# Stop feeding your kid!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 3, 2006, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157 "2006-08-03T05:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/101 "2006-08-04T00:01:14Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > In fact, I believe I stated earlier that there is no one factor that can be blamed for obesity in children. Yes there is: laziness. Both when it comes to physical activity and in making the right choices when it comes to eating. Why cook a healthy dinner when you can watch a movie while you cook a frozen pizza or microwave a “Hungry Man”. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/102 "2006-08-04T00:34:38Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Yeah, the notion of recess has been falling out of favor for quite a while now. Schools that do still have it limit what games the kids play. Can’t play dodgeball because it’s too violent. Can’t play tag because one kid has to be “it”, usually one who can’t run very well. Can’t have that, it might hurt thier self esteem! Thing is, though, something like dodgeball isn’t really all that great for exercise-my friends and I would get out on purpose, then go sit on the side of the gym and chatter. Another problem, I’ve found, is that what I’ve THOUGHT was healthy food turns out not to be. I think it would be an interesting thread where we discuss what food IS good for you. Now we’re finding out that orange juice isn’t so hot, and that “an apple a day” isn’t the magical cure all. (Along those lines-are peas good for you veggies, or just empty calories? Because I love green peas-especially with carrots!) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/103 "2006-08-04T01:22:55Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (Along those lines-are peas good for you veggies, or just empty calories? Because I love green peas-especially with carrots!) [Good.](http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/peas1.html) > [@](#): > > Green garden peas are a valuable source of protein, iron and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to reduce serum cholesterol thus reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Sugar snap peas and the like, contain much less protein, but they are an excellent source of iron and vitamin C that work to keep your immune system functioning properly. > > Nutrition Facts (1/2 cup cooked garden peas) > > Calories 67 > Dietary Fiber 2.4 grams > Protein 4.3 grams > Carbohydrates 12.5 grams > Vitamin A 478 IU > Vitamin C 11.4 mg > Folic acid 50.7 micrograms > Iron 1.2 mg > Potassium 217 mg > Magnesium 31 mg [Also](http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency/Index.cfm/Id/1870001): > [@](#): > > \*Excellent source of: Folate (94mcg), Vitamin A (928 IU), and Vitamin C (58mg) > \*Good source of: Zinc (1.8mg) > > \*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines. I love peas. Love love love. Nothing on them, either. Just fresh from the pod or even frozen. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/104 "2006-08-04T01:26:59Z")
Mmmmm…that’s good to know! More peas! Thanks for that link, **Ginger** -it’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/105 "2006-08-04T01:43:30Z")
> [@Pixisis](#): > > Hypothyroidism makes it harder, but not impossible, to lose weight. > > I know, because I worked VERY hard to lose 40 pounds. It took 2 years. Towards the end of that, I was diagnosed with hypothyroid during a pre-surgical physical. At the advice of my surgeon, I didn’t start any medication until after my surgery. When I started on Synthroid, which is supposed to help, I gained 40 pounds back in 4 weeks ! > > I have since seen an endocrinologist, who took me off Synthroid, and after trying a few things has got me on Armour. Now, I am slowly working off the rest of that extra weight gain. > > My doctor is VERY emphatic that hypothyroidism is no excuse to be fat, and he is quite diligent with me and my food choices. (not that they’re perfect, but the better I eat, the easier it is for me to lose weight. ditto the more active I am.) > > YMMV, of course. I never said it was impossible, nor did I say it was an excuse to be fat. I’m simply pointing out that people are often really quick to dismiss that people sometimes _do_ have medical conditions that make it difficult to lose weight. I’m well aware of how hypothyroidism works, being one of the people in my family who has it. Mine is Hashimoto’s, and every once in a while my thyroid decides to kick in again and there’s a huge difference. I can lose 10 pounds like nothing. Any other time, it takes me forever to lose that amount. I can’t seem to find a doctor who’s willing to let me go on the Armour, even though I’ve heard great things about it. They all tell me it’s too difficult to get the dosage right. Right now I’m on levothyroxine. I used to be on Synthroid. I can’t believe it made you gain that much weight that fast. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/106 "2006-08-04T02:08:05Z")
I’m a little :dubious: towards the people who are shocked! and horrified! at the disaster! of people even being _able_ to finish a high-calorie ice cream item. Yeah, it’s very unhealthy, but anyone who’s ever had any problems with food can attest that it’s damn easy to pack away large amounts of calories very quickly. A hearty, “normal” meal (i.e. not necessarily healthy, but not one you’d bat an eye at) can very easily be more 1500 calories. I’m not advocating that, but I’m certainly dubious of those who claim to be agog at the feat of gluttony. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/107 "2006-08-04T02:17:59Z")
