# Is the childhood obesity epidemic mostly media hype? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 5, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531 "2011-01-05T20:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/41 "2011-01-06T17:17:48Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Everytime I pass a school there’s tons of kids running all over the playground and they all look rail thin like they always have. Might the fat ones be indoors? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/42 "2011-01-06T17:43:19Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > And often requires effort. Who’ll submit to the drudgery of soaking and boiling beans and loading them down with salt, when near-instant gratification is only a freshly-ripped bag of Combos or nuked Hot Pocket away? Not to mention the time involved. Beans, wonderful and cheap though they are (and they’ve become my best friend in the last year because they \*are \*so cheap!) do require someone home to cook them for several hours. Or a crock-pot, which isn’t cheap, either. And I gotta tell ya, when our finances are sorted out and we have money again, it’s going to be a LONG time before we have another meal of pintos and rice. They’re wonderful things the first 236 times you eat them, but we’re sooooooo sick of them! 😃 We’ve also, none of us, lost any weight on our diet of overwhelmingly low cost, unpackaged and unrefined foods over the last year. When the only veg you can afford is onions, carrots and celery (Oh, red bell peppers, how I miss you!), and those used in seasoning, not side dish, quantities, you eat a lot of starch (rice, bread, noodles, potatoes) to make up the bulk and keep the belly from rumbling when you’re trying to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/43 "2011-01-06T18:02:52Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > (except Malta for some reason, go figure). It’s those [Maltesers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltesers) of course. So damn tasty and so much better than Whoppers. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/44 "2011-01-06T18:09:06Z")
This is just anecdotal, but I think our definition of “fat” has changed, too. When I was a kid, the girl who played Mary on Little House on the Praire was considered fat for a kid, probably because she had fuller cheeks. She wasn’t actually fat, but many people felt she was. Now when I see a kid who is defined as fat, the fat kid is _significantly_ larger than what we used to consider fat. It sort of reminds me of vanity sizing - earlier, a size 14 was a size 14. Now, some clothes engage in the practice of renaming sizes so a size 14 is labeled as a size 12. In answer to the OP, I don’t think that the news about kids getting fatter is hype. I think it’s a real concern, but it’s so hard to address - I don’t think it’s possible to reach everyone you’d need to reach to educate them about the dangers of obesity and how to be healthier. And those are just adults, who are basically gatekeepers to the kids. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/45 "2011-01-06T18:44:39Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > No not vaccinations or any other CT. Overuse of antibiotics, asthma medications, ritalin and other ADD treatments, the list goes on. These are in many cases good things, but will result in children growing larger. In other cases they may contribute to children becoming overweight by affecting their metabolism, even indirectly. Huh? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/46 "2011-01-06T18:46:00Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Now we are just quibbling over definitions. … And again huh? ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/47 "2011-01-06T19:19:18Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Not to mention the time involved. Beans, wonderful and cheap though they are (and they’ve become my best friend in the last year because they \*are \*so cheap!) do require someone home to cook them for several hours. Or a crock-pot, which isn’t cheap, either. A pressure cooker will have dry beans ready to eat an hour after you take them off the shelf. (10-15 minutes at pressure, then 1/2 hour cool down still under pressure) Crock pots go for $3-5 at the thrift stores, and they always seem to have several. I never see pressure cookers though…maybe it is a liability thing? Oh and back on topic: Pediatric obesity is much higher now than 20-30 years ago. It continues to rise because we now have parents, and even some grandparents that consider sitting and watching TV, or playing video games all afternoon normal. When these first came on the scene, many/most parents would not tolerate such. The whole stranger danger thing keeps getting hyped more too. Some schools won’t allow kids to walk to school, and we now have parents who were not allowed to walk the 6 blocks to school, so think driving the kids everywhere is normal, and don’t raise hell with the kids or the schools. The school bus stop used to be in front of our house, and there were several parents that drove their chubby kids two blocks to the bus stop. On bikes: Like others have mentioned, in the 50-70’s we suburban kids pretty much lived on our bikes. I peddled newspapers over a several mile long route up and down hills. The bikes