Over Weight Kids, Go Out and Play

This one is going to be hard for me to stay on topic.

Hey folks,

By now I'm sure that you have heard about this. According to Reuters - 219-pound boy shows growing problem of extreme obesity By Kim Palmer Reuters – 2 hrs 47 mins ago

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - The case of a 219-pound 8-year-old boy taken from his mother for health reasons spotlights a problem that has almost tripled in the U.S. in the last 30 years -- cases of extreme child obesity.

"Not only do we have a higher percentage of kids who are obese but a higher percentage of children who are severely obese," said Dr. Garry Sigman, director of adolescent medicine and associate professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center near Chicago, in an interview with Reuters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17 percent or 12.5 million of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are obese, as opposed to merely overweight.

Obesity in children is defined by the CDC as having a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex. "Overweight" is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile.

About 2 million U.S. children have a BMI at or beyond the 99th percentile, according to a July article on childhood obesity in the Journal of the American Medical Association, co-authored by Harvard University child obesity expert Dr. David S. Ludwig. The article ignited controversy by saying that in some cases, removing a child from a home may be justified.

An average 8-year-old boy is about 55 pounds, making the boy in question approximately 165 pounds overweight or four times more than average, according to the CDC.

OK stop there. You get the point. The problem I have dealing with this is a simple one. Everyone is unique. You can tell when someone is over weight for THEM. But it may not be for, well, me. I know this guy, a friend, who is what one would call fat. No offense to my friend, he knows it. But here is the thing, He weighs 5 pounds more than I do. Yet, you would not consider me fat at all. Here are two 6 foot 1" 230 pound guys. Get the point?

We have talked about this before. Take someone like John Cena, or another one of the Pro Wrestlers out there. Some of them weigh 250 to 300 pounds. Yet there is not an once of Fat on them. Yes some you can pinch an inch and whatever, but reality is, they are not fat and no where near Obese. I'm Obese according to the "Chart." So I do not take any creed in this garbage. Hell, my Son Josh came home from School with a note saying he was bordering on Obese. Really? Screw off.

But then my next problem I had when I first heard this, was the obvious. CPS came and ripped this kid from his home, because some twit felt that because he is fat, the Parent is not suited to be the Parent. Now you know I have MAJOR issues with CPS. They have way too much power and they answer to NO ONE. We get reports all the time of Kids that disappear, are abused while in the "System." Nothing is done about it. Yet Joe the Neighbor has a problem with you and calls CPS. They can then come and take the kid out of your house BEFORE they conduct an Investigation. They after however long it takes, even if there is nothing found, the Kid can be returned or not, and there is nothing you can do about it. That is way too much power for ANY agency to have. This should never happen in the Land of the Free. We have Cops. We have Laws, if abuse is found, the Abuser goes to Jail, and they THEN should take the Kid into Safety.

Told you this was going to be hard for me to stay on topic. Now I will admit that an 8 year old that weighs 219 pounds is most likely a Health Problem. But the kid is an Honor Student. Never been in trouble. There is no abuse. Yet, CPS came in and ripped this kid from his Mother? That is a major issue with me.

Look folks, I love this definition of why this happened by Dr. Garry Sigman:

"That kind of weight gain is a very serious imbalance in both movement and calorie intake," in a younger child, he added.

LOL How long have I been telling you about the ELMM Diet? Every time I talk about the ELMM Diet it never fails. I get "Experts" that tell me, or those that have been sucked into the whole Diet Industry, "Pete, you can not say this. It's too simplistic a solution to a complicated Problem. You need to take into consideration all these different variables. Genes, Chemical imbalances, Thyroid Problems, ETC. Pete, do you not realize that Fat People are now protected as a disability Class? You can't say Eat Less Move More will help one to lose weight. Too simplistic." So what is the leading cause of Obesity? Of people getting fat. "A very serious imbalance in both movement and calorie intake." SO?

Kids today, as we have talked about in the past as well, no longer go out and Play. They sit home and surf the Web. Play on Facebook. Play Video Games for HOURS. Even a lot of their TOYS now do everything on their own. No need for imagination nor activity. Just watch. This is why I commend the people behind Kinect. YOU have to move when you play.

I understand that the Diet Industry is a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry. I understand that the ELMM Diet costs you NOTHING. No Pills, Shakes, Prepared Food Packs, Doctor Visits, Drugs, ETC. As a matter of fact, it could cost you LESS. Less food you have to buy in the long run.

I understand, TRUST me, the ease of turning the Computer or the XBOX into a babysitter. After you get home from a long day of work, sometimes you do not want to be bothered. "Daddy, can I go on the Computer?" Then before you know it it's 9pm and you haven't seen your kid for like three hours. How about saying "No. I thought we could take a bike ride, or a walk, or toss the ball around outside?" An active Kid is an Active Adult. Lets teach more Parents to do THIS. Wouldn't THIS be better than ripping Families apart? Just a thought. If you think your kids maybe getting a little chunky, or getting a bit of a belly, why not try what YOUR Parents most likely did. Tell them to go out and play.
Peter

Sources:
Reuters - 219-pound boy shows growing problem of extreme obesity