Anti-Obesity PSA - why is this "controversial"?

a reply to: VegHead

Activity and calories are the two factors that can ultimately determine weight loss and gain. This PSA demonstrates both as contributing to the man's obesity and death.

There is nothing inaccurate nor overly-dramatic about this. Doctors see this every day. If you don't move around and stop eating so damned much, you will die. It's simple. The reason so many people are annoyed at obesity is that it seems like something that shouldn't have to even be said.

a reply to: cloudsstar

No,I have never been fat-I actually listened in the third grade in public school that you need to watch what you eat.

They began teaching about the food pyramid in the third grade.

I'm about to hit 40-nutrition has been taught in elementary school all the way to middle school (health classes) for at least 30 years.

I can honestly say that there is absolutely no excuse for anyone from my generation-that went to school in the U.S.-to not know what a damn food pyramid is.

If they aren't even intelligent enough to feed their kids in a common sense manner-then they don't care about them-and don't need to have them.

It's that simple.

a reply to: Cuervo

It's just so simple that it boggles the mind.

It amazes me that almost any time that words like "personal responsibility" are used-it receives the same kind of response you would get from Dracula,if you threw a bowl of holy water in his lap.

originally posted by: ketsuko
It's hard to get some kids to eat healthy. Our kiddo still prefers hot dogs and mac and cheese, but we're steadily winning. He now asks for fish some nights and he's starting to eat raw veggies like spinach and carrots and he's always like edamame. But for a while ... it was pretty frustrating because all we could get down him was mac and cheese and hot dogs.

At least he's nearly four and hasn't touched soda.

I can empathize with this, most definitely! My daughter loves fruits and vegetables, and prefers them over anything else. She is also adventurous in her eating and is willing to try anything at least once. BUT...My son, on the other hand, is extremely picky. That's why I always think it is funny when parents are too quick to pat themselves on their backs when a kids is a healthy eater. I swear, some kids come "pre-programmed" to be more inclined for healthy eating and others come earthside extremely picky and stubborn. Our kids, raised the same way and served the same meals, have very different attitudes towards food.

When we find a whole/unprocessed fruit or veggie that our son will eat - we celebrate... and then feed it to him almost every other meal. LOL! But we have had nights where our son literally doesn't eat dinner because he doesn't like what I'm serving. It is tempting to go ahead and just whip up something I know he'll eat (like chicken nuggets) but I haven't given in yet. He goes to bed without dinner sometimes (it is rare, but it happens). Plenty of healthful food are presented to him at mealtime, he just refuses. Oh, the drama. The good thing is, in the morning he is pretty hungry so I can at that point I can usually get some nice fresh fruits in him. Dinnertime battles are tough with a really picky eater. He is 6 now and slowly expanding his tastes. Anyway. I say all of this just to commiserate.

It sounds like you guys are doing great if your kiddo is eating raw veggies. You ARE winning! I bet that with time he will continue to find more and more healthy foods that he likes. Nothing wrong with occasional mac and cheese - it sounds like it is all in moderation.

I wish all parents would be as mindful as you evidently are... so many just cave in and give the kid whatever he or she wants. It's certainly "easier" than having dinnertime be a battleground. I wish more parents would see that is is a fight very much worth fighting - and with a lot of patience and understanding can even be a very positive on so many levels.