Kids may make parents overweight

[Demi]

BBC News
London, UK
30 December, 2006


Overweight adults may be able to blame their offspring after a US study found adults living with children eat more fat than others.

Those living with children ate the equivalent of almost a pepperoni pizza of saturated fat each week compared with adults in a childless household.

The work, in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, was based on surveys of 6,600 adults.

The authors recommended more work to investigate the causes behind the link.

Lead researcher Helena Laroche, from the University of Iowa, explained: "The study does not prove that the presence of children causes adults to eat more fat; people living with children may have different eating habits for many reasons."

Adults with children in the home ate more "convenience" foods such as ice cream, pizza and salty snacks.

Their diet led to an additional 4.9 grams of fat each day, including 1.7 grams of saturated fat, which is linked to heart disease.

The authors believe the differences they found might be down to time pressures, advertising aimed at children that also includes adults, or adults' perception that children will eat only "hotdogs or macaroni and cheese".

Temptation

Ms Laroche said: "Once these foods are in the house, even if bought for the children, adults appear more likely to eat them."

Dr David Haslam of the National Obesity Forum said: "We are leading our children astray and going along with them, falling into the same trap by having crisps when they have crisps.

"It is difficult if your child leaves a triangle of pizza from their lunch not to gobble it down, but put it in the bin. You can see why it happens."

The investigators recommended more research into whether the ages of the children has any bearing. The current study looked at adults ages 17 to 65 living with and without children aged under 17.

The authors also stressed changes to habits needed to focus on the entire household, not just individuals.

Dr Haslam agreed saying: "It does have to be team work, not just the family, but the extended family, friends and school. It is no good giving children a healthy diet if they are still getting all their cakes and biscuits at granny's house."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6217057.stm

[Nancy LC]

You know, I think I know why!

I was on another forum and some mom was asking if she should take her whole family gluten free. She has a couple of celiac kids and they're constantly getting contamination. She said that her kids pick out the food they eat.

Well... my thought was WOW! When I was a kid my Mom was the original soup nazi. You ate what she made and whatever dietary plan she was grooving on was what everyone ate. If my Mom wanted to eat an all raw vegan diet we did it. (Yes, we actually did for awhile).

So we never had the crap growing up that everyone else had. She was a good cook with very novel ideas about healthy eating, some of which turned out to be true (Ok, not the raw vegan diet one though).

When did parents turn over all dietary control to their kids? Maybe it was somewhat that way when I was a kid but not in my Mom's house!

[potatofree]

I'm going to leave the whole parenting/food choices debate to others, but just the sheer number of times a day children eat leaves temptation all around. When my kids were small, it seemed they were always hungry, and with a teenage eating machine at home now... :help:

:lol:

Oh, and I'll admit to buying things "for Steven" that he doesn't even care about...but *I* do. ;)

[2bthinner!]

I wonder if they bothered to calculate how many additional CARBS they got?! :lol:

Maybe parents are avoiding the whining and threats to call HRS. (Don't worry, when my oldest did that I told her go right ahead. Know what'll happen? They'll take you out of here with the clothes you're wearing and you'll have to go stay with people you don't know. You might not even have your own room anymore. She didn't call. Never threatened me again. I do have another friend who said go ahead, but I'll beat your a$$ til they get here. :lol: Um, she didn't, the child didn't..)

[eyesofblue]

When did parents turn over all dietary control to their kids? Maybe it was somewhat that way when I was a kid but not in my Mom's house!

I know when I was growing up, we ate whatever was cooked for us, school offered some flexibility, but not much as most things offered were fairly healthy.

Now, even if we control what the kids eat at home, we can not control what they eat outside of the house. Schools are filled with vending machines, the hot lunches that are offered are just about all snack/fast food, many high school's even have espresso bars. Even if we pack a lunch for them and not give them any money, they are still give sweets as a reward for different reasons from the teachers.

As a parent, I feel my hands are tied.

Sometimes just watching them eat something I shouldn't really makes me want it. For instance I do not care for pasta, but I can't tell you how many times I have eaten spagetti after making it for the kids. Go figure! That being said I too have boughten things "for the kids" when really it was for myself.

[Nancy LC]

Now, even if we control what the kids eat at home, we can not control what they eat outside of the house. Schools are filled with vending machines, the hot lunches that are offered are just about all snack/fast food, many high school's even have espresso bars. Even if we pack a lunch for them and not give them any money, they are still give sweets as a reward for different reasons from the teachers.
Yeah, we never had money as kids either. And Mom sent lunches with us. But that handing out treats thing... that really should be stopped. I hear the parents of celiac kids about their kids coming home sick from that practice.

[sublime]

I'm going to leave the whole parenting/food choices debate to others, but just the sheer number of times a day children eat leaves temptation all around. When my kids were small, it seemed they were always hungry, and with a teenage eating machine at home now... :help:

:lol:

Oh, and I'll admit to buying things "for Steven" that he doesn't even care about...but *I* do. ;)
Thats so true about them eating all the time. When my son went to his 2 year check up(he's 3 now), the doctor took a look at his weight(he's on the small side)and his energy level and told me to feed him healthy but feed him whenever he wanted food. Oh, and I've bought things for "the kids" and actually hidden them for me so they couldn't find them!!! :lol:

[Dodger]

Adults with children in the home ate more "convenience" foods such as ice cream, pizza and salty snacks.

