i think the cause of childhood obesity in the USA and soon coming to other countries everywhere, is mcdonald’s and other multibillion dollar corporations whose target audience of massive marketing campaigns is children, especially poor children, in a bad economy, i believe if the fed gov’t outlawed the mystery chemical they use, it would help. yes, mcdonalds, in their owns words states, “we want to get the customers young and then we have a customer for life.” how do they know they will then have a customer for life? because they know what chemicals are being added to their poison, rotten food. if i eat a big mac now, i will immediately get the urge to vomit. that is because my body still remembers what real food that grows in the ground tastes like and i am sensitive and can taste just a little, and smell just a little, something rotten when i eat their food. children who have eaten nothing their whole lives but processed junk with chemicals are not able to detect this rotteness. mcdonalds stated that “yes, they do add flavor enhancing chemicals that make a person eat past full, and then in turn make them hungry again soon afterwards for the same thing they just ate. so eat a big mac, eat way past full, and you’ll be hungry for another big mac an hour later. this chemical is as addictive as heroin. i know, my child is addicted to it. they should be investigated before they poison and ruin an entire generation of american children, and soon after will come europeans …

I’ve been on it for 17 days, and I feel great! I happen to love the soup, which really helps, and so far I’ve lost 17 pounds. I walk 5-6 miles each day, and this diet has really curbed my cravings for sweet things and junk food. However, I know that losing this much weight is not healthy whatsoever, so should I finish the third week (4 1/2 more days), and stop, keep going, or just stop now? What do you think?

Childhood obesity is on the rise in India. We go to one northern Indian school that has been hard hit by the growing problem. Students here blame their weight on a lack of sports and exercise. They say most of their time is taken up by studying for exams. [Faizal Ahmed, Student, St. Josephs School]: “There is a lot of emphasis put on our studies. The school does not pay attention to sports. There is Chinese food and junk food available in the school. And children obviously like it more.” It also doesnt help that the food served in their school cafeteria is not healthy. [Deepanshu, Student, St. Joseph's School]: “I play very little sports because there is a lot of academic pressure. And I also eat junk food.” Doctors believe that obesity can lead to many diseases, especially diabetes.

Any ideas? I’m doing a presentation for nutrition class on possible solutions or preventions to lower the obesity rate in our country. Here’s what I thought of so far:

Require schools to have nutrition education in order to graduate (childhood obesity is a huge issue right now)

Ban junk food from schools (such as pizza, hamburgers, taco bell, etc) and have more salad bars with a variety of food to teach children how to make healthy choices.

Have more restaurants who offer smaller portion sizes (like TGI Friday’s "right portion, right price")

Have more restaurants consult a Dietitian to help create a menu with healthy options.

Only 5% of Medical schools require their students to take a nutrition class and even then, its usually just a basic class. This is a problem because most people consult their doctors for nutrition advice when they aren’t very qualified. I think all medical schools should require nutrition classes.

I need more ideas please. Thanks!

Have they (especially anti junk food policies) been successful in reducing obesity rates among children/adolescents.
If they have or have not can you PLEASE provide me with credible sources or statistics supporting your answer?
(Debate class project)

Thanks!!!!!

i have to write a proposal for a project at school
i was thinking of making a big petition and sending it to the us government but i have to show evidence that it will be successful. help please !
black57, you missed the point
coca cola isnt fast food necesarily its junk food thats sold at fast food restaurants and i never said i wanted the government to ban anything
i was thinking of them setting restrictions to portion sizing and fat/sugar content
thanks everyoneeee else
i really needed that helppp
im donee yay

The nutritional needs of a growing child are high. But do you think that children nowadays are relying too heavily on fast foods? There is a problem with childhood obesity. The question is, are modern day children meeting their nutritional needs?

Of course, I am not saying that children should abstain from all ‘bad’ foods. I’m just wondering if there is too much emphasis on the ‘bad’, nutrient deprived foods. Is junk food forming a major part of their diet?

Thanks for your input, feel free to share your thoughts on this.
Brit- interesting point about the school meals. My sister goes to school and she says that the food options are unhealthy.

so I’m watching the video called super size me. it really changed my view of fast food. they brought up some really good questions.
why don’t we advertise fruit as much as junk food? do schools really keep a careful enough eye on the students food intake? and is it the food companies fault for America’s obesity or the people’s?

And why do convenience stores regularly stock junk food? I live a very fast-paced life where I really can’t cook or prepare food without it affected getting to work, getting to the venue where I am performing, etc, on time. For me it’s rush rush rush with little time for sleep, even.

So, I am at the mercy of eating whatever food is nearby, and while I practically starve if the vending machine is the only choice, it really sucks that I need to do that. why not make healthy food more available.

Unless no on really wants to solve the problem.
Oh, about bringing your own, not always an option. Yeah, when I have time, I do it. when 5 minutes make the difference between me being on time or not, then it isn’t

My husbands niece is 6 yrs old and weighs 105 pounds. I blame the parents. Do you?
to all who have asked there is nothing physically wrong with her to make her gain weight. she is allowed to eat to much and it is all junk food