Generation Lost to Obesity (Rant)

The problem is that no one can agree on what proper nutrition is...  the government is beholden to multiple special agricultural interest and lots of the other info you come across comes from people who have discovered "the secret" to health which is generally a crock...

But yeah, school nutrition is horrible - but I bet it mirrors nutrition at home more closely than anyone wants to admit...

Obesity is a huge problem in our community, and in our hospital-based clinic especially. The problem is that many of these families don't have access to grocery stores with healthy food, and fresh produce  and lean meat is much more expensive than cheap processed corn-based products- and once kids get used to the processed stuff it becomes very hard to get them to switch, because these products are specifically designed by BigFood to be appealing (or dare I say it- addictive?).  Add to this the problems of food insecurity (you eat it when you have it, because you don't know when you'll get it again- even if it's been years since you didn't have food), and a lack of recreational options (would you send your kids out to play when there are drug dealers on the corner?), and you have a serious fundamental problem that goes way beyond parents who don't understand or doctors who don't counsel. 

It starts in infancy.  For many people a big, chubby baby is the model of healthiness, and if your baby isn't fat, you aren't feeding it right, or it's sick.  Adding cereal to formula is commonplace, and solid foods are started way too early.  Breastfeeding is not common, and it's so easy to override the baby's natural sense of satiation with a bottle- the breast empties, and a baby can still suck for comfort- the bottle gets refilled over and over, regardless of whether the baby wants more to eat.  I can't tell you how many babies I see for "spitting up" who are having their poor little bellies stuffed with twice the volume that should fit!  A baby's stomach is about the size of it's fist, and these little one month olds are taking 4 ounces!  No wonder they are spitting it up!

We did actually have lectures on nutrition in medical school, so it's not completely ignored!  And we had some training on getting people to change behaviors. The problem is that there isn't a magic bullet.  Some people need to be hit over the head and told they are killing themselves, and need to completely change their lives.  Some need a gentler approach, and will make small changes over time that add up.  How do I tell the difference?  I have no clue!  It's trial and error, but you are much less likely to alienate someone from the medical system by taking a cautious approach (unless the patient or their child has serious complications from obesity).

Things need to change on all fronts.  I agree that we (generalizing broadly) as a nation like to blame our problems on others.  We also don't like sacrifice- we don't want to not eat what we want to eat, we don't want to sweat too hard, or forgo spending money to save for later.  We want to borrow more money so we can buy the bigger house, even if we know in our hearts that the mortgage payment is too good to be true.  We want our kids to think we are their best friends, and if that means taking them to McDs whenever they want it, well, aren't we showing them how much we love them? 

Sorry- this has turned into more of a rant than intended!  My $.02  

And Phil- awesome job- 100lbs off is an impressive accomplishment!

I agree as well.

The really sad part is just 15-25 years ago when I was in school, the overweight kids were fairly rare.  Maybe a few in 10 of 15 year olds looked like they needed to lose some weight. 

Now, look at a group of 10 teenagers and often half of them are overweight by alot.  It is crazy.  There is a major problem in how our society lives its lives today.  It is a combination of too much junk food, too much processed food, too many video games, too little outdoor play, parents that are poor examples of eating and exercise, too much eating out, schools providing junk & fast food for lunches, too much on your plate,etc.

We think we have it bad that we are in our 30's or 40's and after years neglect, we have alot of weight to lose but most of us did not start our 20's, being overweight by 25, 50 or 75lbs.

We all need to look into the mirror and take some responsibility and do what we can to change the way our society is handling its weight and eating issues.

Don't get me started on all the processed crap that most people eat as their primary foods...

Ok, that is enough. 

And now let me add one more thing.

Why is it that 99% of parents think that their kid needs juice for their drink (watered down or not).  This just starts a sugar addiction.

Guess what,  I have 5 kids ages 10 to 2 with one on the way.  They went from breast to water and they are just fine.  OJ and apple juice are a treat every once in a while, not a daily occurrence.  Children will drink water because their bodies will tell them when they need it.  If they have juice, they will just drink more than needed and add all that unnecessary sugar.