That's basically the case that Anytime Fitness is making with their new "Coalition of Angry Kids" campaign.
They're suggesting that all the blame for childhood obesity be laid at parental feet.
The point of the campaign of course is to shock.
The argument has some merit. After all, kids don't shop for household food, kids don't generally pack their own lunches and kids don't decide how often their families ought to eat out.
Of course kids also don't pay for billions of dollars of advertisements that entice them to eat junk food. They don't build drive thrus on every corner or put junk food supermarkets in every gas station. Kids don't set menus for their schools' cafeterias and they don't ask that their parents work 14 hour days to put food, whatever food on the table.
Ultimately it comes down to the fact that while it is indeed a parent's job to help their child navigate healthily through an incredibly unhealthy environment, the problem is, most parents aren't equipped to do so.
What am I talking about?
Take a peek at the post from a few days ago that had a registered dietitian, in a reputable newspaper calling for kids to be served chocolate milk and juice. Go visit your kids' school cafeteria and see what's being sold - and make sure you keep your eyes open for the vending machines en route. Wander down the aisles of a supermarket and take a peek at the nutritional fact panels of all of the food packages that extol their health benefits despite huge numbers of calories and make sure you take special note of programs like Health Check which encourage you to replace your child's fruit with fruit-concentrate (sugar) sweetened candy. Watch a few hours of children's TV and watch the ads that if your kid's less than 10, they're likely to internalize as truthful.
Our environment is broken and it takes skill, time and awareness to navigate, and while yes, it's ultimately a parent's responsibility to feed their children, I wonder, given the world we live in, does the average parent really stand a chance?
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Wow. What a good post. I'm a teacher and I insist on healthy snacks in the morning. I'm always surprised to see the things that parents consider "healthy". Basically, if it's fruit flavoured, it must be healthy, right?
ReplyDeleteHell yes we stand a chance. As an overweight parent (I've struggled my entire life) I read labels, and cook healthy food with an occasional treat. My son just started kindergarten and although the school just went 'junk free' (ie, no fruit snacks, candy, chips, pops or bday cakes etc for snacks) a child could eat pizza every day for lunch.
ReplyDeleteSo as a parent, I told my child (who is naturally very active and you can't pinch an inch on, and who also claims apples are his favorite food) that you may pick out foods that sound good for hot lunch, but you can only have pizza once a week. And I will pack your lunch on the other days.
Easy.
I am the parent - he is the child. He learned by what I model and by what I tell him. Some food is fuel and healthy, other food is for fun/holidays/because it tastes good. Some food we need to eat every day to stay healthy, others (like pizza) is an every now and again treat.
We also talk about the food we see on commercials and how it fuels the body. it's a 20 second conversation - and if you know a 5 year old, you know that they DO believe that Lucky Charms is a part of a "nutricious" breakfast.
I'm sorry to say - I do blame parents for their children's obesity - It's not EASY to cook or prepare healthy meals, or actually do exercise and not just talk about it. And i'm not talking about a few lbs overweight here. I'm talking about the childen in my son's kindergarten class who weigh over 100 lbs and my heart ACHES for them and how bad they must feel when they have to run the 2 laps before recess (to help combat childhood obesity) that even my own son doesn't like! And he loves to run!
Sorry to rant, this just struck a chord in me and I needed to.
I am trying to be responsible - both in my own weight loss efforts and to be a healthy model for my children. I don't let anyone else do that for me, be it school, TV, friends or family. It is MY JOB!
As a parent, I tend to agree with Anytime Fitness. Young children tend to copy whatever their parents do. My kids, 10 and 8, know a whole lot about food because we've taken the time to teach them. When we go grocery shopping, we take the entire family. The kids help pick out the produce and ask us to buy fruits and veggies that they think look "interesting", e.g. dragon fruit. They also pack their own school lunches in the morning. They also get their own snacks and make simple meals themselves, scrambled eggs and toast, cutting fruit for a 'fruit medley', etc. This year, the kids also helped me to plan, plant and harvest from a vegetable garden we installed this summer. We have invested the time and effort to involve them in the everything from food purchasing to preparation and eating, from a very young age. And I think it has paid off. We also talk a lot about what foods are healthy and what aren't. Don't get me wrong, they're not perfect and we're not perfect. They do eat and enjoy the occasional candy or chocolate, and so do me and my husband. I don't feel particularly guilty about it because we always emphasize the key is moderation. So yes, there is hope for parents and children. And the change needs to start with the parents "walking the walk" not just "talking the talk".
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