Ummm. Can you say video games and computers.

Say what you will about heredity. Say what you will about diet. How many active children are obese?

How many kids who ride their bicycles and play the games kids played for centuries are obese? Almost none.

The problem with obese children today is the parents fault. they are too busy trying to buy trophy homes and cars to care about what their kids are up to. On the other end of the economic scale both parents are working full time and some even more just to keep food on the table and the rent paid. They simply don't have the time to properly supervise their children's play.

The bottom line is that Sally and Johnnie need to get off their duffs and go outside and play the games that will provide their muscles and skeletons their needed exercise, give them coordination and teach them how to interact with others. Oh yeah, they might lose some of their fat too.

If I had to yell at somebody, it would be the schools. Not because it's their fault, but because they can better make change: converting a parent to healthier habits helps one or two kids, converting a school helps hundreds.

We need to be less liberal with bussing (there's no reason a kid can't walk a mile or two to school in most towns) and -- most crucially -- we need to be restrictive about acceptable school lunch. Lunchables, Uncrustables, and Funyuns are not foods that should be allowed in schools (and they certainly shouldn't be sold by the schools).

you say there's no reason a kid can't walk a mile or two in most towns. you should have added "most towns near you". perhaps that is your experience, but i'm sure it's not many people's experience. more rural places where the school is far away, more urban places where perhaps the parents fear letting their children run around in traffic. (i remember it took me a half a year to convince my mom in 1st grade that i was mature enough to be trusted crossing streets- and this was in the burbs!)

if you want to look towards getting kids more active, i suggest we discuss pe or the lack thereof in the schools. i was shocked when i found out how many of these kids don't have access to PE, or don't become involved in sports or other afterschool activities. my mom kept us busy. we didnt have hours upon hours for video games- there was dance and gymnastics, basketball and football, piano lessons AND my mom used to make sure we also went out and played (she used to have to force me to go, but go i would)

what is all the tax money going into if it's not supporting these programs? and for that matter, why are schools still set up to work in an agrarian society? many (if not most) parents have jobs. so why do schools send kids home at 2:30 and 3:00?

we need a lot of overhaul in a lot of different aspects of our society. but it's going to take people not being stuck on the idea of the status quo to get that point across....

"If I had to yell at somebody, it would be the schools. Not because it's their fault..."

OK, then don't. SD, perhaps you didn't intend to light this fire, but unfortunately, you lit the wrong match, buddy. I am so sick and tired of everything being blamed on schools. Yes, school administrators and teachers make mistakes now and then. No one is perfect, after all. But, you must remember that teachers/administrators are doing exactly what they are told to do by the government that you elected. That's right. The government reflects the people that it represents. No matter how hard you try, you can't run away from the fact that you are responsible for keeping your own house, and that includes raising your children and teaching them basic morals, values, and self-discipline.

"converting a parent to healthier habits helps one or two kids, converting a school helps hundreds."

Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. Sorry, you miss the boat here. Teachers can drive ideas into kids' heads all day every day for the entire school year, but it won't mean squat if parents aren't reinforcing such behaviors at home. Unless you're suggesting that we go Stalinist on people and snatch up kids and send 'em off to State School, you can't change the children without fixing home first.

"We need to be less liberal with bussing (there's no reason a kid can't walk a mile or two to school in most towns)"

Ok, yeah, it's annoying when the stupid bus is stopping every 17 feet. Yet, this isn't about busing. I rode a bus for 12 years. This is about what kids do before, during and after school. Kids would rather play video games than do any real work. Hence why you have so many "gurus" on Guitar Hero, but none of them can actually play the guitar. You forget about activities. Hey, they're not into football? Stick a trumpet or a pair of drum sticks in their grubby little hands. They'll have 4 to 6 years of marching band to keep them in shape.

"we need to be restrictive about acceptable school lunch."

If schools were like real-life businesses, I'd have the answer for you. Eliminate school-provided meals altogether. In the real world, if you bitch and gripe about a service or blame it for problem upon problem, the company just discontinues the service. Besides, if you don't like what the school sells, then pack a frickin' lunch for your kid. I don't know what kind of school lunches you guys are used to, but most of the ones I've seen in my 31 years on this planet can simply be categorized as "beige." God knows why anyone would even want to eat that crap.

"if you want to look towards getting kids more active, i suggest we discuss pe or the lack thereof in the schools. i was shocked when i found out how many of these kids don't have access to PE, or don't become involved in sports or other afterschool activities. my mom kept us busy. we didnt have hours upon hours for video games- there was dance and gymnastics, basketball and football, piano lessons AND my mom used to make sure we also went out and played (she used to have to force me to go, but go i would)"

Therein lies the problem, deduction. Once again, I come back to what I said earlier. Schools do what they have to do by state and federal law. We have a law that says kids have to earn a certain score on the state standardized test in math and reading to avoid school seizure by the state. Well, what happens? Schools go ape doo-doo with math and reading (sometime 2 1/2 hours of it every day) to boost scores. Forget science, history, physical education and God forbid, music. Just so those math and reading scores come up. I could be here all day talking about the problems we have with today's public education system.

My point is that we need to address the problem at home through parents. Parents are still responsible for raising their kids, the last time I checked. Let's stop assuming that it's the school's responsibility to teach kids how to spell their own name, for crying out loud.

