Childhood Obesity, take two: who is to blame for this?

[Brumrha]

As you people might have guessed, this is my second attempt to create a debate about childhood obesity. I've sorted things out with Babylon 5, & have managed to come up with something that can really be debated: who is responsible for causing childhood obesity?

IMO, there is only one real cause of this, & it's closer to families than you think. That's right, I'm talking about the parents.

The child's parents can cause such a thing for many explanations; one of which is the fact that they never pay any attention to what they are eating, or even worse, they most often give in to their child's demands, thus yielding to them all of their control. Then we have those who attempt to cook their own meals, but end up with something that might be irresistible, but also harmful to the body. Also, they might both be a bunch of cheapskates, who always depend on fast-food for breakfast, lunch & dinner, just because that everything else is "too expensive," which in most cases, is far from the truth.

However, there is one reason that dwarfs all of them put together: child abuse. You heard me right, child abuse can be a cause for childhood obesity. Whether physical, verbal, or in certain cases, sexual, at times the child will turn to food as their source of comfort; a way to ease their minds after these traumatic happenings. The reason that I say that a child can be sexually abuse by their own parents is that when a spouse is married to a workaholic, they might turn to their own children for the sexual pleasure that their lust craves so much, provided that the child is of the opposite gender of the said spouse in question, that is. IMO, this one really takes the cake, but it can be easily solved with some counseling.

I've finished my part, so without further ado:

Let the slug-fest begin!

*runs the marathon-long road to safety*
​

 

[Profesco]

However, with childhood obesity, there is only one real cause of this, & it's closer to families than you think. That's right, I'm talking about the parents.

I take it that sentence is the debating point? ^_^

The child's parents can cause such a thing for many explanations; one of which is the fact that they never pay any attention to what they are eating, or even worse, they most often give in to their child's demands, thus yielding to them all of their control. Then we have those who attempt to cook their own meals, but end up with something that might be irresistible, but also harmful to the body. Also, they might both be a bunch of cheapskates, who always depend on fast-food for breakfast, lunch & dinner, just because that everything else is "too expensive," which in most cases, is far from the truth.

All valid possible causes. But to treat childhood obesity as a garaunteed result of those things is incorrect. That's like saying all thrown baseballs break windows. A thrown baseball can break a window, and those things can cause obesity, but it's not garaunteed and they're not the only real causes. ^_^;

However, there is one reason that dwarfs all of them put together: child abuse. You heard me right, child abuse can be a cause for childhood obesity. Whether physical, verbal, or in certain cases, sexual, at times the child will turn to food as their source of comfort; a way to ease their minds after these traumatic happenings. The reason that I say that a child can be sexually abuse by their own parents is that when a spouse is married to a workaholic, they might turn to their own children for the sexual pleasure that their lust craves so much, provided that the child is of the opposite gender of the said spouse in question, that is. IMO, this one really takes the cake, but it can be easily solved with some counseling.

Again, sexual and other forms of abuse are possible psychological causes for a dependence on food to sublimate emotions, but they're certainly not the sole causes. I won't and can't deny that parents play a large role in their children's psychological health, but the roles that media, peers, culture, and other factors are by no means negligable.

 

[Dawnkey Kawng]

I say that parents are solely responisble for their kids when they are young. Of course if you bring your child to McDonalds 5 times a week, they will get fat. And its up to the parents to discipline the child and teach them self control.

Some parents argue that if they are fat, the kid will end up fat to, but I don't believe it because you see alot of skinny kids with lardo parents. First off, if that were true, then there wouldn't be very many fat kids because lets face it, how many fat people get the chance to have kids? Second of all if it were true, it would still be the parents fault again because they couldn't resist KFC everytime they drove by it!
Of course, there is the fat genetics problem, but its up to the parent to finds ways around the problems, by finding special diets and excerises.

