It's been raining here all week and (partly because of that, partly because family troubles have left me exhausted), I've been letting the kids watch some TV-- normally, I have a No Screen Time policy. Even when allowed to watch TV, some of the kids preferred
and jumping on the mini-trampoline I just bought.
I hate that slack-jawed, glazed, drugged look small children get when they watch TV. Normally, when it rains, we make things or play cards or dress-up
or cook or if there are enough kids over, play hide and seek or sardines or make things with Sculpy or play boardgames .....(another time I will post about these activities: back to the point).
But this week, we watched TV. And maybe because of Meghan's post, maybe because I'm dieting (and you know what THAT makes you think about!), I noticed what the kids on the shows and in the ads were eating. With the exception of the shakes Ricky serves on Hannah Montanna, it was always fast food -- and one episode of I Carly was about her brother making "spaghetti tacos." Another show's plot revolved around kids pretending to be on a ping pong team so they could spend the club money going out to a fancy restaurant -- and what food was dwelt on and lovingly photographed? The cake they had for dessert--one kid was so stuffed he couldn't eat it, so a friend held his mouth open and massaged his jaws so he would chew. The show also showed them grunting with pleasure while they stuffed themselves.
Is it just this week? Was I super-aware of it because of Meghan's post and my diet? Or is this happening all the time? Maybe the BEST way to help kids lose weight would be to show the cool teenagers eating vegetables.
Some of the kids I babysit eat a lot of junk food, none are overweight--but they lead pretty idyllic lives. Some live on a street with other kids their age; they all play outside together after school, every day. Others spend most of the day playing outside on estates like this:
Statistically, the poorer you are, the fatter you are. Obesity correlates more strongly with income than any other factor -- education, geography, intelligence: none matter as much when it comes to being overweight as income. But I bet if all children lived in places as beautiful as this
where it's SAFE to play outside all afternoon, as kids here do, we wouldn't have an obesity epidemic--even if the kids still ate junk food. (Could this be where the income/weight correlation really comes from: where you live? Even in cities, the rich neighborhoods have great playgrounds, the poor ones don't.) Maybe this is simple-minded. But if I were to somehow make a lot of money, I'd some of it to give more children good places to play, and to educate parents about the importance of letting them do that..... and yes, maybe nutrition too. Ack! I hope this isn't preachy. And as I write it, I'm thinking that maybe I could and should do something along those lines NOW. Ideas for what very welcome!
or cook or if there are enough kids over, play hide and seek or sardines or make things with Sculpy or play boardgames .....(another time I will post about these activities: back to the point).But this week, we watched TV. And maybe because of Meghan's post, maybe because I'm dieting (and you know what THAT makes you think about!), I noticed what the kids on the shows and in the ads were eating. With the exception of the shakes Ricky serves on Hannah Montanna, it was always fast food -- and one episode of I Carly was about her brother making "spaghetti tacos." Another show's plot revolved around kids pretending to be on a ping pong team so they could spend the club money going out to a fancy restaurant -- and what food was dwelt on and lovingly photographed? The cake they had for dessert--one kid was so stuffed he couldn't eat it, so a friend held his mouth open and massaged his jaws so he would chew. The show also showed them grunting with pleasure while they stuffed themselves.
Is it just this week? Was I super-aware of it because of Meghan's post and my diet? Or is this happening all the time? Maybe the BEST way to help kids lose weight would be to show the cool teenagers eating vegetables.
Some of the kids I babysit eat a lot of junk food, none are overweight--but they lead pretty idyllic lives. Some live on a street with other kids their age; they all play outside together after school, every day. Others spend most of the day playing outside on estates like this:
Statistically, the poorer you are, the fatter you are. Obesity correlates more strongly with income than any other factor -- education, geography, intelligence: none matter as much when it comes to being overweight as income. But I bet if all children lived in places as beautiful as this
where it's SAFE to play outside all afternoon, as kids here do, we wouldn't have an obesity epidemic--even if the kids still ate junk food. (Could this be where the income/weight correlation really comes from: where you live? Even in cities, the rich neighborhoods have great playgrounds, the poor ones don't.) Maybe this is simple-minded. But if I were to somehow make a lot of money, I'd some of it to give more children good places to play, and to educate parents about the importance of letting them do that..... and yes, maybe nutrition too. Ack! I hope this isn't preachy. And as I write it, I'm thinking that maybe I could and should do something along those lines NOW. Ideas for what very welcome!
