A Fat $500 Million

Proof that America has too much money but too little real sense - imo of course. Announcements like this just strike me as bizarre, particularly as the dollars are directed at low income, mostly immigrant populations. How do you reason this out? Millions of people leave their homeland because they don't have enough to eat, now they are eating too much?

Low income might not be so low given that the children are getting so fat?

Or how about, Son or daughter, shut off the TV or PC, or put away the game boy, get off your lazy ass and go out and play dodge ball. Oh, forgive me, I forgot, that's much to dangerous today. Hell, do it anyway and give me the $500 Million.

I think we create these problems just so someone can make themselves feel better by spending big money not solving them. Our society is growing very short on common sense.

PRINCETON, N.J., April 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced it will commit at least $500 million over the next five years to tackle one of the most urgent public health threats facing our nation: childhood obesity. This is the largest commitment by any foundation to this issue. The Foundation's goal is to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States by 2015.

The Foundation will focus on improving access to affordable healthy foods and opportunities for safe physical activity in schools and communities. It will place special emphasis on reaching children at greatest risk for obesity and related health problems: African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander children living in low-income communities.

Comments

[TheSpartan]

Those horrible bastards, giving their own money to combat a problem...

Seriously, I agree that kids need to get outside and play more often and while that's part of the problem it's not the whole problem. The need for dual incomes and the low cost of foods that have little redeeming nutritional value are contributing factors as well.

[LOL]

"Or how about, Son or daughter, shut off the TV or PC, or put away the game boy, get off your lazy ass and go out and play dodge ball."

"opportunities for safe physical activity in schools and communities"

[TheSpartan]

Fund Head Start and other afterschool programs.

[CinnLater]

Bullshit. Take away their fast food, bags of potato chips, milkshakes, etc. In New Jersey, not sure of any other states but you can buy Mc Donalds with food stamps. I witness it all the time, mothers standing in the check out line where I work. Buying Ice Cream, two foot hoagies, chips and soda, all the while wearing gold chains, talking on their cell phone with just done nails. Last week I said to customer, young guy around 20 something, why don't you get a job instead of using welfare. He snapped at me and said, OH LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER FELL ON HARD TIMES. He then said I more than likly used a debit or credit card to support myself. Hello? My response was, yeah more than once, but I sure as hell didn't go on welfare, what we did do was take on another job or three. These kids are FAT because they have lazy parents, not because they don't have a safe school or place to play. Don't try and blame it on poverty. It's cheaper to buy a pound of ground beef than a bag of Lays.

Lazy bastards.

[scarshapedstar]

"Low income might not be so low given that the children are getting so fat?"

If you think healthy food is cheap, you aren't paying attention.

[templar knight]

Yes, scar, that's one of the problems. Healthy food is MUCH more expensive than either fast food, or foods high in bad carbs and fat. Fresh fruit is very expensive, especially this time of year.

But downright laziness has a lot to do with it as well. The kids who are active in sports tend to have less excess weight, and are healthier as well. Sitting in front of the computer, playing video games, or just watching television have all added to the problem.

None of my kids are overweight. IMHO, my rule that children are not allowed inside my house during daylight hours unless the weather is bad, they need to go to the bathroom, they have to study, or we are eating our evening meal has forced my children to find activities in the outdoors, including playing basketball, football, softball, tennis or just going out to swing or play. Keeping kids active is the key, and helping them develope habits that include exercise.

[nova]

They will just spend it on more pizza. Kids in America werent fat before pizza showed up everywhere. And TV.

[ZZMike]

As everybody knows, the only way to deal with societal problems like obesity, ignorance, and global warming, is for someone to come up with buckets full of money.

On the other hand, maybe it's going to cost $500MM to hire celebrities like Rosie O'Donnell to go around the country extolling the virtues of diet and exercize.

[Hard Right]

Seeing Rosie in person would make me lose my appetite. What a nut.

[TheSpartan]

Again, I don't think it's one thing. Yes, we need to get kids out and exercising more. For inner-city kids this means access to safer places to play. We also need people to learn responsible parenting and make sure the schools are teaching kids about healthy nutrition in health class, along with exposing them to sports that they can stay active in their whole lives. And as for you CinnLater, you do realize one of your overstuffed heros Rush Limbaugh was on welfare at one point right?

[CINDI]

You Spartan assume to much. I have one hero in life,and it's not Rush.

If one needs to find a safe place for children to hang out, they really need to reconsider where they are being raised. Doesn't take a rocket scientist or a millionaire. Of course hard work doesn't hurt anyone.

