Unbelievable: No Wonder Today's Kids Are Obese And Unhealthy
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
March 23, 2010 9:16pm CST
I've yet to watch the show The Food Revolution with Jamie Oliver and it's to make it's premiere on March 26 and plan to watch it, but did see a short segment on World News Now. The premise of the show is that Jamie Oliver hopes to turn around the eating habits of Huntington, West Virgina. He was successful in changing the eating habits for school programs in his native England and now hopes to do the same here.
Huntington, West Virginia has been cited as the unhealthiest town in America, where the vast majority of people of all ages are extremely obese and have the highest rate of diabetes in the world. One segment I saw shows a family who are all extremely overweight, the son being only twelve years old and over 300 lbs. Oliver looked at the typical food they eat and all consisted of nothing but pizza and fast foods, nothing healthy, no fruits, no vegetables. He also went to the local elementary school at breakfast time where they were serving pizza, instead of something more appropriate for breakfast. Then in one classroom he held some fresh food and asked the kids if they knew what it was. One kid thought it was potatoes...but no, in actuality it was four tomatoes on a vine.
Like what the heck? I don't know about you but what kind of insanity is that when kids don't even know what tomatoes are? And you can't really blame it on the kids, they just don't know any better, it's the parents who have unhealthy eating habits and are passing it down to their kids...also, blame the school program that also condones bad eating choices.
Okay I realize that many parents DO make good healthy choices for food not only for themselves but for their children, but I think it's getting rarer and rarer, don't you think? People are more apt to opt for fast foods and unhealthy choices in foods to begin with and we're hearing more and more children suffering from extreme obesity...I mean come on, a 12 year old being over 300 lbs?? And in the segment I saw if he keeps eating the way he does he won't live to thirty.
Here's that video segment I saw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzGCEv7xqpc
7 people like this
24 responses
@celticeagle (159400)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Mar 10
That is scarey! I thought video games were going to do this to America's kids. They would forget or never see the basic things that make America great. It is truly sad and I would be interested in seeing this show myself. My grandson who is seven years old would know that those on the vine are. Sad. We don't make all the healthy choices all of the time but not all the worst ones possible either. Hope you enjoy your show.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Mar 10
Well video games could also be to blame simply since kids sit in front of them, or the TV or the computer and never exercise as well
I don't often watch TV except very late at night but am planning to watch this show
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159400)
• Boise, Idaho
24 Mar 10
I sometimes wish I could say the same as far as how much tv I watch. And I have the love handles to prove it! hehehe
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Mar 10
well while I don't watch much TV, I do sit like a zombie in front of the computer
I have to force myself to get up every now and then just to get the "kinks" out of my body
I have to force myself to get up every now and then just to get the "kinks" out of my body1 person likes this
@dreamweaverjan (3471)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Hi Pye; I plan on watching the show myself, hoping to gain more information
on ways to lose the gut...
Looks to be a very good show;
I've got my VCR all set for Friday night do you??
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
3 May 10
Nope....My VCR doesn't have a TV tuner and I have that stupid converter box...to hook things up to tape I would have to rehook everything a different way and don't quite know how...LOL
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I been telling people that eating at fast food place are very un healthy and fatting.
and that schools do feed the kids like they used to they lazily put things in the micro wave or give things like sweets with milk fro breakfast here at this school been to another one that I wouldnt even want to eat teh food there but my grand son was eating it for his lunch and we were paying for it!!!!!!
Things sure do need to be turned around in homes and School should have meals cooked like they used to be healthy!!!
THink I wrote something awhile ago about this or I responded to one sort of similair about what we eat!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Apr 10
Yes a lot of people do seem to rely on microwaves too much...and yes while fast and convenient the processed foods that are microwaved aren't as healthy..it's almost like people have forgotten how to cook anymore. And yes, I think parents need to rethink breakfast cereals, instead of ones loaded with sugar, give granola types--then parents wonder why their children develop diabetes....too much sugary cereals and drinks
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
24 Mar 10
Teaching in a secondary school I have first hand experience of this problem. In Malta a lot has been done in the elementary school to promote healthy eating habits. A fruit day has been introduced and the government distributes freely fruit and vegetables to school children. In my son's school they have introduced a healthy eating programme than bans sweets from lunch. The teacher sends a not to the parents if the children are given sweets for lunch. I believe that in the secondary section there is a lot to be done. I don't agree with the way the school canteens are conducted in my country. First of all they are leased to the private sector and their intentions is to make maximum profit. This means that their interest is money and not the children's welfare. A healthy eating policy is there but most often it remains on the shelf. Canteens to sell pizza, soda amongst other things.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
26 Mar 10
If we are more health conscious we do realise that if we eat unhealthy, we have to spend more money on hospitalisation and medicines.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
It seems this is a worldwide issue about kids eating healthy foods, and it does seem it all boils down to monetary profits, meaning the school systems contract some food supplier and the only ones that seem to win in the issue is the food supplier, not the children
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
24 Mar 10
Reminds me of my Naomi, the pickiest child on earth. Some meals I let her eat what she wants and others I serve "real food". Oh the joy and pleasure of listening her whine for over an hour about having to eat two bites of chicken and one green bean before she's allowed to eat any bread or noodles. Her response? "I didn't ask my taste buds not to like it." But we manage to get some fruit and veggies into her even so...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
LOL--I never remember being a picky eater as a kid --I ate whatever she cooked up which was NOT a great experience since she was a lousy cook...