FordTruck5Speed:

My point is that we need to address the problem at home through parents. Parents are still responsible for raising their kids, the last time I checked. Let's stop assuming that it's the school's responsibility to teach kids how to spell their own name, for crying out loud.

I think you're right that it isn't the school's responsibility. Schools shouldn't promote bad habits, but they can't instill good habits in all aspects of life. And to be honest, how many kids are going to listen to the teacher tell them how to eat, when they don't even want to listen to the teacher tell them how to do their algebra homework?

Here's a thought... if the problem is parents' lack of information, why not have community-based organizations put on programs for kids and parents together? We don't need government to do it for us, we can do it ourselves. There's no reason why the local Girl Scout or Boy Scout council can't put on this kind of program, maybe tie together with a badge or merit patch or something, and invite non-members as well. I know Girl Scouts have a gold award where the recipients do something for the community - this might qualify.

Or if the parents are concerned but don't feel well-informed, how about a PTA-organized program? Bring in a nutritionist, and perhaps ask a chef to demonstrate healthy easy-to-make meals, distribute a cookbook...

Instead of sitting back and waiting for "someone" to fix what's broken, why not fix it ourselves? We're someone.

The purpose of public schools is to educate children so that they may become productive employable adults. This education is built on a core curriculum of reading, writing and math.

People have to remember that schools are not an unlimited resource. There are approx 6 hours in the school day which includes a lunch break. The school year is only 9.5 months long and the budget only has so many dollars in it.

Everytime someone with good intentions tries to force a social engineering solution through the schools, this takes time and money away from the core mission which is to educate children. An organization can do one thing well or many things badly. Education is too important to dilute.

question?:

The purpose of public schools is to educate children so that they may become productive employable adults. This education is built on a core curriculum of reading, writing and math.

People have to remember that schools are not an unlimited resource. There are approx 6 hours in the school day which includes a lunch break. The school year is only 9.5 months long and the budget only has so many dollars in it.

Everytime someone with good intentions tries to force a social engineering solution through the schools, this takes time and money away from the core mission which is to educate children. An organization can do one thing well or many things badly. Education is too important to dilute.

Excellent post...just don't forget to add the arts to your list.

FordTruck5Speed:

question?:

The purpose of public schools is to educate children so that they may become productive employable adults. This education is built on a core curriculum of reading, writing and math.

People have to remember that schools are not an unlimited resource. There are approx 6 hours in the school day which includes a lunch break. The school year is only 9.5 months long and the budget only has so many dollars in it.

Everytime someone with good intentions tries to force a social engineering solution through the schools, this takes time and money away from the core mission which is to educate children. An organization can do one thing well or many things badly. Education is too important to dilute.

Excellent post...just don't forget to add the arts to your list.

And the sciences. Those are important too. And social studies, such as history. There really is a lot for them to learn, isn't there?

Of course, if students learn how to evaluate scientific hypotheses, and how they're tested, etc., it may help them to think critically about some of the nutritional claims being made and the various weight-loss products.

(I heard an ad once on the radio for a product that said you'd lose weight in the shower. I couldn't help thinking, "If you lose weight by showering, perhaps you shouldn't let the dirt get so thick in the first place!")

I have been busy for the last few days, thanks for the reply.

I agree the schools need to do a better job with the types of foods they allow to be served on their property. Particularly for the younger children who have a much harder time with their self control.

Personally it seems, at least to this poster that it must still start with the parents. If my parents told me no candy at school I had better not have had any or it was trouble at home. My grade school had two candy machines available for students after lunch and half way through the afternoon.

A note from the parents provided to the hall monitor was required before kids were allowed to use it. If one was caught using the machine outside of the time parameters a trip to the principles office was in store. Also no second helpings were allowed at lunch, period.

I don't think its the parents lack of education regarding how to eat healthy so much as it is the parents lack of time to instill these habits, or virtues into their kids. Our society has become so fast paced that a the family sit down meal in the evening is almost a thing of the past. It just seems to be "get something into the kids guts and get on with everything else".

Health classes used to teach nutrition when I was growing up and it was reinforced at home during the family meals. The schools weren't serving the crap they are today either.

Eh...I remember what my schools served up in the 80s. Pretty horrific, quite frankly. I think the tray it came on had more nutritional value. But then again, back in my day (a whopping 20 + years ago), parents knew how to pack a lunch. I think people forget that it is still legal to go to a deli, buy some lunch meat, and slap it between a couple slices of bread, throw an orange in a bag and one or two cookies, and voila!!! A genuine lunch. They even have this new-fangled stuff called "wheat bread" that's supposed to be better than the "white" bread I ate as a kid.

One thing that I've learned throughout my schooling and my adult life is that if you don't have time, you make time. My parents both worked. They still found a way to teach me what I needed to know when I needed to know it. I don't think people in today's society are busier, just lazier. You just have to make use of the time you have and do what needs to be done, and stop loading more responsibilities on an already maxed-out educational system.

Guess I was lucky, our school had a terrific head cook. It was in a small rural town and she stayed with school as head cook her entire working career. Parents were allowed to come to school on occasion to have lunch with their kids. Many often did as the food was very good. In fact she shared her chili recipie with me years ago and I have used it to do very well in chili cook off contests.

I agree that our school systems are overloaded with responsibilities they do not have time for. We have too many people in society today that "feel good about themselves" yet do not have the skills needed to hold a job or take care of themselves.