> [@Lama Pacos](#): > > I’m a little :dubious: towards the people who are shocked! and horrified! at the disaster! of people even being _able_ to finish a high-calorie ice cream item. Yeah, it’s very unhealthy, but anyone who’s ever had any problems with food can attest that it’s damn easy to pack away large amounts of calories very quickly. A hearty, “normal” meal (i.e. not necessarily healthy, but not one you’d bat an eye at) can very easily be more 1500 calories. I’m not advocating that, but I’m certainly dubious of those who claim to be agog at the feat of gluttony. :rolleyes: Pretty much. Most of the time, I think, it’s when you’re just sitting on the couch, snacking, and not even paying attention to what you’re eating. I’ve noticed too that I developed a habit of snacking not out of hunger, per se, but sometimes just out of boredom. “Oh, we have doritos!” That and sometimes those high-calorie foods aren’t that filling or rich anyways. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/108 "2006-08-04T02:43:37Z")
As I said in the OP, I fully recognize that some people have thyriod disorders that could prevent them from losing weight. At the risk of making an ass-umption, I am pretty sure that those people are in a very small minority, and for the vast majority of the morbidly obese, the only health problem preventing them from losing weight is their own obesity. But all of this detracts from my main point: Stop Feeding Your Kids!!! Don’t let them get into the horrible habits of Xbox + McDonald’s that are going to stay with them their entire lives. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/109 "2006-08-04T02:48:23Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > some people have thyriod disorders that could prevent them from losing weight. How does a thyriod disorder prevent them from losing weight? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/110 "2006-08-04T05:56:23Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > What really drives me nuts about the Maury Povich people (okay, sometimes it’s on when I come home for lunch) is that these people are all “Nobody taught me what to feed my kids! Nobody taught me how to eat healthy!” Bullshit. People know how to eat healthy, they just don’t do it! Remember when they changed the food pyramid because they thought people didn’t get it, and then they did a big survey that indicated that, sure, people know what they’re supposed to be eating - they just eat shit instead. Even these stupid people have got to know that soda is full of fat, that not exercising is bad for you, that pizza for breakfast is freaking stupid. Reminds me of whoever’s feeding those bedridden thousand-pounders - the kid isn’t driving himself to McDonalds, duh. I think this, (though I disagree with the harsh “what? you all morons or what?” tone of it), is the crux of the matter regarding obesity in America. But do people really honestly think it’s JUST food and/or ignorance of nutrition alone that is responsible for our nation’s serious lack of fitness? I’m so sick to death of the oversimplistic, and overwhelmingly USELESS mantra “eat less/exercise more”. Do people really honestly think that it is lack of kunderstanding of that little gem of knowledge? (heavy sarcasm). It’s funny, I remember seeing a comedian who’d been hugely obese at one time and had gotten down to a normal size. One of his new “unfat” jokes was something along the lines of “Who knew? It really IS as simple as 'eat less/exercise more”. But RIGHT on the heels of that he immediately contradicted himself with “of course I never could have done it if I hadn’t gotten to the bottom of my emotional issues FIRST, it wasn’t what I was eating, it was what was eating ME”. IMHO…Bingo! Let me repeat that. Gotten to the bottom of his emotional issues FIRST. That is, BEFORE learning how to tweak the diet and exercise routine. And if you read any of the before and after success stories of people who’ve taken it off, and kept it off. That is KEY to their success and often the first thing they addressed and overcame before they were able to finally be successful in losing the fat and keeping it off. Americans, even obese ones (or perhaps especially obese ones) work their asses off. (not literally of course, or we wouldn’t be villifying them). A poster put it perfectly when talking about her cat “here’s a snack kitty, substitute food for love”. Of course the poster was being facetious, but that is a huge (sorry pun not intended) facet of the obesity problem in America. Too much emphasis is placed on the American dream and trying to get ahead (hence working nine thousand hours a week), make all that money and keep up with the Joneses and WAY too is little placed upon our emotional wellbeing, and more importantly being loved. As long as people try, and fail, to fill that void of loneliness, insecurity, lack of success [insert emotional void of choice here], there will be obesity (along with all of the other addictions that exist, but don’t necessarily show up as dramatically on the outside of a person). That does NOT mean that I don’t think there exist people who are just plain lazy gluttons. But 60 % of our population? And it’s supposedly ALL caused by just gluttony and sloth? Or worse, people who don’t get that “eat less/exercise more” mantra? I don’t buy it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/111 "2006-08-04T06:36:42Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I’m not sure about this. My understanding, which could be wrong, is that the percentiles are static and don’t get updated