paying kids to lose weight

Crashsti · 12-11-2006, 02:56 PM

i was just watching the news and there was a piece on paying kids to lose weight. do you think this is a good idea? in this day and age it seems people won't do anything unless they can get paid. you hear all about kids getting paid to get good grades, to just attend class and now to exercise. the thing i find funny is that the teens that come to work with me at my work are'nt motivated even when they are given an hourly wage, yet they may very well have come from a system where they were paid to do something they should do anyway.

Ninjamonkey · 12-11-2006, 03:19 PM

thats ridiculous... getting paid to get in shape. Don't kids go outside and play anymore!?! I'm not that old, but in my younger years I would be outside playing something with my friends until the sun went down. The parents don't even have to pay the kids to get in shape, they can kinda force the kids to have a good diet by not buying too much junk food n such.

Crashsti · 12-11-2006, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninjamonkey

thats ridiculous... getting paid to get in shape. Don't kids go outside and play anymore!?! I'm not that old, but in my younger years I would be outside playing something with my friends until the sun went down. The parents don't even have to pay the kids to get in shape, they can kinda force the kids to have a good diet by not buying too much junk food n such.

have you ever looked at area playgrounds lately? they are like ghost towns. Kids would rather play on the internet or video games then actually go outside. as for parents doing thier part by feeding kids right? i work in a grocery store and i am astounded by how misinformed most people are regarding whats good for them. Take Froot Loops cereal, on the box its screams, "A Good Source of 15 vitamins and minerals", then you look on the back of the box in the small print and the first ingredient is sugar. as for juice, samething, everyone is told that juice is good for you, well sure, but its also mostly sugar.

MuStAnG12687 · 12-11-2006, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

have you ever looked at area playgrounds lately? they are like ghost towns. Kids would rather play on the internet or video games then actually go outside. as for parents doing thier part by feeding kids right? i work in a grocery store and i am astounded by how misinformed most people are regarding whats good for them. Take Froot Loops cereal, on the box its screams, "A Good Source of 15 vitamins and minerals", then you look on the back of the box in the small print and the first ingredient is sugar. as for juice, samething, everyone is told that juice is good for you, well sure, but its also mostly sugar.

I think it’s definitely the parent’s job to make sure the right foods are coming into the house at an early age...if you’re feeding your kid fast food multiple times a week…then you’re not doing a very good job. Parents should encourage kids to go outside/play sports/be active and or limit TV/video game times if that’s consuming the child's lives...as for paying a kid to lose weight--haha riiighhttt

MTKrav911 · 12-11-2006, 08:53 PM

Yeah I saw that this morning too on Fox and Friends.

I'm kinda mixed. Whatever gets them to lose the weight I guess. Because it's realy getting bad. You have kids already getting adult stage Diabetes and everything because of being overweight. I heard somewhere the average 12 year old eats 5 cheeseburgers a week?

I mean kids aren't just a little plump anymore like when I was growing up you always had that one kid who may have been a little chubby.

Nowadays we're talking kids 100 plus pounds overweight. And this is weight they'll likely never lose no matter what they do.

Another thing. In the 90's courts ruled Physical Educaton out as a mandatory requirement like it was when I grew up because it was discriminatory to non-athletic kids. Result? Morbidly Obese kids with Congestive Heart failure by the time theyre 18.

It's very very sad. And the billons of dollars these kids as adults are going to strain the healthcare system with?

I say if you gotta pay a kid to do some jumping jacks and run track. Do it!

I heart LNP · 12-11-2006, 10:41 PM

Not all the blame can go on the kids or the parents for that matter. More and more schools are banning kids games like tag and dodgeball and other games that teachers think are dangerous. When I was a kid I never used to get too much physical activity at home yet I was always in good shape because I used to run around all recess playing the games that are now starting to get banned. Sure I fell from time to time and scraped my knee and got a couple balls in my face but I seem to be fine now and I am glad that I have those memories. What are all children these days hemophiliacs? Instead of trying to pay kids to be healthy why not just let them be kids? I have had countless snowball fights in my life but neither I nor anybody I have ever met has lost an eye due to a snowball. Now in some schools they are starting to cut recess time shorter and shorter so the kids can study. If they keep this up it wont matter how smart the little fat little pansies are because they will be dead by the time they are old enough to use their knowledge being killed by either deseases or a stray snowball.

