Why are parents letting their kids get fat?

Question

At Sunday morning service today, this mom had to actually pull her son up out the seat because he was having trouble getting up. He has got to be only about 10 years old. His little sister is running second behind him. I remember when I was a kid everyone was healthy because our moms and dads made us go out and play. We just had to be in by the time the street lights came on. I know that times have changed and things are dangerous and you can't let your child run as freely now than back then but, people at least can take their kids to the park or something. Me and my kids go to the park or we will go to the local high school track and walk or just walk around the neighborhood. Some parents are so lazy now days. It seem like some parents don't care if their kids have diabeties or high blood pressure and illnesses like that. Oh well, they are not my kids.

Answer 1

I think it is the fast paced society we live in.  Everyone wants things done quickly, and quick meals are usually not the healthiest.  Have you ever looked in an overweight persons grocery cart?  9 times out of ten its filled with twinkies, hot dogs, pizza, doughnuts, and more junk. It is also plain laziness, the parent would rather eat out than have to cook.  And on the kids part, they would rather play video games or surf the internet than play outside.  It is so sad how many overweight kids there are.  I truly believe that you should have to have a license to breed.

Answer 2

some don't care and some don't know about  good nutrition.

Answer 3

i know exactly why...parents think that nutrition means eating a lot of everything,and that's never healthy,every excess is always harmful,even water in excess (it can be a purgant),and also when they see that their kids are gaining lots of weight,they say "dont worry,they'll grow up so fast and they will lose the weight for it..." but that's not always true...also,it could be a problem of a gladule,it damages and it retains the calories and fats...

Answer 4

That's a complicated question.  The answer? apathy, the causes for this?  I don't have that kind of time :-)

Answer 5

I know exactly what you mean its horrible when i was a child i was hugley over weight i couldnt play sports i was teased daily i was depressed and basically hid in my room and gained more weight , then when i moved away from home i started to lose weight i lost 35 kg in all and i finally got my life back , being over weight takes away the childs childhood i can never get my youth back i can never no what it was like to have friends and sleep overs and play sport and have fun i now have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and i make sure that they eat a healthy balenced diet and get excercise everyday ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, please parents out there if your child is over weight there is no excuse they wont be sad if you dont give them treats , a chocolate bar lasts a couple of min health is for a life time be healthy and make sure that your kids are to,

Answer 6

I think society has gotten lazy. =]

Answer 7

This is due to many, many factors (good question!!!). of which are not so popular to discuss these days..... and that is letting a child be cared for by people who are not the parents.

This means daycare workers and public schools officials. These types of caregivers are not in the business of keeping a child fit and healthy, but rather cheaply cared for subjects.... and as  successfully institutionalized robots as possible.

Thus all in all, one can not exactly blame the parents. In this day and age we are spread, as parents, way too thin. It is hard to make ends meet without two incomes. We have daycare, babysitters, schooling, quick over processed meals for fast paced days, small yards, dangerous parks, advertisements focused on entertainment and junk foods.....

I can't however offer a solution or berate parents for not doing more to keep their children from becoming overweight. The choice is in the lifestyle. If you wish to live in a way that is meager and simple, your children will come in when the lightening bugs are pulsing, and the street lamp finally clicks on.

Otherwise it's off to the rat race.

Personally our family lives very simple and poor. We are happy and healthy, with room to run and lots of stuff growing in the garden.

Answer 8

I know, I am always shocked when I go out and see all the obese children, even more shocked at the parents who let them get that way, and usually the parents are in the same shape.  I think they are just lazy and dont care, If my kids were like that, I would learn about good nutrition, not knowing is not an excuse when you can clearly see something is wrong, it is neglect and I think it is abusive to act like nothing is wrong when your child is being bullied AND in bad health, alot of young children are at risk for heart attacks now also.

there is one little boy next door to me like that and his mom is a nurse but just lets him set infront of the video games all day long, my son is always asking him to go swimming or bike riding and he wont..he is just getting lazy like his mom who is also very over wieght.

Answer 9

I understanding exactly what your saying.   We don't want to judge or point fingers.  I hope as adults we don't want to stair to make it worst for the kid.   Listen, I have two very over weight nephews and I don't want some idiots adult commenting and staring at them.   The good thing is, my older sister and I have them for two weeks and we are helping them eat better and get plenty of physical activities.     My younger sister (nephews mom) and her husband work.   Both of them have different shifts.   One works regular shift and the other one works 2nd or 3rd shift.   I won't go into all the details of busines, and time wise.   It's too long to list.   Who wouldn't want our kids to be health.

Answer 10

They're neglectful and lazy parents, that's why. I think parents who let their kids get morbidly obese should be charged with neglect.

Answer 11

If you really want to know why kids are overweight have a look in the grocery carts of some of these ppl. Young kids usually don't prepare their own meals. This means that the parents are feeding them too many fatty meals. I hardly ever let my kids have pop, yet some families think that Pepsi replaces apple juice at meal times. I have NEVER seen an overweight child ask for milk or water at a fast food resturant.

Parents also buy the gaming systems for the kids so that they, the parents, don't have the responsibility of entertaining a kid. God forbid we MAKE little Timmy get off his big butt and go for a bike ride.

Kids are fat because TV tells them they need a happy meal, a PSP and a big ole supersized Pepsi.  When was the last time you seen a bicycle ad sqeezed in between food commercials on TV?