As many of my regular viewers to this web blog know, there are many factors contributing to childhood obesity. I post daily here about it, whether news print articles, opinions, feedback, or just personal opinion.
Recently, I wrote an article for Yahoo! (click here) about childhood obesity. I started searching for sources for this article, and received over 100 responses to the question, “What do you think caused the rise in childhood obesity?” Responses came from professional and Olympic athletes, fitness experts, health experts, nutritionist, and parents.
I was unable to use everyone’s feedback, but thought it would be great to post some of their responses on my blog in a new web series, “What Causes Childhood Obesity.” I hope that you enjoy the opinions here from various individuals. Please remember, my including their posts does not necessarily mean I agree or endorse their opinion, rather, a place to share other people’s thoughts.
Steve Siebold is author of the book “Die Fat or Get Tough; 101 Differences in Thinking Between Fat People and Fit People.”
The reason childhood obesity is on the rise is because everyone wants to “sugarcoat” the facts instead of facing reality. Parents love to play the blame game and say their kids are fat because of genes, emotional issues, the food manufacturers, restaurants and portion sizes. Many doctors aren’t helping either because they’re coddling parents telling them obesity isn’t their fault. Society is also to blame because we come up with phrases like “Big is beautiful” and “plus size” and nobody wants to say the truth, which is that our kids are getting fatter by the day, and that fat is ugly, bad for you, and will lead to a life of discrimination. The bottom line, being fat is your fault and if your kids are fat, it’s the parent’s fault.
Parents need to take responsibility for their children’s health once and for all, or more and more kids are headed for early graves. Parents and kids must learn that before putting anything in their mouth, packing school lunch and snacks, always ask the question, “How is this meal going to affect my health?” Steve says parents need to get tough with their kids and take control of what they’re eaing. Parents need to instill in their kids from an early age that exercise and physical activity is a necessary part of daily life just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth.