Generation XXL...

[IGBT]

According to the U.S. surgeon general, there's an epidemic of obesity among kids between the ages of six and 19. American children are more overweight than they have ever been.
Nationwide, about 13 percent, or one out of every eight kids, are overweight. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s.

Overweight kids are seriously jeopardizing their health, say experts, putting them at risk for heart disease, stroke, arthritis, hypertension, and even certain kinds of cancer. In a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that increased obesity among American kids is leading to increased type 2 diabetes, which was once almost unheard of in children.

But the negative consequences of obesity go far beyond disease and physical pain.

"Kids that are overweight, fat, heavy, are miserable people, usually," says Keith Zucker, who owns a fitness camp. "They're happy in certain settings, inside they're not happy."

From cnn.com

 

[Eli]

There are three fast food joints and a 7-11 on every street corner.

And you're shocked?

 

[Chaotic42]

Maybe if people would stop allowing television to baby sit their kids, start feeding them right, and make schools put back the good PE programs, this wouldn't be so bad.

 

[Maggotry]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
make schools put back the good PE programs

Is PE no longer required in school or do the PE classes just suck? No, I'm not being a smart-ass, I really want to know. I've been out of school/college for "a while" and my son isn't old enough yet to go to school so I'm out of the loop. I even had to have PE for my electronics degree! My son, he's 2, sees me work out and he eats lots of fruits and vegetables (he doesn't like meat, though). Hopefully, we're setting a good example for him.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Maggotry

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
make schools put back the good PE programs

Is PE no longer required in school or do the PE classes just suck? No, I'm not being a smart-ass, I really want to know. I've been out of school/college for "a while" and my son isn't old enough yet to go to school so I'm out of the loop. I even had to have PE for my electronics degree! My son, he's 2, sees me work out and he eats lots of fruits and vegetables (he doesn't like meat, though). Hopefully, we're setting a good example for him.

That's great. It sounds like you're off to a wonderful start. Most children you see won't eat it unless it comes from a box. :Q:disgust:

 

[Jarwa]

Make the damn kids get off their asses and cut the grass!!

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Jarwa
Make the damn kids get off their asses and cut the grass!!

What Jarwa said

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Maggotry

Is PE no longer required in school or do the PE classes just suck?

Listen smart-ass...

No, I'm not being a smart-ass

Oh, sorry



It's a bit of both. When I was in elementry school (1988-92), there was no PE. We had recess, but you didn't have to do anything. In middle school (1992-95), we did have PE and it was ok. In high school (1995-1998) you had to take PE or ROTC. I took ROTC where they basically *asked* us to march in a line, and gave no PT at all. The high school PE class consisted of 5 people playing basketball and the others just studying or talking.

PE is not PC. Everyone is a victim, and lazy people would start suing.

 

[IGBT]

No doubt it's the fast food joints and the lack of understanding that if you exceed the feed limit it gets stored as fat. There's another unhealthy trend as well. I notice many parents will use fast food joints as a "reward" and mark family events or outings by a before and after visit to the local FF Joint. Parents have a tough time driving past a FF Joint with the kids "preprogramed" by FFJoint marketing concepts. If the kids see a fastfood joint it's nearly impulse reaction to go in and "reward" them selves. So what do you do? Teach em about the word NO?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Maggotry

Is PE no longer required in school or do the PE classes just suck?

Listen smart-ass...

No, I'm not being a smart-ass

Oh, sorry



It's a bit of both. When I was in elementry school (1988-92), there was no PE. We had recess, but you didn't have to do anything. In middle school (1992-95), we did have PE and it was ok. In high school (1995-1998) you had to take PE or ROTC. I took ROTC where they basically *asked* us to march in a line, and gave no PT at all. The high school PE class consisted of 5 people playing basketball and the others just studying or talking.

PE is not PC. Everyone is a victim, and lazy people would start suing.

LMAO..

Heh.. ROTC.. What was your ROTC experience like? My girlfriend is in NJROTC.. I have mixed feelings about it.

She's moving down here in (T minus 9 days and counting..), and they don't have ROTC programs in Portland schools. So she's giving that up, much to the dismay of her dad.. lol..

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Eli


Heh.. ROTC.. What was your ROTC experience like? My girlfriend is in NJROTC.. I have mixed feelings about it.

I really enjoyed it. Like I said, there wasn't any PT in my program. When I asked why, my seargent basically said "parents would get mad", but not in so many words. We learned proper treatment of the uniform, respect to our cadet officers, and stuff about the military.

Not only that, but I've marched in parades, rang bells for the Salvation Army, and learned respect from the ROTC program. I was in Air Force ROTC, as Keesler AFB was literally across the street.

We were outside, and we marched, but nothing strenuous.

 

[Eli]

Ahh, Interesting. She's in Navy Junior ROTC.

The class is really quite intense up there... She lives in Port Angeles, Washington.

I suppose it does teach you a lot of good things. I just don't like the idea of the government comming into schools with a "class", and basically recruiting you.

It's against the law for them to do that in Portland Public Schools. Heh.

 

[tcsenter]

There was a 'Crossfire' type show on the tele a couple days ago, the debate was over some state launching a public education/promotion campaign about fitness, health, and obesity. As if this is even open to debate?