we had is kids, mostly single speed, coaster brake, cantalever framed electroforged Schwinns, were heavy as hell, but they were tough, had good bearings, and lasted until it got stolen or you got your divers license, and then it still lasted more years under your younger brother. You could crash bad enough to break bones and your friend could still ride your bike home for you, with maybe only a torn seat cover and bars off center. Now, inflation adjusted, you can buy a kid a bike for about 25% of what those Schwinns cost. And few of them will be ridable a year later. Not only are they cheap crap but they are mostly fussy multi-speed jobs with cable operated brakes, poorly built wheels, and crap bearings…and even quality multi-speed components won’t stand up to the abuse a 5-15 year old will subject them to. There ARE some well made suitable bikes available, but they cost 2-3 times (inflation adjusted) what those old Chicago Schwinns did, and there is a gaping hole between these and the bicycle shaped objects sold at WalMart, and few of the good bikes are sold because they are not loaded with un-needed and high un- maintainable (by a kid) features, so they seem poor values at first glance. And again, it is a case of what the parents are used to. Since the bike boom of the 1970s, most people are conditioned to think that any decent bike should have at least 10 gears, and probably suspension as well. When you put all that on a box store priced bike, there is no money left for any quality at all. And these bling laden bikes drive the market price down for simple bikes, so they turned to crap as well. The last Wally world coaster brake hub I tried to fix could not be made to hold a bearing adjustment…they had [Muntzed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_Muntz)it to non functionality. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/48 "2011-01-06T19:54:11Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Huh? Do you fail to understand that healthier children grow larger? Do you not realize that over medication leads to other health issues that include weight problems? ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/49 "2011-01-06T19:57:45Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Exactly. What’s \*not \*happening, by and large, in the populations with more obese babies, is exclusive breastfeeding. Is it the sole answer? No. But it’s the dietary part of the component in obese babies, which, being unable to play video games or run outside, suggests strongly to me that it’s the main, if not only, component in infant obesity. And if I had my way, the doctor wouldn’t have said that breastfeeding prevents obesity, but that feeding babies formula (not to mention french fries) \*creates \*obesity. But that’s another rant for another thread. Sorry if my wording was confusing, but I meant exactly what you said. > > Age 'em up a few years and diet is still playing a significant role. Cutting out the video games and sending kids outside to play is important, but attending to diet is, as well. Not “put the kids \*on \*a diet”, but feed them healthier stuff. Oh. I see my misunderstanding of your intent. Nevermind. ;)😛 ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/50 "2011-01-06T20:03:26Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do you fail to understand that healthier children grow larger? Do you not realize that over medication leads to other health issues that include weight problems? Uh, actually I don’t realize that. For one thing, ADHD medication, which is one of the types of medication you mentioned in your prior post, has the common side effect of weight _loss_, or at least failure to continue to appropriately gain. It acts as a pretty strong appetite suppressant for some kids who take it. So I fail to see how taking ADHD medication is going to lead to having a larger kid. Or how other medication will lead to having a larger kid. Or how you determine what “overmedication” is. Or how “overmedication” will lead to having a larger kid. Maybe you have some cites or something that would clear this up for us? ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/51 "2011-01-06T20:49:07Z")
> [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > How accurate is this? I do know that simple sugars and carbohydrates are supposed to make you feel hungrier, and that you don’t need to eat as much nutrient-dense food to get your required intake and that 1000 calories worth of brown rice, etc. will have greater volume than 1000 calories worth of junk. That said, if you only consume 1000 calories and your body needs 1500, you should loose weight over time (although you might experience scurvy). Well, mine is a disputed opinion (according to the ADA, all calories are equal and the sugars in fresh fruit are identical to the sugars in soda pop…I call bullshit on that. Try eating the same number of calories from “junk food” and “whole, healthy food”, expending the same energy, all nutrients being equal, for a while and see if you don’t gain weight (fat) on the junk diet and maintain or lose on the other. 500 calories from a donut vs 500 from a bowl of whole grain oatmeal or fresh fruit are NOT, imo, equal. As I said, the body reacts very differently to each..for one, converting refined grains and sugars into simple sugars/carbs MUCH faster due to the lack of fiber and digestion involved, which stresses the pancreas. Also, one of the primary triggers for the sensation of hunger is the level of vital nutrients in the blood. Consuming foods low in these nutrients can trigger a cycle of almost relentless hunger, and lead to over-eating, because you may have just consumed 1,000 calories of refined crap, but the blood/body is still crying out for what it needs…“Give me calcium, iron, B vitamins, A, C, ANYTHING I can fucking work with here!” It’s like saying (as some still do) that all FATS are equal…no, they are NOT. The fat in an avacado or from raw nuts is NOT the same as the fat from a steak or (shudder) from hydrogenated vegetable oils. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/52 "2011-01-06T21:02:12Z")
