Can anyone think of an arguments for and against the question do parents make their kids obese?
Parents do not make their kids obese, although their own bad eating habits may, in turn, cause their children to have the same bad eating habits. Schools and relatives are as much of the cause as parents – have you seen the menus? I’ve also seen grandparents out with young children – as young as 2 years old, being fed pop and french fries. Many schools no longer have recess. Many neighborhoods no longer have children playing in them (they are all in organized activities that are not very active). Let’s also consider that the original ‘fat kids’ (including me) were fat because illness prevented them from getting the exercise that they needed for the amount of food they ate. Depression is also a factor (and yes, a 5 year old can be depressed). More children are treated with steroids today (and that alone causes a person to do nothing but think of food). I DO agree with posters above. Eating out (not just fast food) is a huge issue for many families who can’t keep their weight down.
Personally I think they do.Growing up my parents didn’t have much money so we didn’t have take away food, we had small dinners & didn’t question what we had. We were also homeless at one stage so got used to not eating very often. My hubby’s parents had the whole big meals with puddings & life revolved around food.He has a weight problem, his parents are the most wonderful people, mine leave a lot to be desired, but I still have a similar attitude towards food, perhaps slightly unhealthy as I tend to starve myself like i did as a child-its juts habits you fall into in your childhood that carry you through into adulthood. Parents need to find the balance, food is vital, especially healthy food.Just make sure everything is in moderation, a little bit of chocolate is ok, a whole pack of biscuits is not.
I think parents are incredibly influential in ensuring that their kids eat a healthy diet. If we’re hitting the Golden Arches thrice weekly and keeping Doritos and Dr. Pepper in the house, well … odds are our kids aren’t going to be broccoli-lovin’ varsity athletes. My diet was pretty mediocre until I had to start thinking about what to feed my son. The day my 2 y.o. realized I was shoveling candy into my mouth while I pushed his stroller? That was the day everything changed. I’m 30-some pounds lighter (and still shrinking) and we all eat our veggies. But I do think that it’s tough to argue that it’s all on parents. Genetics are a big factor. And a little bit of puppy fat might signal a late bloomer, not a kid who’s best friends with Little Debbie. It’s also true that some kids are twiggy, even when their lunchboxes burst with candy bars and Tastykakes. Plenty of childhood rites of passage are tied to junk food – cupcakes for birthdays at school, trick’or’treat, the soccer team going
