Parents Blame Lack Of Activity For Childhood Obesity

[Cherubim1324]

Parents blame kids' inactivity for obesity (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/health/12990520.htm)

Kids don't run outside and play like they used to, and parents say being a couch potato is a major culprit in the growing problem of childhood obesity.

"We as parents need to do more," said Elena Penson, a sales clerk from Lufkin, Texas, whose family makes a point of going to a park twice a week to play catch. "But when we get home, we're tired, too. We've gotten lazy."

Inactive parents teach their children by example to be sedentary, warned American Heart Association president Dr. Robert H. Eckel, who researches obesity at the University of Colorado.

Getting active doesn't have to mean joining a ball team. "One of the strongest correlates of how overall active a child is, is how much time they spend outdoors," said Dr. Nancy Krebs, who co-chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics' obesity panel. "Nature takes over from there."

[Sonic]

I'll admit, when I was a kid I was a couch potato, I watch Cartoon Network nonstop and played Video Games all day but I don't blame my parents for it. It was my choosing,mostly because I had "pancake" feet and everytime I walk just a little bit my feet would ache, but I don't blame them one bit. I wanted to do sports but my feet wouldn't allow that. I still have problems with them to this day.

[Nickelback]

If only parents would inforce these rules when things get too dicey. 9_9

Me, I do absolutely nothing but sit here all day, but that contributes to me living in the middle of nowhere. (Meaning, no sports clubs, etc)

[Trudy]

I agree most kids nowadays sit at the pc or playing video games all of which I enjoy but that is all they do. They no longer play ball or get any form of physical exercise except that which they recieve while in school. Alot of them flunk PE because they are not able to perform as well as they would if they had daily exercise. I did read a study that children learn alot from playing video games, mentally because it teaches them somewhat patience and hand and eye balance of cordantion ,and focus of attention.
That's why parents should still allow the gaming but at same time make sure they do something psyhical daily!!

[Qween B]

i agree and when your a little kid you dont know any better to exercise and be active and i think its a parents job to teach a child that early on

[Zelphiel]

blaming that is kind of blaming parents for not limiting the time they let kids sit in front of the tv and play games.

although... I still think eating habits are the hugest part of the problem with the areas of it you can control.

[Nickelback]

For most kids it can be. But some of them actually have a problem in their bodies, no matter what they eat they can get fat.

[idgaf rpgfan]

i think its a parents job to teach a child that early on
exactly.
For my fam, when the weather is good, we are outside almost till bedtime. When the weather sucks, we try to get to the pool ar the play area at the mall about 3 or 4 times per week. We don't let our kids sit around all day long.

[Night]

LOL

i do blame the parents, somewhat. Its also the food you eat, dont forget. If you dont force the kid to eat healthy ( i dont mean shove it down his throat, but mcdonalds every night is, believe it or not, BAD FOR YOU!)...
this reminds me of those dumbasses who blamed mcdonalds for making them fat. only person in the courtroom dumber than the plaintiff was the judge, who ruled in favor of the plaintiff. McDonalds cant force you to eat their food, if you cant tell its bad for you, then how much longer is it before you kill yourself anyway? its safer to get so fat you cant walk, that way you wont actually get to test that theory of face+flame, dumbass.

[Kaffee]

Ummm......I was born in 1970, all I ever did was go outside and get into trouble, and here I am 35 and I'm overweight, I was active, chasing my brothers down and beating the crap out of them cause they buried my G.I. Joe action figures. And still I wound up a overweight man, cause I really didn't start playing video games until my late twenties. So my mother and father really didn't have that problem of me sitting around playing video games or just sitting around at all. In my house you got out of the house and out of my mother's hair. I overweight because of poor choices that I made when eating, fast food is a killer, what can I say.