Indeed. I mean sure, untreated significant chronic illnesses can lead to growth failure, and not having worms and parasites helps kids grow well, but other than that, no, treating chronic asthma and preventing frequent exacerbations, and as pointed out even overtreating ear infections that might be able to resolve without medication, does not cause kids to grow larger. And as pointed out above the ADD medicines generally suppress the appetite and cause less weight gain. There actually are only a few medications that have weight gain as a common side effect - Periactin for migraines, some of the atypical neuroleptics used for serious behavioral problems, and a few antidepressants … and that is pretty much it. Too frequent antibiotic use is a bad thing but it does not cause weight ain or more growth. There is some though that environmental exposures to estrogenic compounds contributes to girls maturing faster and getting heavier … maybe that is what you are thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/53 "2011-01-06T23:42:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Do you fail to understand that healthier children grow larger? Do you not realize that over medication leads to other health issues that include weight problems? It’s theoretically possible, but unlikely, except in the “if we use this antibiotic, your kid won’t die, so he’ll still keep growing” sense. It’s a widespread belief that corticosteroids (long term asthma control) will contribute to weight gain, but they have that effect on, at most, 3% of users, and it’s a small amount of weight gain - not enough to push anybody to “obese” unless they were about there anyhow. I can google you a cite if you like, but I’m too lazy to do it unless called on. Ritalin and other anti-ADD drugs are stimulants, as already pointed out. They can cause weight loss and failure to grow, not weight gain. Unless your 8 year old is on hormonal contraceptives or atypical antipsychotics, they’re not gaining weight from their meds. ETA: Oh, lookie here…a second page. Er, yeah, what \*\*DSeid \*\*said. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/54 "2011-01-07T00:17:42Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Uh, actually I don’t realize that. > > For one thing, ADHD medication, which is one of the types of medication you mentioned in your prior post, has the common side effect of weight _loss_, or at least failure to continue to appropriately gain. It acts as a pretty strong appetite suppressant for some kids who take it. So I fail to see how taking ADHD medication is going to lead to having a larger kid. Or how other medication will lead to having a larger kid. Or how you determine what “overmedication” is. Or how “overmedication” will lead to having a larger kid. Maybe you have some cites or something that would clear this up for us? What happens when someone stops taking stimulants to treat ADHD? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/55 "2011-01-07T00:28:12Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Indeed. I mean sure, untreated significant chronic illnesses can lead to growth failure, and not having worms and parasites helps kids grow well, but other than that, no, treating chronic asthma and preventing frequent exacerbations, and as pointed out even overtreating ear infections that might be able to resolve without medication, does not cause kids to grow larger. And as pointed out above the ADD medicines generally suppress the appetite and cause less weight gain. > > There actually are only a few medications that have weight gain as a common side effect - Periactin for migraines, some of the atypical neuroleptics used for serious behavioral problems, and a few antidepressants … and that is pretty much it. Too frequent antibiotic use is a bad thing but it does not cause weight ain or more growth. > > There is some though that environmental exposures to estrogenic compounds contributes to girls maturing faster and getting heavier … maybe that is what you are thinking of. Ok, I accept your apology 🙂 Again, I am not arguing that kids aren’t weighing more. Or that it is not probably due to bad diet and lack of exercise. All I was doing was pointing out that there is an element of hype involved, and bad comparisons are used by the hypers. Not necessarily doctors and others who are trying to deal with the actual problem. The childhood obesity epidemic is not in the same category as the autism epidemic, which seems to me to be mostly hype. But since most people get their information from TV and the internets, they are likely to measure the validity of the claims based on the number of times they have heard them, and not critical review of the claim. I have heard a citation that compared the weight of children of the same age between sometime this century and the 1960s and concluded that increase was due totally to obesity and couldn;t be anything else. I’m pretty sure it was a misinterpretation of data, that may or may not have included more in depth analysis of all the factors involved. Anyway, always fun to argue with you. