“Children and parents admitted to eating from drive-thru windows at least four times per week. Now that‘s a problem,” explained BJ Fletcher
Are you killing your kids?
Last Thursday evening , May 21, at The Merry Acres Event Center, Healthy Kidz graduated 13 children between the ages of 7 - 13 that had collectively lost 126 pounds within a 90 day program. BJ Fletcher, founder, ended the graduation ceremony with this startling statement, “The Heart and Lung Association says by the year 2015, one out of five families will bury their child. We are now in the time where we outlive our children.”
“These kids have really been in the public eye for this accomplishment,“ says Fletcher. “One of our participants, Rhett, age 9, did such an impressive interview with Fox 31 that we received almost forty phone calls the next day. He summed up in two minutes what doctors and nutritionists have been trying to express for years just by sharing his desire to not be overweight.”
Rhett had only had fifteen pounds to shed but wanted to be healthy so he could play football and be active and strong. He requested his parents enroll him in Healthy Kidz.
“Obesity can happen fast,” says Fletcher. “What the parents don’t realize is that 15 pounds can become a hundred very quickly when they are buying these kids fast foods and letting them drink 3 to 4 soft drinks per day.”
Upon enrollment Fletcher has each child give a pledge to avoid sodas for 90 days. On average, the children reported drinking three to four soft drinks a day prior to taking this pledge.
“The common problems reported by kids in our program were chicken nuggets, french fries and sodas. Children and parents admitted to eating from drive-thru windows at least four times per week. The food is fried and the drinks are filled with mounds of sugar. Four times a week -- now that‘s a serious problem,” exclaims Fletcher.
Corporations benefit greatly when they accomplish getting a young child hooked on their “food” products, they immediately win the business of the entire family. This marketing is clever and it’s targeted to young minds in the form of toys, playgrounds and more.
Television commercials can turn a grocery store trip into a nightmare. Have you ever noticed how there are no jingles about eating healthy fruits and vegetables? They certainly don’t come with Sponge Bob Square Pants ™ toys either. There is a huge connection with the almighty dollar and the obesity epidemic we face today. Companies are here to make money at your child’s expense.
“Fast Food joints are appealing to the parents because often their schedule is packed to the max. Kids are overloaded with activities and parents are floundering trying to fit it all into the day,” says Fletcher. “It’s a cycle that must be broken.”
The majority of the obesity issues at Healthy Kidz are reported to be from lifestyle choices. There are a couple of kids that Prednisone started putting on the pounds. One child is 410 pounds at age 13. With weight such as this, it makes you must wonder how they have the energy to run, play and be a kid.
“Parents must realize that they are responsible for their child’s health. We would not have this success without supportive parents. It’s been a learning experience for everyone involved. We joke and say, ‘If you don’t want to hear the truth, don’t call us.’ We’re not going to let the excuses slide by around here. We feel the kids are much more important than that,” says Fletcher.
“One of the biggest excuse was the cost of eating healthy. Well, I blew that out of the water. You’ve got to stop shopping at convenient stores and fast food places. Stop spending your grocery budget on these filler products that are making you sick -- potato chips, sodas, boxed desserts. You can buy a candy bar for $1.25 and a soda for $1.50. A case of water and a few packs of crystal light can bring your total drink cost to about $.40.
A box of 25 health bars is $10.”
Midway through the semester Fletcher welcomed a nutritionist to the team, Susan Nelson, M.ED, CPT. Together they taught the kids healthy alternatives to their favorite snacks.
“Nutrition is not what I do, it’s who I am. The lack of knowledge just boggles my brain. This information is everywhere. There are labels on everything and still people do not know how to properly take care of their body’s nutritional requirements,” explains Nelson.
“I often think back to my grandmother’s childhood, which today is like living on a different planet, it was totally different then. She was born in 1889. She actually didn’t go to school because she plowed a mule all day and picked cotton with her hands. She knew that hard work needed the proper fuel. She knew to eat fruits and vegetables and she taught my mother that,” says Nelson.
“Today, however, people are geared not to think. BJ [Fletcher] and I have this conversation all the time. They just drive thru and get it. The bag gets tossed in the backseat and it‘s called dinner. It’s sad because the kids don’t have a choice and they also learn that this is ‘food’,” says Nelson.