[bloodrage bob]

what we NEED here, of course, is a shiny new hideously expensive government aid program to ostensibly fix but secretly exacerbate & perpetuate the problem: like welfare, sorta.

"leancuisine" stamps? low-cal soup kitchens? something....

[TheSpartan]

CINDI, children have very little choice in where they are raised and often it's not even their parents fault that their neighborhoods might not be safe. I realize that doesn't fit into your "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality but reality is a bitch as they say. Do us all a favor and support your local Boys and Girls Club.

[Phoenix]

Considering no program that has attempted to teach people about food has worked, how about just punishing fat people.

Have a FAT WA FARM.

Use that money to build a farm and starting in the second-grade, any kid over a certain size gets sent to the Fat Wa Farm to learn about hard work, eating right, exercise and no TV.

The fat problem would be solved in a generation. If a parent is willing to let his kid get fat at the expense of the kid's health, declare it abuse and send him off. Simple algorithm: No one is going to change their behavior until it hurts them. Make it hurt.

I bet health insurance companies would pay all expenses. Fatness re-hab.

[TheSpartan]

Hmmm prison for fat people...sounds great, can we do it for stupid people next? I'm sure someone will save you a space in line.

[CINDI]

Stupid? As in parents who refuse to care for children, stupid?

Stop making excuses for them Spartan. This is America. Everyone has the ability to "pull up their boot straps" and move on to better things. It is folks as yourself who continue to bottle feed the poor that are the stupid ones.

I support all kinds of programs involving children. What I do not support is a parent who refuses to move on and make a better life for a child. There is no excuse in this country for that. None at all. I have a step niece who got pregnant at 16, went on welfare but soon grew tired of being poor. Today she is 21 years old, a registered nurse working private duty for a plastic surgeon in Dallas. The opportunity is there for those that want it.

Eating heathy is no more expensive than grabbing a Mc Donalds happy meal. Again, lazy comes to mind. Much easier to do a drive through than open a can of fruit and wash the sugar off.

[Phoenix]

You talking to me, Spartan? Where did I say 'prison'?

And you move two jumps straight into the stupid line if you think I actually meant that.

What you need to take from my remark is that we might need to exercise some tough love instead of stupidly thinking we can change behavior without exacting consequences for what we so benevolently give away.

[varatphong]

It's always good to reinforce the basics of healthy living, things like eating good food, exercising and drinking Puerh tea ) Really though there's a real lack of knowledge and discipline in the way people are living their life.

Varat
http://www.puerhcha.com

[TheSpartan]

"Everyone has the ability to "pull up their boot straps" and move on to better things."

Cindi, 5 years olds do not have that abaility which is what you implied when you said

"If one needs to find a safe place for children to hang out, they really need to reconsider where they are being raised"

And as for you Phoenix, no you never specifically said "prison" you aren;t courageous enough to come out and say that

"Use that money to build a farm and starting in the second-grade, any kid over a certain size gets sent to the Fat Wa Farm to learn about hard work, eating right, exercise and no TV."

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...maybe the work they could do could be pressing license plates or making picnic furniture? Of course the whole thing would never happen because it would mean spending money on children and minorities. Maybe the better solution would be to lower the age of the military to like 10 and institute the draft? When will you learn that education CAN solve social problems given the proper chance and support?

[TheSpartan]

Oh, and behavior can change without "exacting consequences".

[Phoenix]

Spartan,

I'm not courageous enough to come out with saying 'prisons'? No. I'm smart enough not to say that because that's far from what I was talking about. Ever see prisons teaching good eating habits, making prisoners do work like farming just for the purpose of learning good work, and teaching exercise, and last but not least, not allowing any TV?

Re-hab. Is re-hab for any other societal problem a prison? No.

You looked real hard there to find something to pick on. Ever heard me say I think we should not spend money to help children and minorities?

When will I learn that education can solve social problems....? You seem to forget I taught. I spent half my life teaching, and during that time, I bought lunch for kids every day, and I sneaked clothes to kids every week. I also give about five-thousand dollars to charity each year. I have added much to Wounded Warriors, but that doesn't impress you, I'm sure.

Don't tell me what I know and don't know or what I do or don't do. I've got a record yet for helping minorities and poor kids get into college that no one at my school can come close to. I also have the record in my school for elevating my students' state scores far above any other teacher. Do you think I managed that without exacting consequences? Guess what I got for exacting those consequences? Nothing but thanks and love. That's what. And a ton of awards I'd mention except for the fact they're easy to find and have my personal information on them.

You go right on quacking your filth and rage. Its empty impotence rings as hollow as your attempts to set us morons straight.