Parents to blame for childhood obesity, says op-ed writer
because sometimes even good newspapers publish annoying op-ed pieces…
The Boston Globe published an op-ed piece that basically blamed all of society's ills (with the under-18 set, at least) on…their parents! Not only does the piece perpetuate the myth that baby boomers pretty much all grew up in intact households, always came home from school to a smiling Mommy with a plateful of home-baked cookies, and were "svelte" (obviously the author didn't grow up the child of Greek immigrants!), but it seems that children today either go to an afterschool program with a lot of junk food or to a home with cupboards bursting at the seams with Ding Dongs. Obviously soccer has no place in this America!
In a letter to the editor, it was noted that everywhere, but in the Northeast especially, most families do not have the luxury the author of the op-ed piece seems to think they have — namely, that one parent can stay home and prepare the kids carrot sticks and do calisthenics with them so that they become as "svelte" as their 1950s counterparts.
by Nicole via Creative Reporter
September 16th, 2005 at 6:59 am
Is this woman for real?!
September 16th, 2005 at 4:28 pm
Do you mean real in the sense that the author wrote it and it was published in a well-respected newspaper or real in the sense that the author seems to have entered the year 2005 via a timewarp when she really belongs in the year 1954?
May 7th, 2007 at 10:27 am
In my opinion there are several main causes of obesity, not only one. While there’s no doubt genetics plays a role, genes alone can’t account for the huge increase in rates over the past few decades. I think the main culprits are the same as those for adult obesity: eating too much of high-calorie, high-fat foods, as well as healthy foods are not readily available.
November 7th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
My wife would need one of that because she always says she is fat, when, in fact, she is on my taste. She uses the scale and has to make calculation for getting out the calories. This is a nice invention and maybe a fine present as well.
November 7th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Woops, wrong page. I figure that now a days this is practically impossible or at least the father is the on that stays home preparing the dinner.