Is Childhood Obesity Child Abuse/neglect?

[Sojourner]

[quote name='kenrockthefirst' post='1930620' date='Jul 24 2009, 12:23 PM']The larger issue is the way of life we lead in the 21st century. How many families eat at least one meal a day together? How many of those meals are prepared using whole foods, i.e. things with a recognizable plant or animal origin?[/quote]
From what I see in my fellow shoppers' carts, and on grocery aisles, a lot of people are taking the quick an easy way out of food preparation and are going toward prepared foods. I have never been big on prepared foods, but a) I like to cook and b) I've often in my life had more time than money, making it more sensible to make my own food from scratch.

Really, I just like doing it myself because it tastes better.

[StColette]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1930668' date='Jul 24 2009, 01:20 PM']i know you understand exceptions. I'm sorry if I sounded accusatory. I have had to defend my children's eating habits on more than one occasion (one situation was especially ugly). My children have a high metabolism... they eat many mini-meals often. So, when the neighbor hears that my dd had "a tomato" for lunch, she shouldn't consider calling CPS on me because my poor skinny little dd had to scrounge around and could only find a tomato to eat... she should take into consideration that two hours prior, my dd had peanut butter and crackers and in another hour or two she'll have a big glass of milk and a peach. I used to hear often that I should not give my children snacks-- just let them get good and hungry and then they will eat good "proper" meals. It just does not work like that for us. The only seriously "proper" meal we eat is supper. (And don't worry about breakfasts, we usually get two around here...)[/quote]

That's how my niece and I are. We can't eat regular sized meals. We'd get sick if we tried eating regular sized meals. So we graze

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='StColette' post='1930706' date='Jul 24 2009, 01:55 PM'] That's how my niece and I are. We can't eat regular sized meals. We'd get sick if we tried eating regular sized meals. So we graze [/quote]
Me too.

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1930703' date='Jul 24 2009, 12:51 PM']From what I see in my fellow shoppers' carts, and on grocery aisles, a lot of people are taking the quick an easy way out of food preparation and are going toward prepared foods. I have never been big on prepared foods, but a) I like to cook and b) I've often in my life had more time than money, making it more sensible to make my own food from scratch.

Really, I just like doing it myself because it tastes better.[/quote]

It is pretty hot here right now, and our building is un-aircondioned. We live next door to a Safeway that has a Starbucks, so in the afternoon when it is really hot, we go over and sit in the lounge. So I got to watch about a hundred people leave with their shopping carts from about 4:30 to 6:00pm. It was definitely the rushing in and out on the way home kind of crowd. I don't think I saw a single raw vegetable leave the building. I understand about getting a chicken on the way home because you don't want to heat the house up, especially since no one has air conditioning here, but it seemed to mostly be boxed stuff, and frozen/microwavable stuff. Nutrition aside, that's not a good way to spend your food budget either.

[kenrockthefirst]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1930703' date='Jul 24 2009, 01:51 PM']From what I see in my fellow shoppers' carts, and on grocery aisles, a lot of people are taking the quick an easy way out of food preparation and are going toward prepared foods. I have never been big on prepared foods, but a) I like to cook and b) I've often in my life had more time than money, making it more sensible to make my own food from scratch.

Really, I just like doing it myself because it tastes better.[/quote]
That's the point. Both parents are working, we're all running around like mad and it's therefore easier - and what's obscene, cheaper - to eat something out of a box. Those "foods," however, are highly processed with most of the nutrients left behind, full of salt, sugar and fat. For the first time in history, we have people who are overweight yet malnourished.

Edited July 24, 2009 by kenrockthefirst

[Archaeology cat]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1930703' date='Jul 24 2009, 06:51 PM']From what I see in my fellow shoppers' carts, and on grocery aisles, a lot of people are taking the quick an easy way out of food preparation and are going toward prepared foods. I have never been big on prepared foods, but a) I like to cook and b) I've often in my life had more time than money, making it more sensible to make my own food from scratch.

Really, I just like doing it myself because it tastes better.[/quote]
I know what you mean. I avoid boxed foods whenever possible, because I love to cook and it just tastes better when made from fresh ingredients.

[quote name='StColette' post='1930706' date='Jul 24 2009, 06:55 PM'] That's how my niece and I are. We can't eat regular sized meals. We'd get sick if we tried eating regular sized meals. So we graze [/quote]
That's pretty much what I do. Though I do sometimes get tired of finding something to eat.

[cmotherofpirl]

Since we discovered Aldis my cart is filled with fresh veggies, chicken and fish. I will confess to still buying Mac and C.heese, and pancake mix in a box. There are days I wish I could open a box and be done with it, I get tired of cooking, especially when I have spent the entire day on a project.

And I definitely endorse the hobbit way of life!