I applaud the goal of the First Lady to reduce or eliminate child obesity but her emphasis on saying "no" to deserts without extolling the benefits of rigorous exercise misses the mark IMO. Physical well being requires more than simply pushing away from the table and the game of "Sorry" is, well, sorry as exercise goes.
Schools could help a lot by requiring Physical Education classes that teach sports including field and track events. President Kennedy understood that and pushed for PE in schools and other physical activities. Parents pushing kids outside to play instead of sitting in front of a TV or computer screen would go a long way toward raising healthy kids who aren't overweight.
I would urge the First Lady to expand her message to emphasize physical activities.
The story:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/...eedfetcher
Well said Stamp.
I used to dread PE class and especially the President's Fitness Test. I was a skinny little weakling back then. It turned out that the Test was never as bad as I always anticipated. Partly because we never stayed indoors. Our neighborhood was small but we had enough kids to play kickball, basketball, wiffle ball, Ain't No Bears Out Tonight and ride our bikes every day.
I think the First Lady's messages will expand as the campaign continues. Can't remember where I read or heard that.
I think you need to read the article again, because it doesn't have anything to do with saying no to desserts.
She was refering to "food deserts" (as in Sahara), which are communities that don't have grocery stores or access to healthy food choices.
The article also specifically mentions her talking about kids watching too much TV and being less active as being a problem.
(02-21-2010 05:30 PM)ChrisL68 Wrote: [ -> ]I think you need to read the article again, because it doesn't have anything to do with saying no to desserts.
She was refering to "food deserts" (as in Sahara), which are communities that don't have grocery stores or access to healthy food choices.
The article also specifically mentions her talking about kids watching too much TV and being less active as being a problem.
You are correct and I'm embarrassed.
But, I did take note of her comments about the lack of stores that offer healthy foods and fresh fruit and vegetables. My first thought about that was "there's a reason". How many of those areas are inner-city slums where stores cannot safely operate without fear of frequent robberies and break-ins? I agree with the First Lady about the need but I also understand why the problem exists and until law enforcement controls those areas, no sane individual would invest the time, money or personal risk to open such a store.
Does she say no to desert desserts?
What about dessert deserts?
No reason to be embarrassed.
And I agree with you regarding the reasons and I don't know if there are easy answers. Maybe we can have good food sources in the welfare work camps.
She just wants to brainwash our kids and turn them into quiche eating socialists!
(02-21-2010 06:15 PM)Stampeding Terp Wrote: [ -> ]But, I did take note of her comments about the lack of stores that offer healthy foods and fresh fruit and vegetables. My first thought about that was "there's a reason". How many of those areas are inner-city slums where stores cannot safely operate without fear of frequent robberies and break-ins? I agree with the First Lady about the need but I also understand why the problem exists and until law enforcement controls those areas, no sane individual would invest the time, money or personal risk to open such a store.
The safety of the neighborhood is also a prime reason why the kids aren't out and active. Heck, in the Chicago area kids are getting shot while sitting in their living room with their parents! Even here in the 'burbs parents aren't letting kids out to play after school, tho I've yet to figure that one out. Saying "No" to unhealthy foods is a start but it's not the complete answer. IL is one of the very few states which mandates P.E. class on a daily basis. Just getting kids active within the school environment is going to make a difference.
But as with the extra police manpower, many school district voters just don't want to pony up the increase in taxes that it would take to hire the teachers or lengthen the school day to allow for one more class period.
We just returned from a trip to Florida where my wife and daughter took the grandkids to Disney World. They were pissed because the place was packed, and adults in wheel chairs were moved to the front of the lines. Their handicap? They were obese! Some of them were as young as their 20's. They didn't mind letting people with real handicaps jump the lines, but there were numerous folks there that were just huge and they received special treatment.Obesity is becoming a HUGE national problem!
Our First Lady is very charming. Child obesity is a serious problem, as over weight children almost always become overweight adults. obesity causes, or aids, in life shortening disease.
The Huckabee interview allowed Mrs Obama to show she is a good mother, a smart wife, and loves America, and knows why she does.
This is the first step in the war on desert. Soon, we will have an Ice Cream czar, and a Cake and Pie Czar. More big government interfering in our lives.
(02-21-2010 09:57 PM)davidson deac ii Wrote: [ -> ]This is the first step in the war on desert. Soon, we will have an Ice Cream czar, and a Cake and Pie Czar. More big government interfering in our lives.