In today’s society, kids are raised eating far from the way mother nature intended. Farm to plate is rarely seen anymore and this so called “food” is loaded with preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and worse.
Parents need to realize the umbrella of problems that come from obesity. In addition to physical struggles such as lack of energy, constipation, and acne, there are emotional issues that are very damaging. It effects the way they see the world.
“The hardest part has been being present to hear their emotional burdens of obesity. Bullying is an issue, not feeling comfortable in clothing, worrying if they’ll be made fun of or have enough energy to finish. It’s very sad because the kids aren‘t driving themselves to these fast food places nor are they filling up the grocery buggy,” says Nelson.
The group has recently added parenting classes to the program. “It’s a family issue. At our graduation program we asked these kids what they needed to make this work through the summer while away for vacation. They all said family support,” says Fletcher. “We had all the parents get up and dance with the kids and three minutes into the song everyone was smiling and laughing -- in just three minutes. A lot can happen if we’d just turn off the television for 30 minutes, take a walk outside or turn up the music and dance together.”
Nelson says, ”Mindful eating and movement are the most important aspects of any weight loss program. People must be aware of their food choices and the need to burn those calories.”
“The new American plate is recommended to be 2/3 fruits and vegetables,” says Nelson. “This is a 9 inch plate not a 12 inch plate like we’re used to. It has been suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Cancer Research Center, The CDC, and so on, that if we do this one thing we can greatly reduce this obesity epidemic that is upon us today.”
An interesting note, out of 16,000 students enrolled in the Dougherty County School System, only 100 phone calls came through to inquire about the Healthy Kidz program. Out of those 100 calls, only 13 families signed up. Many that signed up were urged by their child’s pediatrician because of issue with pre-hypertension and pre-diabetes (type 2).
Candy, sugar and sodas are not just an issue at home. It is also quite often part of a daily offering within the school system. How did this type of food become associated as being “rewards” or “snacks”? It’s time to take a step back and really see what we are doing to our children. If medical issues such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are not a wake up call, I shudder at the thought of what might be. It’s time to listen to what the American Heart and Lung Association are saying, “Are we killing our children?”
“These kids have really been in the public eye for this accomplishment,“ says Fletcher. “One of our participants, Rhett, age 9, did such an impressive interview with Fox 31 that we received almost forty phone calls the next day. He summed up in two minutes what doctors and nutritionists have been trying to express for years just by sharing his desire to not be overweight.”
Rhett had only had fifteen pounds to shed but wanted to be healthy so he could play football and be active and strong. He requested his parents enroll him in Healthy Kidz.
“Obesity can happen fast,” says Fletcher. “What the parents don’t realize is that 15 pounds can become a hundred very quickly when they are buying these kids fast foods and letting them drink 3 to 4 soft drinks per day.”
Upon enrollment Fletcher has each child give a pledge to avoid sodas for 90 days. On average, the children reported drinking three to four soft drinks a day prior to taking this pledge.
“The common problems reported by kids in our program were chicken nuggets, french fries and sodas. Children and parents admitted to eating from drive-thru windows at least four times per week. The food is fried and the drinks are filled with mounds of sugar. Four times a week -- now that‘s a serious problem,” exclaims Fletcher.
Corporations benefit greatly when they accomplish getting a young child hooked on their “food” products, they immediately win the business of the entire family. This marketing is clever and it’s targeted to young minds in the form of toys, playgrounds and more.
Television commercials can turn a grocery store trip into a nightmare. Have you ever noticed how there are no jingles about eating healthy fruits and vegetables? They certainly don’t come with Sponge Bob Square Pants ™ toys either. There is a huge connection with the almighty dollar and the obesity epidemic we face today. Companies are here to make money at your child’s expense.
“Fast Food joints are appealing to the parents because often their schedule is packed to the max. Kids are overloaded with activities and parents are floundering trying to fit it all into the day,” says Fletcher. “It’s a cycle that must be broken.”