1 person likes this
@jesssp (2712)
• Canada
24 Mar 10
I totally agree with you. I was actually just surfing around some blogs the other day and I came across this: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com It's a very interesting project and it's nice to see someone who's passionate about what kids are eating. I hate seeing families pile into McDonald's with obese children, it make me so sad that the parents don't take their children's health seriously. And having such unhealthy choices at school definitely isn't helping their case.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I looked briefly at that blog..great one btw. It's worse when you think of it when families rely on breakfast, lunch AND dinner at these fast food places. I could see maybe going for ONE meal a week, but not daily which a lot of people do.
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
24 Mar 10
Jamie has had quite a bit of success over here, but he had too put up with a lot of parents who simply didn't care. One mum even passed McDonalds to her son in the playground rather than have him eat the healthy foods being served at school. When you break down that kind of resistance then you stand a chance of changing the kids' eating habits I guess
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
It's probably never easy to change die-hard habits even when they are unhealthy, but people really do need to know how eating basically junk food isn't the healthy way to go
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Yes inactivity is culprit too. Most kids would rather sit hours on end playing video games than going out to play and get a bit of exercise
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
24 Mar 10
i'll tell you pye-i part timed school cafeteria work in a k-5 once..and i have to say,i was absolutely shocked at the difference between what we had in school,and what these kids did.
candy,soda,i mean when did this happen?
i mean,even beyond weight issues,the teachers must have loved sugar-hyper children coming back from lunch wound up.i even asked the teachers why on earth they were being fed this crap.they just shrugged at me.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
3 Apr 10
one of my nephews has some form of ADD/ADHD..that would explain a lot.
his father lets him have candy...and he's off climbing on people.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Mar 10
A lot of sugar can not only create hyper kids, but triggers "episodes" with kids who are ADHD--so lovely..NOT
1 person likes this
@rajaiv0810 (1012)
• Philippines
24 Mar 10
That is horrible, terrifying, and absolutely absurd. 
I just don't understand why can't they see on their own mirrors of what is happening to them. They don't even feel sorry for their children.
It seems like USA got a very high obesity rate compared to other countries. This should serve as a warning not just to parents and schools but to the government as well. They should develop programs to educate parents and schools with regard to healthy eating. These parents think this way because they were not properly educated about health and wellness. Taking different supplements wouldn't be enough to control obesity. It needs proper diet and the choice of food is crucial. I didn't mean that McDonalds and KFCs should close down but we should limit our intake of these high caloric food. Schools should start serving fruits and salads and not everyday pizza. Of course they can still serve it but not everyday please.
And we are not yet talking about the effects of computer games here. Let's promote Wii instead, at least when you play it you get to move and sweat. 
I just don't understand why can't they see on their own mirrors of what is happening to them. They don't even feel sorry for their children.
It seems like USA got a very high obesity rate compared to other countries. This should serve as a warning not just to parents and schools but to the government as well. They should develop programs to educate parents and schools with regard to healthy eating. These parents think this way because they were not properly educated about health and wellness. Taking different supplements wouldn't be enough to control obesity. It needs proper diet and the choice of food is crucial. I didn't mean that McDonalds and KFCs should close down but we should limit our intake of these high caloric food. Schools should start serving fruits and salads and not everyday pizza. Of course they can still serve it but not everyday please.
And we are not yet talking about the effects of computer games here. Let's promote Wii instead, at least when you play it you get to move and sweat. 1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Apr 10
I think the problem too, is that unfortunately our country seems to rely on fast foods and processed foods more than other countries, and most fast foods just aren't as healthy to eat on a regular basis, not just once in awhile, but some families rely on that type of food on a daily basis. Fast foods tend to be more saturated in fat, and loaded up with a lot of salt too.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
24 Mar 10
When I married my husband 6 years ago, he and his daughter also lived on 'junk food'. My step-daughter was 12 and weighed over 250 Lbs. School lunches were fried meats, french fries, and other high-fat junk (they still are). To them, vegetables to things that grew in cans.
