Hey Big,
I said IGNORANT and UNEDUCATED people. In my second thread I mentioned welfare recipients, because I have direct experience in mentoring them and watching them make UNHEALTHY food choices.
But hey, just like the CS thing, don't take my word for it. Here are some statistics by Doctors and Clinicians.
http://www.diabetes-hypertension.com/obesity.htm
Compared to the general population, minority populations--and especially minority women--have significantly higher rates of obesity. Currently, 46.7 percent of Hispanic and 48.6 percent of African American women are classified as overweight, which puts them significantly greater risk for health problems and a premature death.
Obesity is especially rampant among low-income minorities, in some cases exceeding the prevalence in whites by three times. Studies find that a among Mexican American women aged 20 to 74, approximately 46 percent of low-income women are overweight compared to 40 percent for those above the poverty level. Similarly, non-Hispanic low income women have obesity rates of 39 percent compared to 25 percent for their counterparts at higher income levels.
Or how about this one? http://www.obesity.org/Vol4_No2_cover.htm
Presidential Candidates Respond to AOA Survey on Children and Obesity
Representatives of the two major candidates for President of the United States addressed the epidemic of obesity at the AOA’s 2nd annual conference, Obesity: The Public Health Conference, Sept. 13-14 in Washington DC.
"This is the first and only time I am aware of that candidates for President of the United States have addressed obesity in any campaign," commented AOA President Richard L. Atkinson, M.D.
Senior Political Editor for CBS News Dotty Lynch organized the panel that included:
Texas Governor George W. Bush’s representative, Sally Canfield, director of issues for the Bush Campaign.
Vice President Albert Gore’s representatives, Melissa Goldstein, an expert on health issues, and Shirley Watkins, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Margaret Heldring, former director of health policy for Senator Bill Bradley.
The remaining 15 objectives in the focus area are mainly nutrition-oriented. Overweight and Obesity is further minimized by its placement in the sub-category of Weight Status and Growth, which contains an objective unrelated to obesity: Growth Retardation in Children.
Eight weeks prior to the November 7th presidential election, the representatives discussed their candidates’ health care plans and approaches to obesity.
They also responded to a new AOA survey on parents’ attitudes about their children’s weight that showed 78% of parents were opposed to reducing recess or physical education for more academics.
Bush Campaign Position
Sally Canfield outlined Governor Bush’s health care plan, which includes:
replicating the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) program across the country for obesity prevention. CATCH is geared toward 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students in border communities, who are given redesigned classes on physical activity and nutrition, and have healthy food choices available in their cafeteria.
a commitment to Texas’ Healthy Communities Innovation Fund as a model program. The fund pro-vides grants totaling $500 million over five years for pilot programs and demonstration projects to address health risks in communities, and was structured on the CATCH program.
a program to provide $3.6 billion over five years for 1,200 migrant health centers in medically under-served and rural areas without access to preventive and health care services.
using the Texas Diabetes Council as a model for management and prevention of diabetes. According to Canfield, Bush is very concerned about diabetes, especially among children.
addressing the issue of medically uninsured and underinsured children, and supporting a tax credit for health insurance if not offered by employers or through state programs.
favoring Medical Savings Accounts and reform of Medicare for greater preventive services.
Gore Campaign Position
Melissa Goldstein addressed Vice President Gore’s interest in the "whole child" and the need for developing a sound body and a sound mind in our nation’s schoolchildren. Responding to a Centers for Disease Control report of a 30% decrease in the number of high school students enrolled in daily physical education, Goldstein replied, "I think we have now recognized the trend and realize it is not a healthy one for mind and body. The President has instructed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report by the end of October on how schools can include physical education classes." Goldstein said that Gore’s health care plan includes:
a life-encompassing approach to health including health education classes that focus on life long strategies for health. This includes pre-natal, school and after-school programs, including obesity prevention.
expanding the Child Health Insurance Program for all children.
significant increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health, which she acknowledged that Bush also supports.
Regarding the issue of Medicare coverage of obesity pharmaceutical agents, Goldstein indicated that Gore would support a science-based approach if accepted among professionals. She also indicated that Gore is concerned about genetic discrimination in insurance, which might affect persons with obesity.
Shirley Watkins praised the accomplishments of the Clinton-Gore Administration including:
the USDA conference on childhood obesity in 1998, the first time any Administration has identified childhood obesity as a major health issue,
the Department of Agriculture’s Great Nutrition Debate,
Healthy People 2010,
the National Nutrition Summit,
a new program in which five medical societies help parents combat "pouring rights contracts," an agreement by which schools pro-mote students’ consumption of soft drinks in return for millions of dollars.
Watkins also reflected on the problems of poverty, diabetes and obesity. "Poor families are forced to buy non-nutritious foods that are calorie laden that they feed their children," she said. "In some communities they are afraid to let their children go out of the house, so there is no physical activity. There is a high incidence of obesity in poor families not because they are overfed but because they are under-nourished." She announced that the Surgeon General will have a workshop in December, 2000 to address obesity.
Another Perspective
Margaret Heldring addressed the nature of the health care discussion in national politics. She observed that health care issues are often skipped in favor of health insurance access and costs. She said that the Bradley campaign tried to broaden the health care debate by teaching people that "supporting good health will reduce costs and will free up health care dollars
Again, I invite you to explore these sources, or just go to any search engine and type in "poor nutrtition and poverty" or "Obesity and poverty."
You really seem to have a chip on your shoulder lately, Big. Not only don't I puff words out of my ass, I can back up with statistics why I have a particular point of view.
Whether or not YOU like Froot Loops Apple Jacks or any other cereal is beside the point. The comment was centered on uneducated ignorant women buying high calorie, low nutrition food and then running out of money at the end of the month. This is not something I've READ somewhere, again I will mention I MENTOR in this area.
YES to answer your question, we have Froot Loops in our house. The are eaten as the after school snack that they are, they are not breakfast, lunch or any other meal where brain power depends on the quality of food you've eaten. Period. House Rules: No processed sugar before 12 noon. In any form.
Here in Fresno there is an epidemic. The kids come to school so loaded up on junk food, they CAN'T think. Now, school sites in the poorer neighborhoods are offering FREE BREAKFAST and FREE LUNCH to these students, recognizing that for whatever reason, their parents can NOT be relied upon to feed them properly.
Lisa
