Comments about ‘More than 500,000 4-year-olds are obese’

You can't blame McDonald's for this because on the Indian reservations I work with we have no McDonald's.

It is the sugar sugar sugar commodities, starches, and no recreation programs. Really simple to figure out. Come out to the res's and see for yourself.

Better yet, get involved in helping. Double dare yah.

Chubby little cubbies all stuffed with fluff! Chubby kids are sooooo cute! I just want to squeeze their little cheeks!

You read about a serious health problem, and you make a joke about it? Wow!

What's the % of obese adults in the US? After walking around Wal Mart the other day, I'd say it's probably around 50%.

yeah it is very simple , i am native american and none of my children are obese...we watch what goes into our mouths...we are part of the rez...but then we have two state wrestling champions ..one is doing pretty good as a cage fighter... the other just won his state titles ..as far as i know in the state of utah , these are the only natives to so from the same family...with a two year span at the higher wt. levels and we do go to the Rez all the time! My suggestion since i have a degree in exercise sports and science which is not an easy one to attain...is to start a co-op on the rez and get away from all the processed foods as one can get ...in montezuma creek last year some 13 gardens were started by families who realized the savings and nutrition of fresh vegtables...they are curretly expanding their crops and we wish them the best..if we take care of nature ..nature will take care of us...it was during the seventies that alot of toxins were hammered into our foods.

The story shows how clueless Americans are about nutrition. The story blaming Indian obesity on rice(carbohydrates) is crazy. Americans are obese because they eat huge amounts of white flour products, fat, sugar, meat, and dairy. Cut white flour, dairy, and sugar out of your diet completely. Eat meat sparingly (less than 10% of your diet) and you will be slender and healthy. It's all about fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (which are all carbohydrates by the way). (Nuts and beans are also super healthy). Throw in a little exercise and you will be the model of good health.

It's that simple.

We moved to the USA 2 years ago and have been amazed at the amount of people who are overweight. I think the problem lies mainly in the food! There are so many preservative, hormones and fructose sugar in things that most of what we eat is fattening. This has also got to be the soda capital of the known world. Supersize, free refills etc. The other thing that I feel that would help is for elementary schools to have sport programs. It is kind of ironic, the schools are so concerned with walking miles and with providing healthy alternatives for the kids to eat at school, yet most things are fried and high in calories that the kids are offered. At the end of the day parents are responsible. Cook from scratch for a change - TV diners and ready, but frozen meals just don't provide the nutrition that kids or adults for that matter need. People are very lazy cookers!

To: clueless | 10:16 a.m.:
I would rather die 10 years sooner than totally give up cheese.

I am nearly sixty and do not remember seeing obese children in my youth. But mothers used to take great care to watch over the family diet.

When families started buying television, we were only allowed to watch an hour or two per week. Schools kept us moving in physical education classes and we rode our bikes and got outdoors and we worked. Older children were busy picking berries, etc. in the summers.

Our school lunches were made at the local school. The school lunches today are sickening. The first goal of an education should be to take good care of yourself.

Additionally...

At church our teachers to break the rules and give our kids candy. Further, if kids ate goodies at seminary alone, they would get far too much. Why can't we show our love another way?

Our Relief Society meals are not teaching women about budgeting and nutrition as they once did. At church meetings we are always serving goodies that we blush to ask a blessing for.

We ought to be paying attention to what our problems are in this area. Latter-Day-Saints used to be the model for good health. No longer.

We have "The Word of Wisdom" but we aren't paying much attention to it.

I liked Nan's comment about church junkfood eating. I always thought the prayer should have gone something like this instead: "Please bless these substances we are about to put in our bodies, that they don't do as much harm as they're supposed to, and let us not be so addicted to them next time, so that maybe some carrot sticks and celery will suffice in the future."

We've got to find a balance in our lives. It wouldn't surprise me if I found out that most corporate heads of mass food production enterprises don't eat their own products--just like the fact that most cigarette company owners are non-smokers.

I've actually prayed that way...

When we all get ressurrected we'll all be given a large plate of healthy vegetables to eat. Those who like that sort of thing will think they're heaven, and the rest of us will know we're in hell.

I feel it is incumbent upon the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to take the lead in Utah to attempt to curb the obesity problem among children. As Nan, above, said, the church is not paying much attention to the Word of Wisdom when it lets the most vulnerable among us - our children - feel they can continue to eat themselves to death. Of course, this is a mostly a parent problem. But the church can take the lead in urging their parents to take better care in looking after their children's diets. I also wouldn't be opposed to levying a tax on high-fat kid foods, such as hamburgers, french fries and the like. These can be just as deadly to the health of people as using tobacco.

I can't believe the number of overweight children that I see - and often munching on something with their equally overweight parents. I want to just grab the adults and shake some sense into them. Is this not child abuse?

Try cooking something healthy for your kids for a change. Get outside and enjoy some outdoor activities with them. Most of all, show some will power. FAT!

Have you seen any of the Jailers. LOL

The real culprit is the calories. Studies show that although exercise is VERY important, the amount of calories you ingest is the most important. I've taken off 45 pounds. It took me a whole year. I exercised and gave up eating out. (I allow myself a bit of fun!) I've managed to maintain my current weight since then. I weigh every day. Some people seem to think I'm a bit obsessed, but it has worked. I'm also almost 50 and it was and is not an easy thing to do. I'm also a school teacher and giving up eating school lunch also helped me take off weight. I don't think nachos or Pizza Hut pizza is a very good choice for school lunch, but the kids love it in the Davis School District. By the way, no treats in my classroom except on special occasions.

Native American and other ethnic groups have trouble with refined foods because of genetics. I hope they can find a way to avoid eating them as much as possible. Good Luck!

Nan - putting the blame on women is offensive and ridicules. Men need to be a huge part of nutritional education and take part in what the family eats. They need to be an example and work equally with their partners in the kitchen. Raising children is both parents responsibility.

I think we are getting too lazy,

SUPER SIZE MY FRYBREAD UNTIL I'M DEAD!