Fat Grade

[wiccanpie]

So, yeah, new legislation is being passed where schools are going to be sending BMI numbers home to children's parents.
Should there really be pressure on just the parents, or the kids for these grades?
How will kids react to these grades, psychologically? Will this cause a generation of bulimic individuals? How will they react?

I believe it is a fault of increased technology at our disposal. More people are sitting on their asses in front of computers and televisions. Not enough physical activity is being put forth by individuals anymore. Hell even physical education programs are being pulled/cut from schools, and many of the schools are closing in general.

Is it fair to these kids that we point out their obvious faults and make them feel worse about their body image?

http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Food/2 ... index.html
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news ... 443.htm?1c

[Mista]

No one likes a fatty.

[wiccanpie]

No one likes a fatty.

That's not very nice.

[Skorpion]

So what? The truth hurts.

Anyway, the basic thing should be that if you can't move without waddling, you should be put on a diet.
Or they should send diet sheets back to the parents, with instructions to follow it.
It's that or mock the fat kids mercilessly until they diet on their own, or off themselves.

[wiccanpie]

So what? The truth hurts.

Anyway, the basic thing should be that if you can't move without waddling, you should be put on a diet.
Or they should send diet sheets back to the parents, with instructions to follow it.
It's that or mock the fat kids mercilessly until they diet on their own, or off themselves.

I'm not saying that the truth doesn't hurt.

But I don't agree that even minorly overweight people should be told the obvious. Some people can't help the fact that they're overweight.

Again, the question falls on, should you JUST blame the parents and the children?

[Blaze]

But I don't agree that even minorly overweight people should be told the obvious. Some people can't help the fact that they're overweight.

It doesn't matter who you are. A proper diet will help you lose weight. Secondarily, why should minorly overweight people not be subjected to it? SHouldn't it all be equal? Everyone or no one?

[Skorpion]

Some people can't help the fact that they're overweight.

Yes you can, just stop eating so goddamn much. It's being UNDERweight you can't help, because no matter how much you eat, your metabolism burns it off.

[wiccanpie]

Ok, so we'll eat celery for the rest of our lives then.

You people need to look at metabolism breakdowns.

And you're missing the overall question. You're blaming the individual. What about the lunches served to these kids at school, are they all that healthy? What about the fact that healthy food cost more than food that's bad for us (ie. a box of mac and cheese vs. lots of veggies) in a society that has problems with the dollar as it is?

Something needs to be done as a whole, not just for the "fat kids".

[Deacon]

DAMMIT. I had typed up a reply, but my computer crashed before I could hit Submit. I'll try to get to it soon.

WOW that's demoralizing...

[Khana]

Mista, not only is your comment unnecessarily blunt, its not even true. What kind of body image one prefers is both a cultural and personl preference thing. And wiccanpie is right. North America is becoming an increasingly difficult place to be healthy in. And I say healthy, not slim, because just because you're skinny doesn't mean you're fit. While I do think that both the parents and the students have a responsibility to ensure that they mentain a healthy body weight, I would also hope that the schools use this BMI feedback to change how things are handled in the lunchroom and during PE. What worries me is that students who have an acceptable BMI will be starving themselves into lowering it anyway. It wouldn't be the first time that a good thing is taken too far. The comment about prices regarding veggies reminded me of an article I read, stating that farmers will actually discard or burn apples, milk ect if they are producing too much, so that prices don't go down. Pretty nuts.

[Catine]

The cost of "healthy" food is crazy. I've easily doubled my grocery bill since adopting a whole-foods approach to eating. (Which only means that I do my best to avoid processed foods.) No more mac&cheese, meals-in-a-box, frozen dinners, etc. Even the cost of "healthy" meat vs. the average kind is irritating. I can buy a pound of factory farmed, hormone/antibiotic injected chicken for 5 or 6 dollars at Wal-Mart. Or I can buy less than a pound of organic, free-range, vegetarian fed chicken for $12 at Trader Joe's. It's hard to put a $12 package of chicken in my cart, let me tell you. It's no wonder everybody is getting fat when it is so much easier and cheaper to eat crap.

But about the kids...

When I was a little girl I worried about my weight enough as it was. No sense in adding to my torment with a freaking "weight report". Ugh. The idea disgusts and horrifies me.

[Sir Spankspeople]

Be careful about buying "organic" meats, by the way. At least in Canada, there isn't actually anyone regulating that other than the farmers themselves, and they don't NEED to. It's been agreed upon that "organic beef" is made from a cow who has been without antibiotics or other chemicals for at least six months before slaughter, so that's all you're paying double for. And quite often it's lower quality meat too, because the "evil chemicals" that they're putting into the animal usually help keep the thing healthy, and promote better growth of the various bits of meat that are sold.

And if where you live is anywhere like Ottawa, at least, you're getting more harmful chemicals out of the water than you would from non-organic meats anyways.

I will admit, though, that organic, free range chicken is superior to the normal cheap stuff. A chicken that is well fed, that isn't stuck in a cage, and gets some exercise tends to be of much higher quality than the mass produced caged chickens.

Also, if you learn your various meat cuts, you could buy the meat in larger parts and butcher it yourself. It's a lot of work, and if you're not good at it you'll end up with a lot of waste, but if it's something you're decent at(which I hope to be at some point) you can save a LOT of money over the cuts you get in the store.

[wocket]

[quote="Skorpion";p="449545"]

Some people can't help the fact that they're overweight.

Yes you can, just stop eating so goddamn much. It's being UNDERweight you can't help, because no matter how much you eat, your metabolism burns it off.[/quote]

So if people have thyroid problems, it's their own goddamned fault, right? Or if people are taking medication that leads to weight gain, and they can't lose it even with a diet and exercise, that's their own goddamn fault too?

[vixendrop]

This thread is just disgusting... no, wait... it's the attitude of some of the people here actually. Not everyone can help the size they are... not everyone is overweight due to overeating... that's a gross generalization and just shows how closed minded and ignorant the general public is. There are many medical causes to weight gain... hypothyroid being the most known cause (even though is also the most untreated because doctors don't take the time to learn). I have severe hypothyroid and despite dieting for years and years and years (low fat, low calorie, etc) nothing worked... I would gain more and more weight, even though I ate MUCH less than my thin friends. I never have been an overeater, but I have a medical condition that contributes to my size. Yes, there are medications for hypothyroid, but they only get the thyroid hormones back to normal, they don't always cause you to lose weight. It is a long, tough road, and just not eating as much isn't going to help.

Now, on the original topic... I don't think the children should be subjected to this from the schools at all. Do you think the children don't know how big or small they are? Do you think the parents don't? If the schools are SOOOOO concerned about the state of health the children are in then they should serve more nutricious foods, instead of pizza and chicken nuggets. Let the children's weight be dealt with my the parents and doctor's (in some cases). If a parent doesn't care about their child's weight then seeing a number from the school isn't going to change that.

[Skorpion]

Yes, yes it is. Find medication that doesen't give you weight gain. Take something for the thyroid problems.

Staying thin is easy if you just eat right. No junkfood, no carbonated drinks, no excess sugar, cycle a few miles a day.