more fast food and it's convenient for parents to go to KFC or McDonald's, however that said also remember basic sausage and chips or any or the 80s pre-processed food could as equally be cited even when cooked at home, how many people can say in the 70s and 80s or 90s that everything they cooked was "fresh".

The key element to it all is primarily exercise and balanced meals; kids are now also more reliant of technology to do everything for them so it's less frequent or in some cases not at all do they go for bike rides, nip to the park, go the pool, or walk around to their friends, parents also don't help with ferrying them everywhere in their cars.

My daughter does nothing but eat, but put a meal in front of her and she will take a few bites and be full, 30 minutes later she's in the cupboard, shes not obese in fact quite slim but she does a lot of activities; scouts etc.

Routine needs to change and enforcing eating habits.

 

[googlebot]

Pre prepared food as already mentioned. If a person was eating home prepared cooked meals using fresh ingredients with plenty of meat,fish, fruit and vegetables in a balanced and varied diet then there should be no real problem. But also as pointed out lack of exercise is also a major factor. Most kids these days vegetate in front of TV or computer or console ect and thats it. We were not designed to do that shit. We were designed to hunt/kill eat. So in a society where we don't have to do these things then you need to be active in other ways such as sport, walking running, outdoor activities. Swimming ect ect. The list and possibilities are endless.
Tell you what, When I was a kid I was told to

get out and play

no matter the weather, now theres a thing you would be hard pressed to hear a parent tell their children these days. Parents are happy to have their kids in front of them where they will come to no harm from the bogy man. So fear and media hype has also contributed to why kids are not outdoors enjoying life. When I was young my parents opened the front door of an evening and hollered my name followed by get in here its dinner time, supper time, bed time ect. Probably followed by my cry of please mum just another half hour.........

 

[cdstack]

Sugar is the problem its in everything now from bread to Bran flakes. It causes us to feel hungry all the time.

 

[hatab]

The habits and lifestyles of adults and hence children have changed in a very short few years.

when i was a kid
i had breakfast, there wasn't any option or i don't want any it was there and i was expected to eat it.
there was lunch (came home from school)
there was dinner on the table at 17:30 two options eat it or dont have anything. we didn't all have different meals we all had meat and two veg and a pud.

there wasn't really much else to have in-between meals apart from fruit.

we weren't poor everybody did the same.

there were fat kids but as a % not nearly as many and nowardays.

as i say things have changed, us too, often because of work of leisure activities we will eat at different times and have different meals.

 

[toytom]

I agree. Nowadays everyone can eat at any time and place - all the fast food stuff - and there is no need to regularly eat at home. You eat when you fancy it, or when the smell and appearance of some food seduces you to eat - without being hungry. And the kids simply do not move anymore. Sports is not really popular. Parents should watch out for their children and what they do and eat all day. But since job life is also much more stressful nowadays, there is hardly time for that.