with fresh data on a regular basis, so that for example in a given year it would be possible for more than 50% of children to be above the 50th percentile in height and weight. Perhaps some medical professional or anyone else who knows what they’re talking about could confirm/refute this. They do get updated. SIL’s a doctor and her English blows goats. When she was finishing school 6 years ago, she had to write a paper sumarizing research on kid’s sizes. Half the articles had been published in English, so she asked me to translate those for her. I got the whole folder, including the articles published in Spanish and charts indicating “expected behaviours and sizes for babies of different ages” in 1974, 1985 and 1994. The first one was based on studies done outside of Spain; the others were based on Spanish data and had had new data added to them as it became available. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/112 "2006-08-04T06:44:16Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Soda doesn’t have any fat. It does, however, have sugar, unless it is diet soda, so it is full of calories. > > Why, when the issue of kids drinking too much soda comes up, does no one ever mention that there’s a simple and easy solution that doesn’t require much change of lifestyle- drink diet soda instead of regular? That sort of small change is, IMO, much more likely to succeed than recommending a complete overhaul of these people’s diets and lifestyles (beneficial as that might be, it just isn’t going to happen for most of them). The sweeteners in diet drinks produce diarrhea, if drunk in the amounts the soda-only people drink. They also make the liver work harder than regular sugar does (which is probably not a very good thing, you’re taking your body’s main chemical factory out of balance). Waaaaaaay healthy, yessir. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/113 "2006-08-04T06:57:26Z")
The thing is this. Obesity on such a wide scale must have wide-ranging causes. To castigate fat people for their perceived moral failings simply strikes me as being very Republican. (I can say the R-word in the Pit, can’t I?) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/114 "2006-08-04T10:16:15Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Obesity on such a wide scale must have wide-ranging causes. Heh. Very wide ranging. Yes, I’m going to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/115 "2006-08-04T10:42:56Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > The thing is this. Obesity on such a wide scale must have wide-ranging causes. Or a few simple causes, that huge numbers of people participate in. Such as, eating larger amounts of food every day and getting no exercise. Food is more plentiful than it was in the past, portions are getting larger. Fewer and fewer people have jobs that actually make them use their muscles. Children spend less of their time outside playing. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/116 "2006-08-04T11:45:55Z")
You may be right. Or this might be a case of group think. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/117 "2006-08-04T12:22:14Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > To castigate fat people for their perceived moral failings simply strikes me as being very Republican. Huh? What strikes me as odd is that on one hand, obesity is a pervasive health problem in this country compared with 50 years ago, but on the other hand there are also more gyms, exercise equipment and a general “fitness craze” that didn’t exist 50 years ago. It seems like we’re in the strange situation where as a society we are obsessed with working out and staying in shape, but at the same time we’re fatter than ever before. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/118 "2006-08-04T12:44:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And yet other people who have trouble losing weight are just “lazy” to you, like **yellowval** ’s niece? > > :rolleyes: What possibly could be your point? That I was “lazy” after I blew out my ACL and lateral meniscus? That it wasn’t the case that every time I ran over half a mile my knee would swell up like a grapefruit? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/119 "2006-08-04T12:47:00Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Later that same evening, they’ll come up and have a midnight snack. They are never told no. By contrast, my children (same ages) eat four, maybe five slices, between the two of them. Except for occasional special occasions such as slumber parties, they don’t eat at all after dinner. > > Their kids drink soda all day and all night. The son will guzzle an entire TWO LITRE soda in one evening. I know this because my friend told me this with an exaggerated sigh. I think this is the worst thing you can do. I can’t find the article, but there was recently a study that linked obesity with a lack of sleep. I don’t remember how the two were related, but it’s apparently verty hard to lose weight if you don’t get enough sleep. Also, the later a kid stays up, the more likely he is to snack. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157/120 "2006-08-04T12:48:07Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > What possibly could be your point? > > That I was “lazy” after I blew out my ACL and lateral meniscus? That it wasn’t the case that every time I ran over half a mile my knee would swell up like a grapefruit? Perhaps she was referring to the ability to **lose** 25 pounds, which you said took you a year? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-feeding-your-kid/367157.md?page=7)