Undoubtably a particularly craft czar will emerge. He will be dubbed "The Dessert Fox."
I never make it to desert. I'm too busy filling up on second and third helpings of meat.
(02-22-2010 05:00 AM)Tenmile Wrote: [ -> ] (02-21-2010 09:57 PM)davidson deac ii Wrote: [ -> ]This is the first step in the war on desert. Soon, we will have an Ice Cream czar, and a Cake and Pie Czar. More big government interfering in our lives.
Undoubtably a particularly craft czar will emerge. He will be dubbed "The Dessert Fox."
Operation Dessert Storm!
(02-21-2010 07:51 PM)TimTerpT Wrote: [ -> ]We just returned from a trip to Florida where my wife and daughter took the grandkids to Disney World. They were pissed because the place was packed, and adults in wheel chairs were moved to the front of the lines. Their handicap? They were obese! Some of them were as young as their 20's. They didn't mind letting people with real handicaps jump the lines, but there were numerous folks there that were just huge and they received special treatment.Obesity is becoming a HUGE national problem!
i remember going to carowinds with my boyfriend while in college, not knowing it was christian day (they let us in anyway!). i'd say well over half the people there were obese,i mean HUGE. it was hot as hades and we were smushed up against them everywhere we went, the experience was not helped by the fact that we had ingested hallucinogens. i retired from amusement parks and hallucinogens that day.
Michelle Obama can thank unions for most of those "food deserts", and for generally keeping the standard of living as low as it is in poor inner-city areas, because it is those unions that fight tooth and nail to keep Walmarts out of them.
Walmart is more than willing to go into those economically devastated areas and provide a clean, safe place to shop locally, and provide high-quality food, goods and services at low prices, not to mention thousands of jobs and multi-millions in tax revenue and donations it gives back to the communities it serves.
Unions are a gigantic albatross hanging around the neck of america's big cities, and around the neck of large segments of the entire US economy, and they are continually trying to drag us down into the abyss.
PArt of it is portion control. Portion sizes are ridiculous in America. Quality of food is terrible here too. Too much, high-fructose, refined, enriched, enhanced, steroid-fed blah blah blah.
I'm glad to see the trend is changing, but we're still way, way off.
As a public-health professional, I applaud the First Lady. Still a long way to go, but anything she and Laura Bush prior to her have done/said are a good start.
Portion sizes in restuarants are out of control, but there's plenty of quality food to be found in this country. And it's not all that expensive.
It just takes a bit of effort.
I applaud the First Lady's efforts here.
(02-22-2010 12:30 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ]Portion sizes in restuarants are out of control, but there's plenty of quality food to be found in this country. And it's not all that expensive.
It just takes a bit of effort.
I applaud the First Lady's efforts here.
In rural areas and the inner-city, healthy food is hard to find because there is no market for it. The trend in this country is toward all you can eat buffets and cheap fast food.
The first lady is to be applaused for bringing this issue to the forefront, but if history is any guide, what will come of this is that in the end, our government will decide that the "solution" is for americans to hand over yet more of their money and their freedom to the government.
I wonder if anyone will be surprised when that happens.
(02-22-2010 12:36 PM)TimTerpT Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 12:30 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ]Portion sizes in restuarants are out of control, but there's plenty of quality food to be found in this country. And it's not all that expensive.
It just takes a bit of effort.
I applaud the First Lady's efforts here.
In rural areas and the inner-city, healthy food is hard to find because there is no market for it. The trend in this country is toward all you can eat buffets and cheap fast food.
it's almost always more expensive to eat healthy unless you go the PBJ, beans&rice route and of course, that's boring. dollar menus make it easy to consume high calories - most people want meat as part of their meal - and stay full from it. that said, you can eat fast food and pick healthier choices, like the guy did who ate all mcdonalds for a month and LOST weight. even in inner city hoods, there are fruit and veggie carts everywhere, with some really great products, and they're cheap. people just need some training. i haven't followed much of what michelle is trying to do, but i can see how steps can be taken to educate folks.
(02-22-2010 01:11 PM)mamasita Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 12:36 PM)TimTerpT Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 12:30 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ]Portion sizes in restuarants are out of control, but there's plenty of quality food to be found in this country. And it's not all that expensive.
It just takes a bit of effort.
I applaud the First Lady's efforts here.
