I thunk of a bonus question for today!

What would YOU do about the childhood obesity problem if it were entirely up to you?

Make a mandate forcing video game and tv companies to install a timer device that turns the unit off after 1 hour on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends.  Every child would have a bicycle, it's a law. Also would make it a law that every child must get at least 1 hour of moderate excercise a day and 2 hours of strenous exercise weekly.  For those children who desired to do more, they would be rewarded with extra video game or TV time or somethign else of their choosing.  Might even ban snack foods or maybe limiting the amount each household could have. Thought about fining the parents too if their kids are over a certain weight and there were no medical conditions causing the child to be so.  How about $500 for each pound. :) I would have been so healthy as a child if this were the case. Of course it probalby would have felt like prison!

Heya Neecee,      First, I'd remove all the pop machines from public schools.  If they're thirsty, they can drink water.      Second, the lunch rooms need to remove the pure junk foods altogether: Ding Dongs, Doritos, Twinkies, candy bars, etc....  Then they need to plan meals based on lean meats, vegetables, and fresh fruits.  (I'm horrified by what our school district serves.)       Third, I'd make PE actually fun with better options for sports, more qualified teachers, a greater variety of quality equipment.      Fourth, there should be an educational campaign aimed at parents so they have sound knowledge about proper diet and exercise and the benefits from it.      Fifth, when very young children are involved, create some sort of accountability system for the parents.  Children under 10 aren't the ones out there buying the junk food in the first place, creating an environment where they can lie on the couch all day, or eating inappropriate sized portions without their parents knowing about it.      And sixth, already obese children would have access to weight loss counseling where a focus could be placed on building self esteem and a sense of self worth.

Growing up obese, I felt the pain of reprecussions.  Children are not aware of the foods, or amount of foods that make them overweight/obese.  Growing up, my best friend was a toothpick and we ate the exact same foods and the exact same amounts, and I turned out to be a piggy.  Children are not aware that they need to treat themselves as individual cases. If one skinny kid is eating a candy bar after doing well on a test, why can't the fat kid have a candy bar? That's all they "see".  So I would: Hold the parents accountable.  I would make Child/Teen Gym's, where parents would be able to take their children to work out for periods of time.  I would make nutrition essential in every household.  I would hand out fee's to parents of obese children, if the parents had no medical reason why the child was obese.  I would make these guildlines well known and have them enforced as soon as the child was old enough to walk.  Diet and exercise should be pushed on to a parents responsibility until the child is old enough to handle it themselves (16 years old).  It would be up to a parent to chose other ways of reward besides food, desserts, and treats.  I should run for president :)

Our views are quite similar!  I think I might have an opening for the vice president spot but you can't have my presidency!  

first of all, there would be a required parenting course before anyone was approved to get welfare or private insurance or private pay coverage for obstetric services.  Child Nutrition would be MUCH of that course. There would eb a complete reversal:  healthy foods would be cheaper and the sh*t would cost more than a gallon of gasoline. At all schools: Those healthier foods would be shipped to all school districts at a reduced rate. There would be mandatory training for child nutrition personnel. No foods, no exceptions allowed from home. No candy, soda ever allowed on school grounds.  No sales of foods during the school day. No birthday celebrations that include foods of minimal nutrition. The kitchen would be a learning laboratory where children learn about healthy meal preparation, storage, nutrients and what they do for the body.  The effects of too much staurated fats, sodium and sugars would be so widely known that children would never eat such posion, even if/when their parents try to force them. There would be 1 lunchroom aide for every 20 children to assist in monitoring how much is eaten.  The cost to purchase (manpower to cook from scratch, cost of fresh foods, etc) high level nutrition foods would be an honor as we nourish the bodies of our future.  All training is off the mniiute they enter high school, as they are earing thier own money and can amd will decide about their own nutrition as a tax-paying adult in our society.

Teach parents how to incorparate physical activity.  That is my biggest regret...not teaching my children to be active.  The problems we have with child predators also makes parents much more cautious about letting the kids go out and play or walk.  That's a shame we as a nation deal with daily.