It's taken me all of the 6 years to work them into healthy eating, mostly because they either ate what I cooked or did without. I grocery shopped alone to avoid having them load up the cart with junk food. I'm happy to say that my step-daughter is looking great now, and when she does come grocery shopping with me, instead of grabbing chips and cookies, she heads for the produce aisle looking for something new to try. Very little is grown locally (unlike what I was used to in New England), but more of the stores are getting in new and exotic fruits and vegetables.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I think in most school meal programs either the food is very fatty and fried or sugary...what a combo, right? LOL--I rarely buy veggies in cans since they are loaded up with a heck of a lot of sodium.
Really glad to hear the turn around though on how your husband and especially your step-daughter have a made a drastic change--way to go
@momtrying2makeit (3270)
• United States
24 Mar 10
I know it is a real problem here in the US. For me I have been trying to get my kids to go outside now that it is getting nicer outside so I hope that I can get my oldest off the TV. That is her favorite thing and I am worried for her so much because she is a big girl like I was when I was young. I hope for the best and yes get them kids outside to run and play.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
That's the other problem...that kids not only eat foods bad for them via the school meal programs, but then get no exercise...good luck in trying to get your daughter to go outside more...hope it works out for you
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I saw half of the preview for that show. I think it is awful that schools serve things like pizza for breakfast. A lot of parents and other adults it seems just go for what is easier, instead of nutritious for their children. Fast food places and all the adds for fast foods and childrens foods don't help. They seem to encourage eating junk!
The portion of the show I saw, the people of that town didn't seem like they want to make any changes. Maybe they just don't like some Englishman comming in and tell them they are killing their children. It seemed a lot of people responded to him like the DJ did. Then Jamie said something to one of the women at the school about being a "lunch lady" and she seemed offended and said she was a cook. I don't think he is going to be able to make much of a difference, but at least he is trying. He really shouldn't have to though. The people that live there, and all Americans, should know that there is something wrong with their diet. It probably doesn't help that kids don't play outside anymore like they used to. Now all they want to do is be on the computer, play some video game or watch TV.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
3 May 10
Makes you wonder though, why are schools serving breakfast anyway? Lunch, yes I can see, but breakfast? Don't kids eat breakfast at home anymore????
@Profit_now (4)
• Canada
24 Mar 10
Hi Pye
Great subject...Unfortunately I wasn't able to view the Youtube but nonetheless I can just imagine. One of the things that I find when we take our kids to a fast food restaurant ( For us, All too often because of their sports activities.. We're constantly on the fly between soccer and ice hockey) is that all the restaurants load us up with HUGE juice or pop on top of the deep fried chicken nuggets or burger and fries. I encourage our kids to not finish it all or add lots of ice to their pop. Really we should make more effort to pack healthy alternatives to save money and eat healthier.
On our the home front I stopped buying soda and put a water dispenser in the kitchen..Wow what a difference. Our kids habitually go for the water now. Pops just a perodic treat and they often decide on water or milk even if there happens to be pop on hand. Parents, the choices we make can really make a difference and we should demand (Yes DEMAND) that our schools are offering better choices as well.
http://visioninternational.offerbiz.net/
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Yes there should be better alternatives than offering large containers of soda as part of a fast food meal, even Iced Tea or something would be better or juice. I haven't bought soda in decades..just don't like the taste which is why I stopped.
I see you're a newbie here, so welcome, but placing a link for your website is against the rules and listed in the Guidelines here
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
24 Mar 10
i'm not surprised anymore as the same thing is happening in australia as well... obesity is a big problem here as well and the government is trying to do their best to fix the problem... i always feel annoyed when i see parents feeding their children with junk food (KFC and Mc Donalds mainly) just for convenient... they don't realise at all the health risk that they are putting their children into until everything is too late... it is just a shame that some parents can be so irresponsible to themselves and their children... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I didn't realize this was such a worldwide issue, I just assumed it was mainly a problem here in America. Yes I realize many families are two income families, meaning both parents may work so maybe don't have time to cook home meals and rely on fast foods, but I don't really see it's an excuse. My mother worked and I got home cooked meals
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
1 Apr 10
I didn't watch the video Pye, it uses up too much of my allocation but I find your post content quite shocking. Although we can blame the choices of the parents I believe it's lifestyle choices that are on offer which are to blame. I think the fast food industry has a lot to answer for and the food industry in general where we are presented with so much heavily processed food...especially the basic food staples.
