Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Obese Children: Who is Responsible and What Can We Do?

It seems these days that the most popular headline on the cover of gossip magazines is which celebrity has gone into treatment for anorexia or who has gained weight. But what about the growing number of children who are overweight or obese? They won`t make the cover of Star or People magazine, but are often made to feel like they are on public display just by being in a public place. Why are so many children getting so big? And who is to blame?

2 comments:

Jackie said...

I feel parents are to blame plus schools with bad catering, both should be fined heavily as it child abuse.

Jane Turley said...

In the UK, schools have to follow strict guidelines. At my teenage son's school chips are on the menu but they aren't allowed salt or tomato ketchup!

Interestingly, there has just been a big furore in the press over here as the government has issued guidelines (in respect of a survey of school children's weight) that children must not be referred to as "obese". I guess that it is now politically incorrect to say anything that offends anyone in anyway at all! Even the truth!

At the end of the day people can make all the excuses they want but it is lack of parental responsibility that leads to obese children. However, I accept that controlling your/your children's diet is not an easy task when there are so many fattening consumables readily available. I also feel that lack of exercise is a major contributory factor. Sport just doesn't have the same attraction as it did when I was a child. Now there are playstations, computers and you can't even play on the streets anymore....

Blimey, I could write an essay; better stop now before I get onto my own eating habits! (Baaad!)