I think I just stumbled upon a cause for childhood obesity (Page 2)

What a completely arrogant statement.

It sounds like I'm an exception.  At our swim meets, most of the kids and parents look pretty fit - or at least not obese.  It's just a small neighborhood pool, so nothing extraordinary. 

What a completely arrogant statement!

That's just it - we let our boys have treats on occasion.  But otherwise the food selection tends to be mostly fruit to eat and water to drink.

And I'm not trying to be the angry or know-it-all parent in this situation.  But my concern is not only the volume of junk food I saw being sold and consumed, but also that I feel like I have to swim against the tide to have my children eat healthy - AT A SPORTING EVENT!!! 

(it isn't like I'm at a kids birthday party trying to knock cake out of people's hands - I'm a fricking swim meet)

Maybe I just interpreted the situation wrong, but the whole place looked more like a buffet with some swimming versus a swim meet with food to keep people energized.

I am interested in the bolded points.
What about teaching kids how to make healthy choices rather than taking the choice away? Is banning soda in school solving the problem? I see similar to when anything is outright banned... makes you want it that much more, and more likely to splurge when you get your hands on some.

Just thoughts from an outsider. 

I knew eventually we would agree on SOMETHING!!

Well said!

^^^^^This X 1000

My children's school has gone down the "ban everything" road including what they are allowed to bring in for lunch. We once received a note home from the school informing us we violatated some sorta nutrition commandment by sending our kids to class w/a coupla Hershey Kisses in their lunch box on Valentines Day. It's my job to teach them how to make healthy balanced choices; just as it's my job to teach them to show respect, work hard, be polite etc. Sadly, I think too many people expect the schools to do the parenting heavy lifting for them.

WOW I would have a serious issue sending my kids to a school like that. You can't pick what goes in your OWN KID'S lunch box???? Line crossed, IMO. How did that rule possibly pass? I'm curious as to how it gets to that point...

By the way, my mom did that too, with the Hershey Kisses. So sweet.
 

Starts with a vocal few who make a big deal about cup cakes being served to kindergarden kids at class bday celebrations and the next thing you know, the kids are walking through chocolate detectors when they enter the school.

BTW, we had a huge problem w/this as well and saw it as an opportunity to teach our kids to fight back against stupidity but eventually gave in to our 8 y/o daughters teary pleading to let it go. I suppose our silence is exactly how it got to that point.

My twins didn't like to go outside for recess when it was really cold.....they quickly figured out that if they didn't wear a coat to school they were not allowed to go outside.  We got a letter from the school advising us that we needed to make sure our children were dressed properly.  Every time after that when I dropped them off on a cold day without a coat we were howling with laughter.

So it's your swim meet's fault...  I knew someone was to blame.

I am afraid that in current times your coach would have been in big trouble with some kids parent for making them throw something away that they purchased with their own money.

The coach probably damaged your psyche and you clearly have an eating disorder and a body image problem now, nothing else explains your participation in triathlon. 

Your coach should be sued for the years of eating what you want that you have lost and for all the training time you have put in to pursue a body image that isn't one you created organically.

I'm not argueing either way...

Do you really see all of this or just make assumptions?  You follow them around and count their meals to see they eat out more than in?  Is really the "truth" as you say or your interpretation?  Are you around at every request the kids make and they the parent don't say no to ANYTHING?

I just think the statement that created the "ruffled feathers" sounded like a "better than thow" statement based only on observations, that facts.

For example, if someone inpsected my trash can at the office at this very moment, you would see a couple empty potato chips bags, several 7-11 hotdog boxes and a candy bar wrapper.  It could easily be assumed I'm a lazy, can't say not to junk food, guy - maybe make assumption I could be overweigh and out of shape.  But they don't see the 5 hour bike rides or 13 miles runs since they don't follow me around.

My kids come home from their friends houses talking about cabinets full of nothing but junk food and their friends being able to eat all the candy they want. I always assume they are exaggerating but maybe not.  I have a hard time understanding how a parent can allow this but  a friend of mine says she lets her kids have candy whenever they want. Her point of view is that the kids who have parents restricting what they eat come to her house and gorge while her kids don't think the candy is that interesting.

I don't buy it. I don't see my own children  being able to understand how to set limits on how much to eat - healthy or not. I actually think that is pretty hard for a lot of adults! I know I didn't know how when I was a kid.  I had no clue how to stop eating before I felt so full I would pop.

Personally I'm just cheap. I don't want to spend the money buying a bunch of candy and pay the extra dental bills for cavities.

I don't have kids either, BUT I think I'm correct in assuming... 

Trusting kids to make the "right" choice?  Seriously?  Put a plate of brocolli next to a plate of cookies with NO supervision to make the right choice?

Kids are a bit natorious about making bad decisions, making mistakes, etc.  Eating bad, smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, etc.  Trying to teach them is all fine and dandy, but there has to be SOME intervention and not offer 100% free choice and expect them to do what's right.  In a perfect world, kids would listen to the sage advice parents give them and always do the right thing.

When I was going up, I would come home and be hungry and mom and dad would say eat some fruit.  All I wanted was the little debbie snack cake but they said that was saved for our lunches.  To be honest, I just didn't eat anything than something I didn't want.  And that's when my parents were hovering around me.  If I had free choice?  Half a box of little debbies would be down my gullet.

Here's my 0.2worth from Australia (English born!)

My daughter is a little skinny 7 year old who is such a fussy eater!  She does love potato chips and chocolates and candy of course.  However none of these are permitted if she hasn't had a healthy meal.  Yesterday she decided to share this with me - completely unprompted.

"mummy, in my school there are only two fat children - Taylor and Kayleigh.  Everyone else is normal like me"  She was so proud that her school doesn't have fat kids!  And she said those two were just a little chubby, not really fat and wobbly.

Her school don't ban any food except nuts or anything containing nuts (allergies) - everything else is alllowed.  Fruit is free for them on a friday.  Also on a Friday there is a 'Kids Cafe' where they buy their lunch - slice of pizza, sushi, sandwiches - all made fresh that day by volunteer parents!

the sports teacher coaches Triathlon Kids - a truly lucky school.

BUT believe me Australia is up there in the obesity stakes.  I have many cousins here with very overweight children - and every time I see these families they are eating junk - literally junk.  They have McD's at least once a week.

We have our share of take away food but we try to make it Asian food - so steamed rice or noodles with some spring rolls or something similar.  Takeaway doesn't have to mean pizza or burgers.

I'm no saint - just ate a cake!