In rural areas and the inner-city, healthy food is hard to find because there is no market for it. The trend in this country is toward all you can eat buffets and cheap fast food.
it's almost always more expensive to eat healthy unless you go the PBJ, beans&rice route and of course, that's boring. dollar menus make it easy to consume high calories - most people want meat as part of their meal - and stay full from it. that said, you can eat fast food and pick healthier choices, like the guy did who ate all mcdonalds for a month and LOST weight. even in inner city hoods, there are fruit and veggie carts everywhere, with some really great products, and they're cheap. people just need some training. i haven't followed much of what michelle is trying to do, but i can see how steps can be taken to educate folks.
Exactly. I realize it may be more difficult in the inner-city, but even fast food places have healthy choices nowadays. Not sure about "training" though. I think people are smart enough to know the options. They're just lazy.
And I can relate to the laziness. I exercise a lot but my diet has a lot of room for improvement, mostly because usually I'm too lazy to cook.
(02-22-2010 01:22 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 01:11 PM)mamasita Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 12:36 PM)TimTerpT Wrote: [ -> ] (02-22-2010 12:30 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ]Portion sizes in restuarants are out of control, but there's plenty of quality food to be found in this country. And it's not all that expensive.
It just takes a bit of effort.
I applaud the First Lady's efforts here.
In rural areas and the inner-city, healthy food is hard to find because there is no market for it. The trend in this country is toward all you can eat buffets and cheap fast food.
it's almost always more expensive to eat healthy unless you go the PBJ, beans&rice route and of course, that's boring. dollar menus make it easy to consume high calories - most people want meat as part of their meal - and stay full from it. that said, you can eat fast food and pick healthier choices, like the guy did who ate all mcdonalds for a month and LOST weight. even in inner city hoods, there are fruit and veggie carts everywhere, with some really great products, and they're cheap. people just need some training. i haven't followed much of what michelle is trying to do, but i can see how steps can be taken to educate folks.
Exactly. I realize it may be more difficult in the inner-city, but even fast food places have healthy choices nowadays. Not sure about "training" though. I think people are smart enough to know the options. They're just lazy.
And I can relate to the laziness. I exercise a lot but my diet has a lot of room for improvement, mostly because usually I'm too lazy to cook.
To me, it's a little of both. Sure someone picks the salad, but then they drench it in dressing. Or hey, someone picks the chicken sandwich, but then gets cheese, or picks the fried chicken option. And then, instead of sharing a desert, or getting a smaller version of one, they eat one themselves, thinking just because they ate healthy with the other parts of the meal, it's fair game to eat bad in the last part. That's not even factoring in sodium intake, types of fats consumed (saturated, vs. poly-/mono-un, etc.) and total calories. Some people think low fat means less calories and that often simply isn't true. Bad packaging and unfair labels have allowed manufacturers to get away with things that are not 100% accurate and the unwitting consumer thinks they're getting something good and they're not.
And ironic that someone said rural areas don't have options. Isn't a rural area, one by definition that is more agrarian, therefore has more fresh fruits and veggies available?
It's a two sided street. While consumers need to get better at making choices (Dr. Oz needs to do a US tour of all the screw up fatty organs he has pulled out of cadavers lately) and the goverment helping stupid things like subsidizing corn production (high fructose corn syrup has been one crappy side of it) and not regulating food labels (and food information in general) better.
(02-22-2010 01:22 PM)The Ghost of Hessianwolf Wrote: [ -> ]Exactly. I realize it may be more difficult in the inner-city, but even fast food places have healthy choices nowadays. Not sure about "training" though. I think people are smart enough to know the options. They're just lazy.
And I can relate to the laziness. I exercise a lot but my diet has a lot of room for improvement, mostly because usually I'm too lazy to cook.
some kids could use a hand. of course many of us went over food groups in montessori/nursery but by the time kids get to junior high it's all sugar and chips. i know that's all i wanted to eat, but i was also unstoppable when it came to athletics. ultimately i was very lucky when it came to diet (and genes) and was taught how to garden, can, freeze, etc. community gardens are a wonderful thing in cities and kids should be encouraged to get involved. giuliani tried to kill them but bloomberg is into them.
Unfortunately, many kids grow up in homes and apartments where there is no healthy food available. No one that they live with has ever graduated from HS and they are clueless about nutrition. They are VERY susceptible to TV adds for food and virtually all of them are for unhealthy foods. Our schools are finally making a little more effort to provide healthier choices in their lunchrooms. We really need a serious campaign to educate folks of all ages about eating right.