Nevertheless, there was some fat-ass from the 'obesity acceptance' movement on there criticizing the program, her face was so bloated it hardly fit on the screen, claiming the CDC and the entire medical establishment didn't know what they were talking about. There was no link associated between obesity and negative impact on health, she asserted. Obesity was genetic; it can't be prevented, this was just an attack on fat people's rights; blah blah.

I thought, "What about the rights of fireman and EMS personnel who rupture discs in their backs trying to carry fat-asses like you down three flights of stairs?" I'm willing to bet money there was at least one fat and heaving person slowing everyone else down in the stair-wells of the WTC building as they were trying to evacuate, there always is in those situations. You can't pass them, their external dimensions are similar to a compact car.

I remember trying to move obese patients onto the surgical table when I worked in the OR, trying to position them for surgery, rolling them over, etc. Its especially fun when you have to use two extra scrub people to hold large retractors, one on each side of the patient, just to keep their whale blubber out of the way so the surgeon can operate. After two hours your whole body is shaking from fatigue and you can't feel your hands anymore. The risk of surgical complications are like 3-fold higher.

Her counterpart in the debate was, IIRC, Frank Zane; 3-time Mr. Olympia, 3-time Mr. Universe (defeated "Ahh-nold" in 1968). He was appointed by the governor of this state to be its 'health and fitness czar' or some similar title.

Obesity may be a personal matter, but it also has significant impact on other people and society in general. Pretty soon, our airliners will only seat half the people because the seats will have to made wider.

 

[Nefrodite]

whats sad is mcdonalds and their new mighty kids meal.. should be named little gluttons meal the happy meal was fine before, why push for more unessesary calories but there is a demand or else they wouldn't sell any same for the absurd supersize they now have. the drink they give u must be atleast 60oz.

 

[LordMaul]

Did you say..food?

WHERE?!!

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Generation XXL

That's clever. I say take them away from their video games, Cable TV, DVD&VHS and Internet connection and take them outside and show them the joy and satisfaction of physical attivities like surfing, skateboarding, Basketball, biking, ect... and give them some props for doing it and they will embrace such a lifestyle. Too bad most parents are fat and lazy and set a terrible example for their children to follow

 

[amnesiac]

You gotta take into account what the CDC thinks is "optimal weight"
This chart is from the CDC, couldn't find it on CDC's site itself though.

What the HELL. According to this I'm 30lbs overweight. Whatever. If I weighed 155 people would ask if I was sick and my ribs would stick out. I know because I used to be that skinny.

 

[Gooberlx2]

, skateboarding, Basketball, biking, ect...

Damnit! If I wasn't working right now I'd be outside doing one or all of those things.

 

[Gooberlx2]

You gotta take into account what the CDC thinks is "optimal weight"

According to that chart I'm right where I should be at 5'11''.

 

[Cyberian]

And here we all sit at our keyboards on a late Spring day and lament the lack of exercise people get.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: amnesiac 2.0
You gotta take into account what the CDC thinks is "optimal weight"
This chart is from the CDC, couldn't find it on CDC's site itself though.

What the HELL. According to this I'm 30lbs overweight. Whatever. If I weighed 155 people would ask if I was sick and my ribs would stick out. I know because I used to be that skinny.

According to the chart, I should weigh 172-197. I weigh 215, so I'm about 20 lbs overweight.

I don't really look it though, I have a little gut, and no buns of steel, but I'm okay.
Wish I had a basketball hoop.

 

[bonk102]

i agree totally, stop putting kids in front of a xbox or gamecube or computer or tv and get them outside playing sports again and watch the waistlines dive

 

[tcsenter]

You gotta take into account what the CDC thinks is "optimal weight". This chart is from the CDC, couldn't find it on CDC's site itself though. What the HELL. According to this I'm 30lbs overweight. Whatever. If I weighed 155 people would ask if I was sick and my ribs would stick out. I know because I used to be that skinny.

Obviously those charts are based on "median" ranges, at least that chart gives a 'range' depending upon the frame size of the person instead of one ideal #. A body builder or professional athlete who is 6" tall can easily weigh 250lb, which is 62lbs overweight according to the maximum ideal weight of a large-framed 6" male. The weight charts are a reliable general guide, but body-fat percentage, body mass index, and lean muscle mass should be considered also.

According to the chart, I am 35lbs overweight, and I agree with that. When I was in great shape, with a body-fat percentage of about 10-12%, I weighed 165lbs. Since then, I've lost about 5-8lbs in lean muscle mass and gained the rest in fat. Too little physical activity, too many sodas, fast-food meals, vending machine lunches, etc.

 

[Pr0Hawk]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Maybe if people would stop allowing television to baby sit their kids, start feeding them right, and make schools put back the good PE programs, this wouldn't be so bad.

According to Illinois Law, I have to take P.E every semester If I want to pass

 

[vi edit]

PE is nice and all, but 25 minutes of moderate exercise doesn't correct a kid that eats DOUBLE the caloric intake that they really need. Sodas, high sugar juices, deep fried anything, and snacks 8 times a day are what's killing kids.