Child Obesity.

End corn subsidies. Sounds like a bizarre suggestion from out of left field, but the prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in the United States is one of the biggest contributors around to childhood obesity in America. It's quite possibly the worst sweetener in existence, and the only reason it's used is because corn is so heavily subsidized.

I could go on a similar rant about the absurdity of ethanol, too, but that's a different story.

How can we end it?Eternal_Triumph

[QUOTE="Eternal_Triumph"]How can we end it?Citrus25

I like your additude, it certainly gets you places.

[QUOTE="Citrus25"][QUOTE="Eternal_Triumph"]How can we end it?PretentiousDolt

I like your additude, it certainly gets you places.

Have better modern role models, healthier food, parenting, more in-depth education about nutrition, mandatory gym classes, more interactive video games, smaller portion sizes, and more water.

I don't think there should be a fat tax, but I believe there should be subsidies for healthy people or parents with healthy children.

Have better modern role models, healthier food, parenting, more in-depth education about nutrition, mandatory gym classes, more interactive video games, smaller portion sizes, and more water.

I don't think there should be a fat tax, but I believe there should be subsidies for healthy people or parents with healthy children.

Jackboot343

Tell parents to educate their children on the importance of putting down the fork.DJ_Lae

[QUOTE="Jackboot343"]

Have better modern role models, healthier food, parenting, more in-depth education about nutrition, mandatory gym classes, more interactive video games, smaller portion sizes, and more water.

I don't think there should be a fat tax, but I believe there should be subsidies for healthy people or parents with healthy children.

Xeros606

Well that's why I'm against the fat tax, but I think subsidies would help motivate people. It wouldn't be something major, and they should have doctors evaluate the individuals and not simply their BMI. It's a tough issue. But I hear more and more of the fat tax being incorporated, and I think subsidies for people deemed healthy by thorough evaluations from doctors would work better. Perhaps though it would be better to have neither. But the more we do, the more it helps our society as a whole get back to being healthy.

Take away the video games.Vandalvideo

Take away the video games.Vandalvideo

Exercise is actually only a secondary issue when it compared to diet. It's important, but it won't do much for someone's health if they're still eating like crap.

How can we end adult obesity?

It's funny how people get all dictatorship on children but suddenly become so democratic once the person becomes 18 years old and zero seconds.

Me, I personally believe we should change cultural views on fast food or obesity. I also never understood exercise, you hardly see anyone outside of Western countries do it, yet Western countries are the fattest.

[QUOTE="Vandalvideo"]Take away the video games.GabuEx

Exercise is actually only a secondary issue when it compared to diet. It's important, but it won't do much for someone's health if they're still eating like crap.

I eat like crap and I'm fit as a whistle because of a stringent workout schedule.Vandalvideo

"Crap" being what?

[QUOTE="Vandalvideo"]I eat like crap and I'm fit as a whistle because of a stringent workout schedule.GabuEx

"Crap" being what?

make them play sportsBlitz_Nemesis

End corn subsidies. Sounds like a bizarre suggestion from out of left field, but the prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in the United States is one of the biggest contributors around to childhood obesity in America. It's quite possibly the worst sweetener in existence, and the only reason it's used is because corn is so heavily subsidized.

I could go on a similar rant about the absurdity of ethanol, too, but that's a different story.

GabuEx

So that's why nearly all (sweet) American food contains corn syrup. I was wondering that.

Tastes nice though I must admit.

genetically alter each kid to have a high metabolism.BumFluff122

How can we end adult obesity?

It's funny how people get all dictatorship on children but suddenly become so democratic once the person becomes 18 years old and zero seconds.

Me, I personally believe we should change cultural views on fast food or obesity. I also never understood exercise, you hardly see anyone outside of Western countries do it, yet Western countries are the fattest.

Famiking

[QUOTE="Famiking"]

How can we end adult obesity?

It's funny how people get all dictatorship on children but suddenly become so democratic once the person becomes 18 years old and zero seconds.

Me, I personally believe we should change cultural views on fast food or obesity. I also never understood exercise, you hardly see anyone outside of Western countries do it, yet Western countries are the fattest.

Big_player

You act like kids are forced to be overweight. Yes, their diet is controlled mostly by their parents, but if the child has motivation to lose weight, he'll ask.

Most kids understand the concept of weight loss. But just like adults they are too lazy to implement it. And I don't see why they should be forced into fitness while we can adults get away with it. Kids are human too.

[QUOTE="Big_player"][QUOTE="Famiking"]

How can we end adult obesity?

It's funny how people get all dictatorship on children but suddenly become so democratic once the person becomes 18 years old and zero seconds.

