[susie_sunshine]

"For the first time in two centuries, North American children may have SHORTER LIFE EXPENTANCIES THAN THEIR PARENTS....."

It's great that we're taking care of ourselves- but let's not forget our kids! Let's watch what they eat - for their own good!

Neither of my children has a weight problem- yet. But i'm certainly going to pay closer attention to what I feed them. A treat isn't a treat if it's going to kill them before they have children of their own! Yikes!

[sportmom]

WOW -- what a headline. It replaces the "childhood obesity now an epidemic" headline and really grabs your attention. Stop feeding your kids fast food, everybody! (I'm a recent convert, and you know how bad we are!!)

[susie_sunshine]

i agree- totally freaked me out!

[NemesisClaws]

Susie, would you mind posting the entire article in this thread???? That sounds like a really interesting read!

[canadian*girl]

that is scary to think about.

my baby is just 7 months old and i want to teach him how to eat properly (ie. not like his mom did for most of her life).

it scares me to see 2 year olds who know the mcdonalds menu by heart and their parents think it's cute.

[susie_sunshine]

Here is the whole article- it wasn't a very long one:

For the first trime in two centuries, North American Children may have shorter life expentanies than their parents. A study in the New England Journal of Medecine lays much of the blame on the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and the emergence of "adult diseases" such as type 2 diabetes in children. Obese kids are more likely to become obese adults and face many of the associated health riskssuch as heart disease, hypertension, cancer and orthepedic problems. With obesity occuring at a younger age, children today who develop obesity-related risks early on will carry them for more of their lifetime than previous generations.

by Fran Berkoff- Registered Dietician
Canadian Living February 06

Please feed your children well!

[tobetheman]

I always knew diabetes would end up doing this, esp. with all the high numbers of kids with the disease. It needs more research for a cure and better treatment, cause they are not fixing what is causing it, the darn food. The wanna make the money by adding stuff like high fructose corn syrup and other junk we don't need in our foods. I also thought though, that the life span would not be effected until at least another two generations.

[susie_sunshine]

I don't worry anymore about feeding my kids my "diet food". They don't need fattening food anymore than I do! I'm much more careful what kinds of fats they take in and how much sugar and salt is in their food as well as mine!

[angel-eyes]

I worry about giving my boys enough "healthy food". I sometimes drop in at school to join them for lunch and am just amazed at what some of the other kids have to eat for lunch. ONe boy, always...ALWAYS.... has a mini can of Mountain Dew, a bag of chips, cookies and a fruit roll up. And the teacher wonders why he never sits down?...HUH??? That is just nasty. The other point I am more aware of.....is the amount of tv time they get. My 8yo gets 1hr a day, usually from 7-8pm and my 12yo gets from 7-8:30pm, and then reads until 9:30. What ever happened to play time outside? Physical activity is soooo important!!! Let them run and have fun outside!!!!

[susie_sunshine]

I struggle with the amount of activity my kids get as well! In the summer we're outside or at the lake all the time it's in the winter that they slow down! It's cold here....really cold and besides skating lessons they don't get a whole lot of heavy physical activity!

[cool90]

It's so devastating but just look at how children today are. They sit on the couch and watch tv or play video games for hours and eat like so much sugary things. It is so shocking to see that a child or adolescent weigh more than their parents. Just imagine when they'll be at the age of their parents, their weight will rise and rise and they'll be like 200 pounds by that age ?

[Misti in Seattle]

Sadly it is not just the obesity... kids or even adults can even LOOK fine but if they are putting garbage into their system, there will still be the health effects!!

[Tampaquillowner]

I agree one hundred percent. I dont have any children but I nanny full time for a 4yr old and a 18month old. The 4 year old eats nothing but garbage. He is very thin and active but they dont seem to care that vegetables dont touch his mouth. His dad thinks a perfect breakfast is a bowl of instant oatmeal with honey mixed in. When I suggested he switch to Steel Cut oats he said "oh they would never eat that" and dismissed it. The 4 year old cycles between 4 or 5 different foods everyday. For breakfast oatmeal or a bagel, for lunch hotdogs, Pbj, mac and cheese, or chicken fingers. That is it, that is all he will eat. I have started forcing him to eat vegetables if he wants a "treat" but I think its terribly sad. They take him to Chick Fil A almost every day for lunch and see nothing wrong with it.

The 18 month old I have been responsible for feeding since he started eating solid foods so he eats much better. He will eat up to a can of veggies for lunch and loves most vefetables. He will eat a tomato raw like an apple. His mom cant figure out why he eats so much better than the brother but I know its because I have been feeding him a veggie with every meal since he started eating solids. Unlike the brother who they dont force to eat anything he doesnt want.

I think its laziness truthfully. Its much easier to feed your child highly proccessed, sugar filled junk than it is to actually cook for them and feed them well. I also think there are a lot of myths and wrong beliefs. Some people I work for give their daughter whole milk all day long. I dont think that whole milk is bad but to drink it steadily throughout the day is ridiculous. She cries if you give her anything but milk for petes sake! It cannot be a healthy habit to start. She may need that many calories now but what about when she is older? Kids should be used to drinking water regularly, not just sugar filled juices and whiole milk.

My kids will be vegetarians, and this post has only solidified that belief. The first thing my boyfriend said when I told him that was "I dont want little wimpy kids" I just gaped at him. I couldnt believe he would even believe something like that. That meat makes you strong and beefy. What a load of hooey.

Here is a link you all should check out. I just found it on a website, it may have been here actually.

This woman blogs what she feeds her vegan son. Even if you arent a vegetarian you can check out her site and get some healthy lunch ideas for your kids. She is amazing I would love to be her child! I would love to be able to feed my children as well as she feeds hers for that matter!

Check it out:
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/20...x_archive.html

[susie_sunshine]

We did the vegetarian thing for about a year. I like meat! and in a well balanced diet i'm ok with it. The teenagers I know who are "vegetarians" aren't doing it in a healthy way. They don't like legumes or tofu and get little to no protein in their diets. Maybe if you start eating like that right from the beginning it's ok, but try to convince a teenager that they have to eat "alternative sources of protein" and they gag! lol

[Misti in Seattle]

I agree... I think meat is perfectly healthy if you eat it in proper proportions (sparingly) and as part of a balanced diet!!