There is tons of advertisement on TV about Mcdonalds and KFC. However, you can't blame them for child obesity, they are just doing their job. Who do you think drives the kids to Mcdonalds and buys a pound of fries? Thats right, the parents! And the parents are even blaming Cookie Monster and Santa Claus for the obesity problems! What now? Are parents going to cover the child's eyes whenever an overweight person is present?

So overall, I would have to say its pretty much the parent's fault the kid is obese. Its the parent's responibility to watch what goes down the kids throat and set good examples for them. It's not genetic's fault, it's not the media's fault, it's not santa clause's or cookie monster's fault, it the Parent's fault!

 

[Brumrha]

Now the above arguement is something that I can really get behind. However, it's very possible that there are other causes, but I'm saying that bad parenting is the primary cause.

If anybody else has something else that might cause all this, don't be shy; share it with us.

 

[Hakajin]

I think the biggest problem is prosperity. We can have as much food as we want without having to do any work to get it. We crave fatty foods because we needed those to survive when food was scarce. Our bodies haven't adjusted to the fact that we don't need to put on weight anymore.

Parents do contribute, but it's often hard for them to feed their children right. This is especially true for poor families. Groceries and eating out can get expensive, and cooking takes time. For parents who work long hours and have low-paying jobs, fast food is an easy answer.

I don't think abuse has much to do with it. I mean, children who've been abused sometimes do over-eat, sometimes gorging themselves to the point of eating anything they can get, even non-food items, but they're in the minority of obese children. The majority is made up of children from a low-socioeconomic background.

So the two main causes of obesity would be the availability of food and the fact that fatty foods are often cheaper and easier to get.

 

[Brumrha]

I think the biggest problem is prosperity. We can have as much food as we want without having to do any work to get it. We crave fatty foods because we needed those to survive when food was scarce. Our bodies haven't adjusted to the fact that we don't need to put on weight anymore.

I absolutely agree with this; the availability of food is at such a level that people do gorge themselves from time to time. IMO, food binging contests = wasteful! If we've got so much of this, we should give all of it to the people that need it the most.

Parents do contribute, but it's often hard for them to feed their children right. This is especially true for poor families. Groceries and eating out can get expensive, and cooking takes time. For parents who work long hours and have low-paying jobs, fast food is an easy answer.

I've already made a point about that in my first post, however, your description is actually more fitting for most of the families who depend on fast-food. They're the people who don't even have their own homes & literally sleep inside their own cars.

I don't think abuse has much to do with it. I mean, children who've been abused sometimes do over-eat, sometimes gorging themselves to the point of eating anything they can get, even non-food items, but they're in the minority of obese children. The majority is made up of children from a low-socioeconomic background.

I know that child abuse is a bit uncommon, but this is something that I've found to be appaling, so I put emphasis on that.

 

[Noheart]

I blame those damn fast-food restaraunts and their greasy, deep-fried, stomach-upsetting foods. And I think it's the parent's fault, since the child's health is their responsibility. ALL parents are supposed to help their children maintain a healthy diet, not order a big mac for lunch for them every day.

 

[Ninterror X]

The largest problem is the parents.
let's think about this for a second, who made the child fat? It might have to do with the parents since they don't watch or care about what the child eats.
but I don't blame people for not watching what their child eats, since most of the obese children have busy parents. If someone is busy they can't make a healthy snack, so instead they go to a fast food joint and give the child very fatting food, now times this by months and we got a problem.

 

[ChronaMew]

I blame those damn fast-food restaraunts and their greasy, deep-fried, stomach-upsetting foods. And I think it's the parent's fault, since the child's health is their responsibility. ALL parents are supposed to help their children maintain a healthy diet, not order a big mac for lunch for them every day.

Why would you blame the fast-food restaurants? They're simply providing a service that people want, just as corner stores sell cigs because it attracts many people to buy them.

It's all dependent on the person who buys them. If the parents buy lots of fast food for their kid or themselves, they're the ones to blame. Sometimes they can't afford any better, but technically speaking they're still the ones to blame for *fattening* their child, because they got the food for them.

 

[Noheart]

Why would you blame the fast-food restaurants? They're simply providing a service that people want, just as corner stores sell cigs because it attracts many people to buy them.