MuStAnG12687 · 12-11-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grits207

Not all the blame can go on the kids or the parents for that matter. More and more schools are banning kids games like tag and dodgeball and other games that teachers think are dangerous. When I was a kid I never used to get too much physical activity at home yet I was always in good shape because I used to run around all recess playing the games that are now starting to get banned. Sure I fell from time to time and scraped my knee and got a couple balls in my face but I seem to be fine now and I am glad that I have those memories. What are all children these days hemophiliacs? Instead of trying to pay kids to be healthy why not just let them be kids? I have had countless snowball fights in my life but neither I nor anybody I have ever met has lost an eye due to a snowball. Now in some schools they are starting to cut recess time shorter and shorter so the kids can study. If they keep this up it wont matter how smart the little fat little pansies are because they will be dead by the time they are old enough to use their knowledge being killed by either deseases or a stray snowball.

ahahahhah...I like your ending...I don't think the parents are 100% to blame but they are the major ones IMO...schools around where I live are starting to ban soda's/candy machines in schools...I wonder how that's going to work out...

MTKrav911 · 12-11-2006, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grits207

Not all the blame can go on the kids or the parents for that matter. More and more schools are banning kids games like tag and dodgeball and other games that teachers think are dangerous. When I was a kid I never used to get too much physical activity at home yet I was always in good shape because I used to run around all recess playing the games that are now starting to get banned. Sure I fell from time to time and scraped my knee and got a couple balls in my face but I seem to be fine now and I am glad that I have those memories. What are all children these days hemophiliacs? Instead of trying to pay kids to be healthy why not just let them be kids? I have had countless snowball fights in my life but neither I nor anybody I have ever met has lost an eye due to a snowball. Now in some schools they are starting to cut recess time shorter and shorter so the kids can study. If they keep this up it wont matter how smart the little fat little pansies are because they will be dead by the time they are old enough to use their knowledge being killed by either deseases or a stray snowball.

I totally agree except I do hold the parents accountable. Parents have every right to control everything in their kids life ESPECIALY when it comes to their health.

It doesent take a village or any of that BS, it takes PARENTING. The worst one I saw was this kid was 10 and really wanted to take Karate in the school I go to. He was 5'1 300 lbs. The instructor for the kid class couldnt purchase a uniform anywhere for his size. We had to let the kid wear street clothes.

Now to his credit hes down to a lean 280 lbs and we still have a good 130 lbs to go on him for him to look remotely normal, but WTF???????? You can't even find a Gi for him that big?

Not for Big Brother here, but New York has it right in the sense now it's state law that they cannot use Trans Fat, High Fructose Corn Syrup or any of that crap anymore in food or drink.

Unfortunately that's the state we're in with obesity.

Now let me go tackle that three topping pizza for dinner!

<---But I gurantee I'll run 5 miles afterward!

I heart LNP · 12-11-2006, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuStAnG12687

ahahahhah...I like your ending...I don't think the parents are 100% to blame but they are the major ones IMO...schools around where I live are starting to ban soda's/candy machines in schools...I wonder how that's going to work out...

Ya schools here have done that the past year and most of the kids in high school or junior high just walk over to McDonalds and eat while the younger kids from what I hear mostly bring their own food. IMO the answer is not the food just get the kids active. In gym class here they spend a good portion of the year teaching the kids to dance as opposed to those violent games like tag or dodgeball. When kids arent even getting a good workout in gym class you know something is wrong. One thing that may work is tapeing a few twinkies to a rabbit or any other small furry animal and getting the kids to try and get the twinkies.

I heart LNP · 12-11-2006, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTKrav911

I totally agree except I do hold the parents accountable. Parents have every right to control everything in their kids life ESPECIALY when it comes to their health.

It doesent take a village or any of that BS, it takes PARENTING. The worst one I saw was this kid was 10 and really wanted to take Karate in the school I go to. He was 5'1 300 lbs. The instructor for the kid class couldnt purchase a uniform anywhere for his size. We had to let the kid wear street clothes.

Now to his credit hes down to a lean 280 lbs and we still have a good 130 lbs to go on him for him to look remotely normal, but WTF???????? You can't even find a Gi for him that big?

Not for Big Brother here, but New York has it right in the sense now it's state law that they cannot use Trans Fat, High Fructose Corn Syrup or any of that crap anymore in food or drink.

Unfortunately that's the state we're in with obesity.

Now let me go tackle that three topping pizza for dinner!

<---But I gurantee I'll run 5 miles afterward!

I agree. I am definetly not defending parents at all. I really hate when parents wont take the time to get the kid healthy, when they wont cook them a good healthy meal and instead stop at a fast food restuarant or when a kid wants to play a sport or something and the parent wont let them because they dont want to have to drive the kid around.

MTKrav911 · 12-11-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grits207

Ya schools here have done that the past year and most of the kids in high school or junior high just walk over to McDonalds and eat while the younger kids from what I hear mostly bring their own food. IMO the answer is not the food just get the kids active. In gym class here they spend a good portion of the year teaching the kids to dance as opposed to those violent games like tag or dodgeball. When kids arent even getting a good workout in gym class you know something is wrong. One thing that may work is tapeing a few twinkies to a rabbit or any other small furry animal and getting the kids to try and get the twinkies.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..