I know of two adults, personally, who do not eat properly. One basically lives on ice cream. The other one lives on a milk drink with a cereal flavouring added, wheat biscuits and for dinner, a potato mixed with a can of tuna. He eats this, day in, day out. Also, cups of tea and plain biscuits. If I cook him a plain meal, like meat and veggies or a roast, he will eat it but it's the only time he has a variety of veggies. He's capable of cooking but he just doesn't bother. I think it's laziness and a don't care attitude.
The obese people you describe are gluttons. They eat all the wrong foods and they eat too much. It's wrong to treat our bodies that way...don't people understand that??
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
24 Mar 10
It is amazing that he is willing to take on a whole city, there have been a lot of documentaries and even his shows that deal with how diet has changed dramatically. The thing is if there is enough of an outcry things change. Jamie Oliver's program in the UK created a great deal of public awareness, but like anything innovative and risky, there were teething problems(parents standing outside feeding burgers to their kids) and financial problems. There have been other food documentaries like Super Size me which due to the bad publicity effectively caused the demise of the supersize at MacDonalds. So only time will tell how successful he is.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
I think the main problem is that people rely too much on fast foods, which for the most part have more fat and tons more salt in them--which are both unhealthy--also can't understand why people do rely on fast foods, for the most part they cost even more all way round then home cooked foods which are healthier
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
24 Mar 10
The kids who are 12 and under and obese or morbidly obese are almost always that way because of their parents. I've seen a lot of shows about this. One mother was constantly serving extremely unhealthy foods to her child, who was three years old and over 70 pounds. She said she fed him what he wanted because she wanted him to be happy. That is one of the most moronic statements I've ever heard.
I don't understand some parents. If my sons' school was serving such unhealthy foods, you can bet I'd be protesting! I'd do everything I could to ensure that the children had healthy foods to choose from.
I taught my boys well but, of course, when they were on their own, they'd eat what they wanted. Now that they're both well into their 20s, they've discovered healthy alternatives to what they had been eating and I'm so very happy to see that. My youngest son is on a huge health kick right now. He even reprimands me if I buy something yummy for myself as a treat. I told him that it's okay to cheat every now and then as long as it isn't a frequent thing.
I hope this man is able to make the much needed changes in school foods. I think it's despicable for that school to serve pizza for breakfast! Schools have become not much more than babysitters, giving the kids what they want to passify them until they leave for home.
I'd love to hear that the bad economy is having one good affect on some people: that they're eating less fast food because it costs too much. Sadly, the fast food places are countering that by offering so many things on their dollar menu and, now, some are reducing the prices of their sodas to pull people in.
I just don't understand that mentality. Let's hope it can be changed for the better.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Mar 10
I think there could probably be an overhaul in general in what's served in schools, and betting foods programs in most schools aren't much better. But when I was a kid, we didn't even have food programs, we as kids would take our "lunch" boxes and our parents would make the meals, like a healthy sandwich, maybe an apple, some kind of juice.
I haven't eaten in a fast food restaurant in ages, simply since I just didn't care for the food there. But not only are fast foods fattening in general they usually have outrageously high sodium content...I did an article about this and was shocked to learn that not only fast foods but most prepackaged frozen foods can have twice the daily recommendation of salt which is 2,800 mgs...which is the equivalent of about a teaspoon of salt--and that's just for one meal.
Here in NY area though they are pushing for the "sweet" tax..mainly for sodas, but any drinks with sugar in them--don't know about sweet snacks though--while this might deter people from buying a lot of sugary things it will skyrocket grocery bills
@amyson (3498)
• Philippines
24 Mar 10
yes that is something to focus by the department of health.also in my country i seen many obese children definitely suffer from diabetes and other diseases.parents must be educate what are healthy or not healthy foods so that at home start healthy way of living.parents are the model that kids to follow they be one to prepare healthy foods to their kids.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Yes parents have to be role models for their children, but it's no wonder children are getting obese, if the parents have bad eating habits--it's almost as if people have forgotten to eat well
@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
24 Mar 10
My mom always says we are what we are eating, but I never realize bad eating habit can make you that fat. We are like most Indonesian eating 4 kind of food every time we eat rice, meat/poultry/fish, fruit, vegetable. I can not imagine eating without vegetable or fruit. From your story the kids eating unhealthy food at home and school no wonder they so fat, and its not that kids fault if they became fat, because our eating habit depending on our family.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
25 Mar 10
Besides whatever meat I may eat I always cook up two different vegetables--yes we definitely are what we eat, sad that so many don't realize that and then wonder why they get unhealthy