It's all dependent on the person who buys them. If the parents buy lots of fast food for their kid or themselves, they're the ones to blame. Sometimes they can't afford any better, but technically speaking they're still the ones to blame for *fattening* their child, because they got the food for them.

They're simply providing E. Coli and High Cholosterol, that's why.

They should try adding some actual Organic Nutrition in their meals. At least Wendy's is trying.

 

[Dawnkey Kawng]

They're simply providing E. Coli and High Cholosterol, that's why.

They should try adding some actual Organic Nutrition in their meals. At least Wendy's is trying.

Why should they sell organic nutrition? If I wanted some of that stuff, I simply would go to those organic shops. Its not like fast foods are forcing you to eat their products.

Anyways, another reason is lack of exercise, which again is a result of bad parenting. Even poor families can afford exercise, all you have to do is take your kids to the playground and problem solved.

 

[Noheart]

Why should they sell organic nutrition?

Because they know that they're products are severely unhealthy - especially for kids. If they care about the green more than their customers, I'd spit at any fast-food restaraunt. And AGAIN, it's the parent's responsibility to feed their children healthy meals. They SHOULD buy organic products. ANY man-made foods are bad for you.

 

[Mupen64 Man]

I think that it is the persons fault for not getting enough excersize and not eating healthy enough food.

 

[??????]

A mixture of both Fast-Food Restaurants and Parents are to blame.

Parents obviously take blame for giving into the demands of their kids. Kids obviously cannot think for themselves, and are easily swayed by heavy advertisement investments. Parents have to Power to say no.

Poverty?-No. Poverty has existed for thousands of years. Fast food has existed for about 60 or so. Those in poverty thousands of years ago had time to grow the food and cook it. Nowadays, we don't even have to grow food, and we still cannot find time. Poverty is no excuse to buy Fast Food.

They're simply providing a service that people want, just as corner stores sell cigs because it attracts many people to buy them.

When you go to a fast food restaurant, you're looking for food. Food can be provided without all the unhealthy additives, E-Coli, and other sh*t *Pun not intended* they put in your hamburger. Fast Food companies do not have to be unhealthy, they share much of the blame for the fattening of our children.

Fast food spends millions in children's advertising, have toy campaigns, build playgrounds, and do everything they have in their power to draw in children. Most advertisements like these that advertise unhealthy foods should be banned, towards children.

As for infringement on the first Amendment, who really cares? Advertisement of Tobacco products was banned quite a while ago, and those were targeted to adults who can think for themselves.

All in all, both parents and Fast Food companies share the blame fo rthe fattening of the next generation. Banning of unhealthy Fast food advertisements towards children can push Fast Food companies to make their products healthier. FDA and USDA (Those federal Branches are basically already screwed) need extensive reform to head these changes.

 

[Mr. Mudkip]

I think it's the kids. They don't have to eat the food. Everything gets blamed on parents nowadays.

Any self-inflicted problem is your own fault. Hence Self-inflicted.
There's always dieting and sports programs, heck, public sports are free sometimes.

As mentioned above though, Ronald McDonald popping up on your damn TV every 5 minutes doesn't help.

 

[Hakajin]

Poverty?-No. Poverty has existed for thousands of years. Fast food has existed for about 60 or so. Those in poverty thousands of years ago had time to grow the food and cook it. Nowadays, we don't even have to grow food, and we still cannot find time. Poverty is no excuse to buy Fast Food.

Are you kidding? It's a fact that majority of obese people come from low SES families. Fast food may have been invented about 60 years ago, but it's taken a while for it to become popular and for chains to build as many sites as they have. Poor families obviously don't have as much money to spend on healthy groceries. And fast food restaurants give you a lot of food for a cheap price.

Add onto that the fact that there's no preparation time for the food, which makes it easy on parents who work long hours. We may not grow our own food anymore, but work still takes up time. Even if you're standing behind a counter, that's taking up hours that are used for preparing meals. In fact, a lot of parents work at fast food restaurants, so they just take the kids with them and feed them there.