The majority of the obesity issues at Healthy Kidz are reported to be from lifestyle choices. There are a couple of kids that Prednisone started putting on the pounds. One child is 410 pounds at age 13. With weight such as this, it makes you must wonder how they have the energy to run, play and be a kid.
“Parents must realize that they are responsible for their child’s health. We would not have this success without supportive parents. It’s been a learning experience for everyone involved. We joke and say, ‘If you don’t want to hear the truth, don’t call us.’ We’re not going to let the excuses slide by around here. We feel the kids are much more important than that,” says Fletcher.
“One of the biggest excuse was the cost of eating healthy. Well, I blew that out of the water. You’ve got to stop shopping at convenient stores and fast food places. Stop spending your grocery budget on these filler products that are making you sick -- potato chips, sodas, boxed desserts. You can buy a candy bar for $1.25 and a soda for $1.50. A case of water and a few packs of crystal light can bring your total drink cost to about $.40.
A box of 25 health bars is $10.”
Midway through the semester Fletcher welcomed a nutritionist to the team, Susan Nelson, M.ED, CPT. Together they taught the kids healthy alternatives to their favorite snacks.
“Nutrition is not what I do, it’s who I am. The lack of knowledge just boggles my brain. This information is everywhere. There are labels on everything and still people do not know how to properly take care of their body’s nutritional requirements,” explains Nelson.
“I often think back to my grandmother’s childhood, which today is like living on a different planet, it was totally different then. She was born in 1889. She actually didn’t go to school because she plowed a mule all day and picked cotton with her hands. She knew that hard work needed the proper fuel. She knew to eat fruits and vegetables and she taught my mother that,” says Nelson.
“Today, however, people are geared not to think. BJ [Fletcher] and I have this conversation all the time. They just drive thru and get it. The bag gets tossed in the backseat and it‘s called dinner. It’s sad because the kids don’t have a choice and they also learn that this is ‘food’,” says Nelson.
In today’s society, kids are raised eating far from the way mother nature intended. Farm to plate is rarely seen anymore and this so called “food” is loaded with preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and worse.
Parents need to realize the umbrella of problems that come from obesity. In addition to physical struggles such as lack of energy, constipation, and acne, there are emotional issues that are very damaging. It effects the way they see the world.
“The hardest part has been being present to hear their emotional burdens of obesity. Bullying is an issue, not feeling comfortable in clothing, worrying if they’ll be made fun of or have enough energy to finish. It’s very sad because the kids aren‘t driving themselves to these fast food places nor are they filling up the grocery buggy,” says Nelson.
The group has recently added parenting classes to the program. “It’s a family issue. At our graduation program we asked these kids what they needed to make this work through the summer while away for vacation. They all said family support,” says Fletcher. “We had all the parents get up and dance with the kids and three minutes into the song everyone was smiling and laughing -- in just three minutes. A lot can happen if we’d just turn off the television for 30 minutes, take a walk outside or turn up the music and dance together.”
Nelson says, ”Mindful eating and movement are the most important aspects of any weight loss program. People must be aware of their food choices and the need to burn those calories.”
“The new American plate is recommended to be 2/3 fruits and vegetables,” says Nelson. “This is a 9 inch plate not a 12 inch plate like we’re used to. It has been suggested by the American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Cancer Research Center, The CDC, and so on, that if we do this one thing we can greatly reduce this obesity epidemic that is upon us today.”
An interesting note, out of 16,000 students enrolled in the Dougherty County School System, only 100 phone calls came through to inquire about the Healthy Kidz program. Out of those 100 calls, only 13 families signed up. Many that signed up were urged by their child’s pediatrician because of issue with pre-hypertension and pre-diabetes (type 2).
Candy, sugar and sodas are not just an issue at home. It is also quite often part of a daily offering within the school system. How did this type of food become associated as being “rewards” or “snacks”? It’s time to take a step back and really see what we are doing to our children. If medical issues such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are not a wake up call, I shudder at the thought of what might be. It’s time to listen to what the American Heart and Lung Association are saying, “Are we killing our children?”
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2 comments:
"One child is 410 pounds at age 13."
I am guessing/hoping this is a typo?
Great info, very inspiring...there should be more support from local communities...government/media is not going to correct the problem.
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