Kids

Kids are - or should be - at least one motivating factor for improved health. I have heard repeatedly that children learn from the example of their parents especially when it comes to eating, exercise, and general health. I know for a fact that mothers who approach their diet in an unhealthy fashion or who obsess about their weight only serve to create eating disorders in their children. I realize that ignoring my health can also create bad habits. Most experts agree that an overweight parent is many times more likely to have an overweight child because of the example they set. The other concern is, of course, if we push our dietary standard onto kids or we try to force them to "diet", they are also likely to end up with eating disorders.

In my case, my daughter's weight is within acceptable proportion to her height. She loves to move her body and, in fact, can't even make it stop while she reads so she is always moving. She has loved vegetables since the day her little mouth tasted pureed sweet potatoes and since she could chew a green bean. She isn't a big fan of meat, but eats a little and usually strays toward fish and not the fatty meats like beef. The biggest worry I have is her sweet tooth. I definitely had to place a limit early on with candy, popsicles, ice cream, and other treats.

From school, she has received this book where she is to record her activity levels. The books will be turned in and the school who has the most "miles" gets benefit. The children don't get anything, though, so I don't know how motivated they are.

I'm actually a bit annoyed by this booklet. It records time spent doing an activity, then calculates it at the rate of a 20 minute mile. Whether she's riding her bike hard for 10 minutes or walking slowly at a snails pace for 10 minutes, it is, for these purposes, the same. It also pushes the kids to be active at least 90 minutes a day. Well, come on! 90 minutes of biking is not equal to 90 minutes of wandering around. Kids need movement, but 90 minutes? I don't record things like her dancing around the house or going outside to play with friends. Maybe that's why I think 90 minutes every single day is an awful lot. I do think kids' activity should probably average 45-60 minutes a day, but I think 90 is unrealistic - unless you record every little activity they do. I mean, they have recess at school and that doesn't get recorded. They come home from school, have homework, dinner, family time, chores, and then they are still supposed to have 90 minutes left? After the 30-40 minutes she does with us and then our family time, it's time to start getting ready for bed. Am I unrealistic because I put my kid to bed at a reasonable time? I just think they are pushing for these kids to be all-out athletic and guess what? I do not think athletes are all they are cracked up to be!

Your booklet says that kids who are active tend to do better in school - then why are half the athletes in high school or college either failing or needing assistance? Why can't I have an intelligent conversation with an extremely athletic person? There is also evidence that musicians do better in school and that those kids with ambition or goals do better in school. Does it NOT occur to anyone that a child's education is MORE than YOUR agenda? Maybe those kids do better because someone is watching. Maybe they do better because while you are recording one thing in order to link it to their scholastic achievements, they feel like someone gives a damn about them and that's why they do better.

I appreciate the desire to encourage health in our kids. I just have this overwhelming need to perk my quills whenever "they" send home the information on how to do it. I shudder even more when they want us to record it, sign it, send it back, and act like all kids are created equal. Because it is an anti-obesity in children campaign, it is my perception that the goals given are to encourage weight loss. What if your child is not one of the obese? And how dare you convince me I am the problem when a) my child is a healthy weight and b) she brings food from home for lunch that is much healthier than the garbage you feed all those kids who get school lunch. Best irony? In the booklet is a list of things kids should be eating less than once a month. Most of those things make up the bulk of the menu at the school. Don't try to tell me your breaded nuggets are healthy. Yes, they may have the choice to eat salad, but I've seen the salad. Lettuce with a few shredded carrots doesn't give enough energy which you want the kids to burn at the rate you are asking. Nachos, pizza, nuggets, munchables... Stop trying to tell me that you are making the school lunches healthier. I've seen the menu and I didn't eat like that when I weighed over 300 lbs!! Give me a break!

All it serves, imo, is making it acceptable for kids to make fun of the overweight kids and to make the overweight kids feel bad about themselves. The result, I can tell you from experience, is that the overweight kid will feel helpless and defeated and will eat more and not care until they are a 330 lb 30 year old...