Comments on: Theory Linking Poor Kids, Obesity Refuted

Study Discounts Lack Of Food As Reason Poor U.S. Children Are More Likely To Be Overweight

[b-easy63]

This is not rocket science, Children eat what there care givers give them and it is determined by their upbringing and lifestyle. If you find a fat child who is taken care of by a mom or grandmom, chances are high that the mom is overweight or fat also. If the "nanny" or day care provider is overweight, there is a good chance the kids will be fed similar diets.

People rarely encourage a style of eating they are not accustomed to. So if you have a caregiver who eats lots of fat, pork and beans and starches, then it is likely the child will also.

If you ever see a really overweight child under 12, then look at his parents, they often are not only obese, since size is relative, they often are in denial about what their lifestyle and diet are doing to their kids. I had a really fat friend growing up--her mom would bring her 2 dozen doughnuts to eat, then blast her with how much of a pig she was after she was done--then she''d bring her more junk to say she was sorry. The mom was fat also.

[gce65]

This study was obviously confused with the one directly linking fatheads and the White House.

Speaking of trimming fat...why no mention of Bob Wexler''s (D-FL) website gathering online petition signatures to start impeachment hearings against Cheney? Not worth a mention?

Look at: WEXLER WANTS HEARINGS DOT COM.

[nikujaga2231]

What do you get when you add depressed, obese, overworked parents with kids? You get depressed neglected obese kids (not neglected by choice but by necessity). Poor parents choose foods out of necessity: whatever is fast and filling. Fast is choosen to save time; not exactly many healthy choices. Filling because it feels good to be full. Eating is a simple highly accessible pleasure activity. If life does not allow the luxury of a dream, to feel good for one moment, piling on a greasy meal will do the trick. Add to that, limited access to activities and other resources and you get depressed, neglected, obese kids who lack exercise. You cannot look at this problem in a vacuum. I would speculate that these problems are trans-generational and multi-demensional and part of a vicious circle. To look at them otherwise would be to bury ones head in the sand. Sadly, the feasibility of solutions often dictates the course of research rather than the truth however difficult it may be to hear and however much it would cost.

[cd_r1]

I always enjoy it when supposedly educated researchers say things like, "children who did not get enough food were not more likely to be overweight," as if this were some kind of controversial finding. The first thing I wondered when I saw that is, "Are these people f^#@!ng retarded?"

[grammawhamma]

Low income families buy the foods that will stretch their food budget the furthest. Pasta and hamburger dishes and dried beans and potatoes. Obese kids usually have obese parents.

To: drivelphobe
Well, good luck to you also with your drinking problem. That''''s the only thing I can think of that would damage as many brain cells as you obviously have. You are pitiful. I really feel sorry for you. Go ahead....waste your pitiful life making fun of others. Why don''''t you try getting a job that would help people instead of sitting around all day making stupid comments on every site you can find.

[otdky07]

It''s all about caloric intake and exercise. Look at the success of surgery. Why does surgery work? BECAUSE THEY CONSUME LESS CALORIES!!!!! When does it fail? WHen they pound soda and milkshakes like their lives depended on it. Only 2% of obesity is a true gland problem. So the other 98%, watch what the f%$k you eat! It''s portion control. It doesn''t take much to reach 1800 calories. Most people scarf this down in one meal!!!!!!!

[runningralph]

Dogs descended from wolves and became inferior specimens physically and mentally when they became dependant on humans for their livelihood. Dependency over generations will cause all sorts of misfits to thrive and multiply. Latter generations will be inferior to earlier generations that had to make wise decisions to survive. As long as taxpayers keep feeding them they will get worse and worse.

[justsane-2009]

drivel--i understand that you have issues with obesity, particularly in your own family. however, your simplistic, and frankly cruel attitude is both unhelpful and flat out wrong. i don''t know a single overweight person that "wants" to be fat. to be fat in our society is to be a social pariah (witness your comments.) there are overweight people who have all sorts of issues that prevent them from losing weight-and yes, that includes for some of them, not wanting to do the hard work required to lose it. however, the issue being addressed in this article is obesity in children. surely you can''t believe that young children "choose" to be fat. as a elementary teacher, i see the effects of obesity on children--trust me, these kids would far rather be able to participate in games at recess and pe, rather be able to wear the cool clothes that the skinnier kids can, and certainly rather not suffer the social ostracism that comes with excess weight.

the headline on this article is extremely misleading-the study only dealt with whether or not lack of food could be linked to obesity. having worked in both schools where the families were extremely poor, and where the families were solidly midle-class, i would have to say that childhood obesity and poverty are very closely linked. this particular study did not address the broader issue at all...

[three-o-six]

I wonder if it might be a lack of parenting - the kids eat what they want when they want?

[drivelphobe]

This research is a waste of time. Obesity comes from overeating. Who cares if obesity hits the low-income families too? They can eat like pigs can''t they?

Cut down on all the food and live like a normal human being. It''s really simple. The problem is that fat people really don''t care if they''re fat. If the did, they wouldn''t be fat.