Me, I personally believe we should change cultural views on fast food or obesity. I also never understood exercise, you hardly see anyone outside of Western countries do it, yet Western countries are the fattest.

Famiking

You act like kids are forced to be overweight. Yes, their diet is controlled mostly by their parents, but if the child has motivation to lose weight, he'll ask.

Most kids understand the concept of weight loss. But just like adults they are too lazy to implement it. And I don't see why they should be forced into fitness while we can adults get away with it. Kids are human too.

End corn subsidies. Sounds like a bizarre suggestion from out of left field, but the prevalence of high fructose corn syrup in the United States is one of the biggest contributors around to childhood obesity in America. It's quite possibly the worst sweetener in existence, and the only reason it's used is because corn is so heavily subsidized.

I could go on a similar rant about the absurdity of ethanol, too, but that's a different story.

Lunch basically consists of fried chicken fingers and french fries, while dinner consists of Mashed potatoes, peas, croisant rolls, fried fish, and brocoli and cheese. mmmmm maximum calories. I used to eat a lot of McDonalds when I lived overseas and nothing changed either.Vandalvideo

Hmm, well, I could have sworn I read a study that showed that you can stillget heart and liver disease even if you don't gain weight if you eat unhealthy while exercising, but I can't seem to find it at the moment, so maybe I was mistaken.

As a child who grew up almost 100 pounds overweight I strongly believe fitness should be strongly encouraged among children. It wasn't until I was 14 and old enough to buy my own food and pay for my gym pass that I finally lost weight. I still suffer from poor self esteem and a bad self image despite the fact I know I'm no longer overweight. It weighs much harder on a child's conscious then you may think, it goes deeper then just looks.Big_player

If you want to exercise then you should be able to, I'm not advocating for a complete ban on sports. But don't force ME to exercise because YOU are overweight.

Nor should overweight children be forced to exercise, if they don't want to put the effort then what good is forcing them? If people want to exercise then go ahead, no one is stopping you. But don't make people suffer for your misfortunes.

[QUOTE="Big_player"] As a child who grew up almost 100 pounds overweight I strongly believe fitness should be strongly encouraged among children. It wasn't until I was 14 and old enough to buy my own food and pay for my gym pass that I finally lost weight. I still suffer from poor self esteem and a bad self image despite the fact I know I'm no longer overweight. It weighs much harder on a child's conscious then you may think, it goes deeper then just looks.Famiking

If you want to exercise then you should be able to, I'm not advocating for a complete ban on sports. But don't force ME to exercise because YOU are overweight.

[QUOTE="Famiking"]

[QUOTE="Big_player"] As a child who grew up almost 100 pounds overweight I strongly believe fitness should be strongly encouraged among children. It wasn't until I was 14 and old enough to buy my own food and pay for my gym pass that I finally lost weight. I still suffer from poor self esteem and a bad self image despite the fact I know I'm no longer overweight. It weighs much harder on a child's conscious then you may think, it goes deeper then just looks.Vandalvideo

If you want to exercise then you should be able to, I'm not advocating for a complete ban on sports. But don't force ME to exercise because YOU are overweight.

How can we end it?Eternal_Triumph

Get them outside.

Looking back at me and my friends when I was a kid, there was maybe one kid that I would call obese. But then again, we played outside as much as possible.

Lack of exercise, bad food choices, bad parenting? I eat many more calories than I should, taken in plenty of HFCS but still stay in good shape. Obesity has nothing to do with the food itself, its the amount of food eaten and the sedentary lifestyle of most people that cause obesity.ATT-Fighter

In 1985, obesity rates were never more than 15% in any state. Now, there is only one single state remaining - Colorado - that does not have an obesity rate above 20%. The claim seems rather suspect to me that people have suddenly gotten that much worse in only 24 years.

There are not one, but two problems with high fructose corn syrup. First, it's not exactly very good for you. But second, it's really, really cheap. So cheap, in fact, that it made the price fall of anything that used it. Lower prices meant more consumption. Observe:

Around 1985-1986 was the big switchover from sugar to high fructose corn syrup. It seems kinda likely to me that something big happened there - parents did not get that much worse overnight.

The fact of the matter is that the combination of the unhealthiness of high fructose corn syrup with its relative cheapness has made a huge negative impact on obesity rates in the US. You can say what you want about lack of exercise, bad food choices, and bad parenting (not that they aren't important), but there's a rather strong relationship in pretty well every case between the price of something going down and its consumption going up. If we ended corn subsidies, the price of high fructose corn syrup would return to the levels it really should be at, and it would bring the price of stuff that uses it back up with it.

And there you have it: how corn subsidies made America fat. I told you it was a weird link. :P