http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...esity_rankings
Notice the four heaviest states are all in a similar region...Very interesting.
Well, I can vouch for poverty being an issue when it comes to weight loss.
You're on a strict budget as a single mother of 3 or even as a student. What are you going to go for? A box of mac and cheese for 36 cents or all of the ingredients for a salad which will cost at least $3 or $4?
Its tough when wages are low, or you have no money to live on.
Also, giving kids a variety of healthy foods and kicking out all unhealthy options at schools makes a big difference. If you give a child the choice between a bag of carrot sticks or a helping of broccoli which one will he/she pick?
If you give a child the choice between an apple and a cookie, which one will he/she pick?
It really doesnt cost anymore to offer more fruits and vegetables and whole grains than to keep using the unhealthy options offered at schools today.
A big issue also, is parent's having less time to spend with children. This doesnt apply to all parents, but many of them work full time, and some even work two jobs to support their families. This means children dont spend as much time as they used to with their parents. Which can lead to unhealthy hobbies, like playing videogames or watching tv after school for hours on end instead of being told to go out and play.
Another issue regarding children I've heard of is parents are feeding their kids too much food. Sure, people like Gerber and such make portion controlled sizes of baby food and things, but parents tend to heed their babie's cries, especially the younger parents who are not mature enough to understand a babies needs completely. I know some parents here who just throw sugary juices and drinks in a bottle and give it to their child to shut them up. Back in the old days, mothers HAD to make their own baby food, thus they didnt have the easy access to "shut up" foods and drinks for their babies at all times.
I'm personally going to wait until I have both the time and money to be a full time mother before I even think of children.