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/56 "2011-01-07T00:32:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What happens when someone stops taking stimulants to treat ADHD? I don’t know. You tell us. If you’re suggesting that weight gain is common for children who stop taking Ritalin under a doctor’s supervision (that is, they taper off their dose as recommended), then you know more than I do. That is, it’s not mentioned as a common problem in the medical literature that I can find, although of course there are a couple of message boards where people complain of this problem. My guess? They’re eating like they were when they were on the stimulants, only now they’re not, so they gain weight. They need to reduce their intake and/or increase their exercise because they’re no longer medicated. They may have learned bad habits (or rather, habits that were okay while medicated, but not good unmedicated), but it’s the habits, not the drug, that need attention. But I’m not sure how a problem, if there is one, that exists when you take someone off a drug is an example of the problem of weight gain from being on a drug. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/57 "2011-01-07T00:57:39Z")
Yeah, you’re right. I must have been referring only to problems directly caused by the drugs. > [@](#): > > In other cases they may contribute to children becoming overweight by affecting their metabolism, even indirectly. Oh wait, I wasn’t. How about that? ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/58 "2011-01-07T01:02:50Z")
> [@InterestedObserver](#): > > Well, mine is a disputed opinion (according to the ADA, all calories are equal and the sugars in fresh fruit are identical to the sugars in soda pop…I call bullshit on that. Why? > [@](#): > > 500 calories from a donut vs 500 from a bowl of whole grain oatmeal or fresh fruit are NOT, imo, equal. As I said, the body reacts very differently to each..for one, converting refined grains and sugars into simple sugars/carbs MUCH faster due to the lack of fiber and digestion involved, which stresses the pancreas. Generally in Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas isn’t problematic; it’s the insulin receptors on target tissues > [@](#): > > Also, one of the primary triggers for the sensation of hunger is the level of vital nutrients in the blood. Consuming foods low in these nutrients can trigger a cycle of almost relentless hunger, and lead to over-eating, because you may have just consumed 1,000 calories of refined crap, but the blood/body is still crying out for what it needs…“Give me calcium, iron, B vitamins, A, C, ANYTHING I can fucking work with here!” cite? ---
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/59 "2011-01-07T01:05:09Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I don’t know. You tell us. > > If you’re suggesting that weight gain is common for children who stop taking Ritalin under a doctor’s supervision (that is, they taper off their dose as recommended), then you know more than I do. That is, it’s not mentioned as a common problem in the medical literature that I can find, although of course there are a couple of message boards where people complain of this problem. My guess? They’re eating like they were when they were on the stimulants, only now they’re not, so they gain weight. They need to reduce their intake and/or increase their exercise because they’re no longer medicated. They may have learned bad habits (or rather, habits that were okay while medicated, but not good unmedicated), but it’s the habits, not the drug, that need attention. I think with stimulants they don’t so much stimulate your metabolism as they simply suppress a desire to eat. So when you go off them, actually what happens is that you start eating like you did before the meds, which is an increase in calories, so you gain weight (not that they eat like they did before they were on the stimulants). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531/60 "2011-01-07T01:10:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > What happens when someone stops taking stimulants to treat ADHD? I dunno. If someone has done a study on it, maybe you could find that study and cite it. My educated guess is that either 1) nothing happens, because for that particular child, the stimulants did not suppress the appetite in the first place, or 2) the child returns to a normal rate of weight gain as his appetite is no longer being suppressed. Children do normally gain weight as they grow, you know. I would hope that you’re not confusing normal childhood weight gain with the problem of childhood obesity, but at this point I’m not sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-childhood-obesity-epidemic-mostly-media-hype/566531.md?page=4)