When you go to a fast food restaurant, you're looking for food. Food can be provided without all the unhealthy additives, E-Coli, and other sh*t *Pun not intended* they put in your hamburger. Fast Food companies do not have to be unhealthy, they share much of the blame for the fattening of our children.

Fast food spends millions in children's advertising, have toy campaigns, build playgrounds, and do everything they have in their power to draw in children. Most advertisements like these that advertise unhealthy foods should be banned, towards children.

It's all about supply and demand. Some fast food restaurants provide and advertize healthy alternatives to the regular stuff, but the kids don't choose that. We naturally prefer fatty foods. It's an evolutionary trait. Fast food restaurants that only had healthy food would go out of business because people would stop going there. If the government tried to regulate it, people would definitely be upset. They could improve the quality of their food, but that would raise prices. People wouldn't like that, either. They want fast food and they want it cheap. When it comes down to it, fast food chains only provide what the people ask for.

I've already made a point about that in my first post, however, your description is actually more fitting for most of the families who depend on fast-food. They're the people who don't even have their own homes & literally sleep inside their own cars.

The situation doesn't have to be that dramatic, though. My school was right across the street from a group of housing projects, and I saw that a lot there. I also had a friend whose mother worked in a restaurant, and she got kind of heavy from eating the food there. They lived in a small house, but they still didn't have too much.

 

[ChronaMew]

When you go to a fast food restaurant, you're looking for food. Food can be provided without all the unhealthy additives, E-Coli, and other sh*t *Pun not intended* they put in your hamburger. Fast Food companies do not have to be unhealthy, they share much of the blame for the fattening of our children.

Fast food spends millions in children's advertising, have toy campaigns, build playgrounds, and do everything they have in their power to draw in children. Most advertisements like these that advertise unhealthy foods should be banned, towards children.

As for infringement on the first Amendment, who really cares? Advertisement of Tobacco products was banned quite a while ago, and those were targeted to adults who can think for themselves.

All in all, both parents and Fast Food companies share the blame fo rthe fattening of the next generation. Banning of unhealthy Fast food advertisements towards children can push Fast Food companies to make their products healthier. FDA and USDA (Those federal Branches are basically already screwed) need extensive reform to head these changes.

Actually, I agree about the ads. I haven't seen as many lately, since I haven't been watching TV, but the McDonalds ones try to be too child-friendly. Ultimately though, the child isn't the one with the money.

I myself work in a fast food restaurant. It's not much of a chain, I think only a handful of them exist. Anyone ever heard of a place called "John Anderson"?

Anyhow, my point being, it's about self control. Being an employee I can get anything I want for free on my shift. However, I choose not to pig out, and often eat a souvlaki dinner instead of a burger.

While the advertisements might tempt their kids into nagging the parents more, it's ultimately their decision to take out their wallets, walk/drive to the fast food restaurant, and order the food for their kids. It's like the fat people who try to sue McDonalds for getting them fat - *THEY* are the ones who chose to spend money on it and eat it. The restaurant didn't hold them at gunpoint and force them to eat.

Fast food restaurants have their benefits. If someone is on a busy schedule or can't afford buying groceries every week, there's no harm in fast food once in a while. Even then, they can usually order an alternative such as a salad (Without dressing), or whatever else the restaurants offer.

 

[Dark SpOOn Bender]

It's the parents/guardians. Parents are responsible for their young children's actions and everything that goes on within their lives. Bad habits are started when children are not led in the right direction. You cannot expect a child to eat healthy and exercise often when they haven't been encouraged (or possibly required) to do so.

It is partly the industry's fault as well. They are taking advantage of the fact that many people need quick and easy ways to get food, but of course at the same time you can't blame an industry for using this to their advantage. That is part of business - getting the upper hand by exploiting somebody else's weakness, especially the consumer.

I think it's the kids. They don't have to eat the food. Everything gets blamed on parents nowadays.