Their diet led to an additional 4.9 grams of fat each day...These are all high carb foods. Why is only the extra fat in the diet mentioned?

[potatofree]

because we ALL know it's the fat that'll kill you. :rolleyes:

[ReginaW]

because we ALL know it's the fat that'll kill you. :rolleyes:

Of course it's the fat :rolleyes: it's always the fat :daze: fat makes you fat :bash: it has 9-calories per gram :eek: for heavens sake!

[Michelle H]

Another aspect of having (little) kids is that the time and energy for exercise fly out the window.

[Lisa N]

Another aspect of having (little) kids is that the time and energy for exercise fly out the window.

Chasing after little kids IS your exercise! :lol:
Ever wonder why parents of small children are so exhausted all the time? It's because of the inordinate amount of energy that it takes to keep up with them. :)

When did parents turn over all dietary control to their kids?

I was thinking the same thing. Call me old fashioned, but if I'm paying for the food, I think I should be the one who chooses what that money buys. Sure, they can make requests, but most kids I've observed in action at the store don't make requests; they make demands (I WANT! vs. may I have?) and mom/dad encourage the behavior by giving in. I'm open to requests but my kids learned early on that if I've considered the request and said, "Not today" that badgering me on the issue isn't going to be tolerated.
As I've said in another thread. Mealtime at my house comes with two choices; take it or leave it. I have yet to have anyone leave it. ;)

[sublime]

Chasing after little kids IS your exercise! :lol:
Ever wonder why parents of small children are so exhausted all the time? It's because of the inordinate amount of energy that it takes to keep up with them. :)



I was thinking the same thing. Call me old fashioned, but if I'm paying for the food, I think I should be the one who chooses what that money buys. Sure, they can make requests, but most kids I've observed in action at the store don't make requests; they make demands (I WANT! vs. may I have?) and mom/dad encourage the behavior by giving in. I'm open to requests but my kids learned early on that if I've considered the request and said, "Not today" that badgering me on the issue isn't going to be tolerated.
As I've said in another thread. Mealtime at my house comes with two choices; take it or leave it. I have yet to have anyone leave it. ;)

When I read this article my first thought was, shouldn't it be the other way around? Parents may make kids overweight? I don't see many kids doing the shopping, cooking, telling parents to clean their plates, etc... I agree having kids may make you more prone to gaining weight, but my kids haven't shoved any twinkies down my throat lately :lol: They see I don't need any help with that I guess :lol: ;)

[Lisa N]

Sublime, I think the whole point of the article was that parents are buying all this junk food for their kids and then they are eating it, too. No, there is nobody making them eat it, but for some people just having it around makes them want it.
My whole point, though, is why are parents buying the junk food at all? Do they really think their kids need it? Do they really believe their kids can't have a happy childhood without pizza, pop and Twinkies? I think it's more along the lines of that some parents are indulgent and don't want to 'deprive' their kids of treats like that. I've seen the sentiment expressed here on the forum lots of times; "why should my kids be deprived just because I'm low carbing?". IMO, the only thing they are depriving their kids of by getting rid of the junk food is a lifetime of health issues. :p
Sure, there can be a place for the occasional treat in a healthy menu, but last time I checked, 'occasional' wasn't defined as "all day, every day, whenever I want it". ;)

[sublime]

Sublime, I think the whole point of the article was that parents are buying all this junk food for their kids and then they are eating it, too. No, there is nobody making them eat it, but for some people just having it around makes them want it.
My whole point, though, is why are parents buying the junk food at all? Do they really think their kids need it? Do they really believe their kids can't have a happy childhood without pizza, pop and Twinkies? I think it's more along the lines of that some parents are indulgent and don't want to 'deprive' their kids of treats like that. I've seen the sentiment expressed here on the forum lots of times; "why should my kids be deprived just because I'm low carbing?". IMO, the only thing they are depriving their kids of by getting rid of the junk food is a lifetime of health issues. :p
Sure, there can be a place for the occasional treat in a healthy menu, but last time I checked, 'occasional' wasn't defined as "all day, every day, whenever I want it". ;)
Very true, and I was aware of the point of the article, having lived the point of the article ;) I am indulgent to a certain point, but in no way do they eat junk constantly :agree: I just don't believe in completly protecting them from sugar, and don't take that as I think you do. Its not a matter of being deprived or not to me, its a matter of know what you need to know to be healthy. Thats a personal choice, not an all knowing wisdom. ;)

[Lessara]

Yes!! My daughter comes home is candy and snacks that she bought from a store just outside of School (She is in high school and they are allowed to leave the school during free period).
I told her no, but It comes in. Oh and I love Shocktarts (now called Shockers) way too much!