I wish I could laugh and although it's funny but we're the ones that are gonna foot the medical bills for these kids.

I think we need an MMA team to go to middle and high schools and like show them MMA training. Wasnt Joe Riggs once 350 lbs or something?

Then a year with Miletich he dropped all that weight? Down to 190 or something?

Ninjamonkey · 12-12-2006, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTKrav911

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..

I wish I could laugh and although it's funny but we're the ones that are gonna foot the medical bills for these kids.

I think we need an MMA team to go to middle and high schools and like show them MMA training. Wasnt Joe Riggs once 350 lbs or something?

Then a year with Miletich he dropped all that weight? Down to 190 or something?

Yea Joe Riggs use to be around 350, I was amazed when I heard that. Dropping 160+lbs must take some serious dedication.

Crashsti · 12-13-2006, 10:56 AM

its really easy to blame the parents here, they are after all supposed to be looking out for the best interests of their children. However like i mentioned before, the products in grocery stores are extremely misleading. its very easy for people to walk out of the store with what they think is healthy food. for example, alot of foods are labeled low fat. ok that sounds great but too bad the product instead contains 50grams of sugar per serving and no vitamins or minerals. or how about bread in America. unless you buy 100% whole grain wheat bread you're getting nothing but easily turned to fat carbs. Did you know that the USA is the only country in the world that puts sugar into all of its bread? most other countries don't do that. do you really need High Fructose Corn Syrup in your toast? of course not. then there is the word "enriched" well all that means is that during the manufacturing process the vitamin content of the food was destroyed and by law has to be replaced to some degree. there is also serving sizes. we sell muffins in our bakeshop, they are easliy eaten by one person in a sitting but each muffin is actually 3 servings of 400 calories each. a kid eats that in the morning and BANG he just ate 1200 calories of crap. you can't educate your kids about good food when you yourself are confused.

MTKrav911 · 12-13-2006, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crashsti

its really easy to blame the parents here, they are after all supposed to be looking out for the best interests of their children. However like i mentioned before, the products in grocery stores are extremely misleading. its very easy for people to walk out of the store with what they think is healthy food. for example, alot of foods are labeled low fat. ok that sounds great but too bad the product instead contains 50grams of sugar per serving and no vitamins or minerals. or how about bread in America. unless you buy 100% whole grain wheat bread you're getting nothing but easily turned to fat carbs. Did you know that the USA is the only country in the world that puts sugar into all of its bread? most other countries don't do that. do you really need High Fructose Corn Syrup in your toast? of course not. then there is the word "enriched" well all that means is that during the manufacturing process the vitamin content of the food was destroyed and by law has to be replaced to some degree. there is also serving sizes. we sell muffins in our bakeshop, they are easliy eaten by one person in a sitting but each muffin is actually 3 servings of 400 calories each. a kid eats that in the morning and BANG he just ate 1200 calories of crap. you can't educate your kids about good food when you yourself are confused.

Excellent point on the bread.

I tell my wife all the time the difference between Enriched wheat bread and 100% whole wheat bread.

And don't get me started on cereals. I'm lucky I have very active kids (gym, football, baseball, martial arts) cause between what they eat in the cafeteria and the crap they drink (the sports drinks arent great for you either BTW), they'd easily be overweight.

But that's all I'm saying. I'm proud my kids listen to me about health. They're very disciplined overall for a couple of teeangers and pre-teens. They read the labels, they practically never drink sodas and THEY EXERCISE. Without me having to tell them. It's part of their lifestyle staying active and I hope they never lose that.

Normo · 12-13-2006, 06:13 PM

In the UK the NHS (short on money) are meant to be trying to get it so overweight children can get stomach surgery (whatever its called to make it smaller, etc) on the NHS, thats well mad. Hows about they eat less and exercise more (should do more sports in school, etc)

MTKrav911 · 12-13-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Normo

In the UK the NHS (short on money) are meant to be trying to get it so overweight children can get stomach surgery (whatever its called to make it smaller, etc) on the NHS, thats well mad. Hows about they eat less and exercise more (should do more sports in school, etc)

Agreed. LAst I checked all body fat is, is stored energy.

So these fats kids should be able to run a few marathons if they had to with all that excess energy!!!!!

Crashsti · 12-15-2006, 01:00 PM

Obesity in children is something you have to be proactive about. along with trying to educate their children about good health, Physical activity is equally as important as many of you pointed out. But how do you motivate the kids that don't want to play sports or who are antisocial? i personally did'nt play sports but i kept busy with BMX. my point is that maybe schools would benefit from offering a broader spectrum of choices to get more kids interested in exercise. i know money is always an issue but it does cost a hell of alot more to solve a problem than prevent it. the saying goes, "an ounce of Prevention is worth a pound of cure"....i think thats it. Lol!!