Any self-inflicted problem is your own fault. Hence Self-inflicted.
There's always dieting and sports programs, heck, public sports are free sometimes.

Obviously parents get the brunt of the blame. Younger kids don't know any better; they have to be taught what is most beneficial to their health. Parents have to take on full responsibility of their younger children's actions, as long as the child is "normal". If they don't, then they are not fulfilling their duties as a parent.

 

[mew801]

i personally think it is a massive problem. parents are being too carefree about what their kids are eating. if kids have money, and they are walking home, and walk past a store, then they are going to buy some chips, or candy. i think its the parents responsibility to make sure what the parents are eating. how could you feed your kid so much that they become obese. i know if i was a parent, i would never let my child get obese.

 

[Profesco]

It's rather lame for so many of the members here to flat-out blame parents for this. Has anyone noticed that that's become a trend with people in our age group within recent years? Obesity is the parents' fault for feeding the child too much or too unhealthy food. Violence is the parents' fault for the child playing games like GTA or watching violent movies. Being bullied is the parents' fault for not giving the child any or enough self-esteem. Failing in class in the parents' fault for not providing the right motivation or study environment. Being a socially-awkward overachiever is the parents' fault for pushing the child too hard.

Does that not seem a little odd to any of you? Isn't it a really huge and uncanny coincidence maybe that our moms and dads are at fault for every single problem we have? My respect abounds for members like Hakajin, who have the depth of mind to self-evaluate a little.

One of the problems with our child and adolescent culture today is the self-serving, self-absorbed, self-righteous generation we've become (hey- maybe those might be some causes for childhood obesity!). Nothing today is the fault of the perpetrator, is it? Any child (or criminal) can do whatever they please (or commit any crime) and all blame (or all fault) is immediately attached to the parenting (or... no, still parenting here!), as proven by so many of the responses in this thread. We children no longer have to face any culpability for our actions - whether this is the unintended side-effect of the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries' heavy advocation of therapy and medication, or the culture and media's sly manipulation to avoid responsibility and the confines of civic duty themselves by legalistic games of semantics - everyone blames good ol' mom and pop.

How many of the proponents of this argument, I wonder, have actually parented a child all the way from birth to adolescence? If more than half of the posters in this thread have, I'll eat my hat. Mew801 brings up a nice point, sadly more for me than for herself:

if kids have money, and they are walking home, and walk past a store, then they are going to buy some chips, or candy.

You know what that means, what it is referring to? The parent simply cannot be with a child for every moment of every day, even during feeding times. Influence comes from all directions all the time; the parent is physically incapable of sifting through every single experience their child has, and every action their child takes, to decide which of them are good or beneficial and which aren't, and remove the bad ones.

The parents can't stop that one out of the thirty or so commercials that air in an hour from showing a teen girl in a skimpy skirt; they can't stop the PG13 rated movie from having that one funny-cool instance of drug-use in it; they can't stop that annual toy catalog from advertising the newest blood-and-gore videogame; they can't stop the older kids from the high school down the block from talking about who's been fooling around with who behind the bleachers; and unfortunately, it's just as near-impossible to stop school lunch ladies, aunts, grandparents, party-throwers, peers, the children themselves, and governments from not eating, advertising, or generally making limitlessly available, entirely healthy foods every day.

The worst part of this, I think, is that when a parent or group of parents does try to step in and take control of one or more of these issues, they are branded authoritarian, over-sensitive, freedom-wreckers, too anal, and more labels of that sort. Indeed, often by the very same mouths who fault them for not controlling these parts of their children's lives.

You just can't have it both ways, I'm sorry. If you want your parents to take the fault for everything in your life, then they need to be in control of it all, so they can be justly blamed. How many of you want your parents to stop you from watching any movie rated higher than PG, or to ban any television network that regularly airs commercials, or to stop you from playing any noneducational videogames, or to stop you from going out to fast food joints with your pals for a quick burger, or to take any sort of control over you at all, really? I daresay those who do want this sort of parental control are few and far between.