Sen. Dodd: We can all point to the reasons why childhood obesity is increasing

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) talks at the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ hearing on child obesity and says that the reasons are clear as to why childhood obesity is growing into an epidemic. Dodd explains that the lack of a nutritious diet, an increase in TV watching, and a decrease in physical activity has caused childhood obesity to become a problem that “affects us all.” (1:31)
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[timothy brenner]

I wish we didn't teach people how to be obese, but we do. In fact, we encourage it on every level possible. Here are a few quick examples.
1. Our educational system. Physical education has been limited in the wake of the childhood obesity problem instead of being increased. In Chicago, elementary school students are given 40 minutes per week of organized physical education, have closed campus policies and limit the physical movement of children. High school students are given 1 quarter of physical education out of 16 total semester quarters that will be spent in high school. Classroom teachers often withhold children from gym for unwanted behavior or failure to accomplish a given task as a punishment and see physical education as a "playtime" which can be manipulated to curb the unwanted behavior. We bus our kids across vast distances to encourage social and racial interactiaction. Instead of allowing a kid to walk 3 or four blocks to school every day, we make them wait on a cold street corner for a bus that will have them sitting and looking out the window for what can be an hour each way every day before and after sitting at a desk for 7 hours. We teach our children to search the internet for information from the comfort of their bedroom chairs instead of walking a couple of blocks to the library. Does anyone know what the Dewey Decimal System is any more? Books? Books are heavy and can become a burden to carry back and forth to school so we will replace those books with digital media that fits nicely (and without physical stress) right into our pockets. All you have to do is carry yourself, but we will even take care of that with a nice warm bus seat.
2. Over-use or the mis-use of technology. Technology does many wonderful things that have improved our lives. But, like everything, there is a flip side. Lets begin with television. It used to be if you wanted to watch a movie, you could either tune your station in, or if there wasn't anything that interested you, you could walk down to the video store and rent a movie. That has gone by the wayside, and now we don't have to leave the couch. All you have to do is punch up your on demand pay-per-view and there is your movie without getting off the couch. You say you're hungry? Don't walk to the kitchen for a snack, just order your food on the television and it will be brought right to your door. You don't even have to pick up the phone to dial any more. Just point and click. Unfortunately, you still have to get up and go to the door.
Let's look at how we move around since we are on the subject. If you get off a train at O'Hare Int'l airport in Chicago, you are greeted by miles of moving sidewalks. Being fatigued after your long seated commute, technology will transport you right to your terminal where you can continue sitting while you wait to board your plane and take your seat for the long ride ahead. How about the mall? Pleanty of escalators, elevators and in some cases, glorified golf carts to propel you where you want to go.
3. How about the entertainment of our children? It used to be that you would have to walk down to the local arcade to play games or hang out with your friends. Thanks to technology- not any more. Now you sit in your chair and play your games online. No more walking to play the viseo game- we bring the game to you.
These are just a few simple instances that have given us the obesity problem and there is nothing in the mainstream media or in the solutions presented by the professionals to address these issues.
So with all that, how much does it cost us in healthcare to address what we have created? The green movement? Nah, just stick everyone on a bus. More carcinogens and engine emissions, more fat going to storage, more money spent on healthcare, more completely useless initiatives to solve a bad problem. Let's just blame the cheeseburger, because it's convenient and easier.
I will stop here because I can go on for another 10 or 20 thousand words off the top of my head. If any of this has caught your attention, please visit http://slimthekids.com as there you will find much much more.
Thank you and God bless.
Timothy Brenner, MA, Eled
Physical Education Teacher