World Health Organization Blames Games for Childhood Obesity

[Hattman]

It's my belief that if you walk alot and try not to eat way to much each day,you don't get obese. Sure,I weigh around 93 kgs,but I am also 187 cm tall.
Do I exercise? Nope,but I like to take the bike and get down to the beach. I live 3-4 kilometers away from the village and it's downhill from my house. So I get alot of upphill biking.

 

[Outamyhead]

Strange I would blame the parents for not keeping the kids active and allowing them to sit in the room and play games for hours on end, mind you the world today is kinda fucked up so unless you live in the countryside or a small neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone, it's not the greatest place to go venturing on your bicycle, or playing around the streets.

I was lucky I guess, when I lived in the UK I was surrounded by fields and roads, would go for a sixteen mile bike ride and not see anyone the whole way.

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

Problem with that overweight is selected by the BMI a terribad way and not accurate.

According to their BMI's nearly every NFL player, MMA fighter, professional "wrestler," body builder, and construction worker are morbidly obese. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime was morbidly obese according to the BMI scale. The BMI scale doesn't take anything into accound other than height and weight, and that's why reputable doctors only use it in conjunction with other tests to measure obesity.

I feel the need to also point out that the BMI scale was not created by any doctor. Wasn't even created by someone who looked at nutritional data or even heath issues at all! Some idiot statistician, a guy who manipulates numbers to put forth bias objective based 'facts,' came up BMI system to stroke his own epeen and other idiots took it as fact.

Then other people have come out and manipulated these numbers further, 'adjusting' the damn lines to fit their own mental image of what the correct weight is. This makes a already broken system even less worthless. But hey, these people get to feel good about themselves, right?

Hell by the BMI scale I am dangerously underweight.

 

[Danny Ocean]

I'd give my opinion, but I have a feeling I'd be flamed...
*Sigh* Here goes...
There are many reasons for obesity. Food is a big one. But sitting around for entertainment, such as TV and video games, is contributing to it. Luckily, the Wii and DDR are saving video games.

Yeah I'll back this up. They're not saying video games are the sole cause, but it would be foolish to dismiss the effect they have.

Kids used to run around outside because there was nothing else to do. Now there's way more interesting and fun stuff waiting for them in the house, on the sofa. Who can blame them?

...What?

Can't you use one of those little inhalers to clear your airways after the hour of cycling?

 

[JEBWrench]

I'd give my opinion, but I have a feeling I'd be flamed...
*Sigh* Here goes...
There are many reasons for obesity. Food is a big one. But sitting around for entertainment, such as TV and video games, is contributing to it. Luckily, the Wii and DDR are saving video games.

Yeah I'll back this up. They're not saying video games are the sole cause, but it would be foolish to dismiss the effect they have.

Kids used to run around outside because there was nothing else to do. Now there's way more interesting and fun stuff waiting for them in the house, on the sofa. Who can blame them?

We combat the kids' wanting to stay inside and sit playing videogames/watching movies.

We say "Go play outside."

 

[Ben Legend]

Ok... right, lets just explore this, you blame, video games, internet and television.... but wait... hear me out... this is just a theory... but... ermmm... parents? Seriously, this is the root of the matter, parents need to raise children to know that exercise and a somewhat healthy diet is essential, and gaming should only be allowed for so long per day, yes I know it means less fun for game fanatics, but still, being healthy is more important than gaming... surely?

Blaming Games? Thats rich. I'm pretty sure its all this health and safety bullcrap.

My 9 year old sister isnt allowed to run around in the playground at school because its dangerous. Every lunchtime the kids stand around, eating their snacks and talking. Theres your bloody problem!!

First things first, Welcome to the escapist, have a pleasant stay. =D

and secondly, are you serious? That's just ridiculous, health and safety prevents kids from running around? Jeeze, kids fall over, they get scratches, it happens. Governments and schools need to stop over protecting us from the 'little' things and focus on more important matters.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Yeah... right. I've been playing videogames for the past 12 years (give or take a few years), and now I'm 19 and weight about 107lbs. That is about all I do really. School, work, homework, and then go out to eat with my friends on Thursdays since that seems to be the only days that one of us doesn't have school/work. Rest of the time I just sit around my house and do nothing...

 

[JEBWrench]

Ok... right, lets just explore this, you blame, video games, internet and television.... but wait... hear me out... this is just a theory... but... ermmm... parents? Seriously, this is the root of the matter, parents need to raise children to know that exercise and a somewhat healthy diet is essential, and gaming should only be allowed for so long per day, yes I know it means less fun for game fanatics, but still, being healthy is more important than gaming... surely?

You know that the WHO's article says that children need proper guidance in that regard, right?

 

[Danny Ocean]

I'd give my opinion, but I have a feeling I'd be flamed...
*Sigh* Here goes...
There are many reasons for obesity. Food is a big one. But sitting around for entertainment, such as TV and video games, is contributing to it. Luckily, the Wii and DDR are saving video games.

Yeah I'll back this up. They're not saying video games are the sole cause, but it would be foolish to dismiss the effect they have.

Kids used to run around outside because there was nothing else to do. Now there's way more interesting and fun stuff waiting for them in the house, on the sofa. Who can blame them?

We say "Go play outside."

Yes, blame the parents for not solving the problem that video games make kids fat. To do that, however, you need to acknowledge that video games make kids fat. The WHO isn't wrong in that respect.

 

[cheese_wizington]

Not Enough Exercise? Yes
Video Games? No

 

[JEBWrench]

Thanks for imparting that knowledge to me. I didn't know there was such an obvious solution.

Yes, blame the parents for not solving the problem that video games make kids fat. To do that, however, you need to acknowledge that video games make kids fat.

Just trying for a bit of levity, not trying to criticise you personally or anything.

The WHO's actual information involves a lot of interesting facts. Which the MCV decided to boil down to one paragraph, where they alluded in passing to computer games.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Thanks for imparting that knowledge to me. I didn't know there was such an obvious solution.

Yes, blame the parents for not solving the problem that video games make kids fat. To do that, however, you need to acknowledge that video games make kids fat.

Just trying for a bit of levity, not trying to criticise you personally or anything.

Yeah sorry about the harsh response, I've edited my post. Just stubbed my toe. Makes me mad, it does.

 

[Dexiro]

Simply put, they know gaming already has a bad reputation so they pit the blame on it to make it look like they're doing their job. Most people won't argue with it, and it makes the problem seem a lot easier to solve than it is.

 

[JEBWrench]

Oh, and here is the list of major factors about limited physical activity in children, according to the WHO:

lack of time
poor motivation
inadequate support and guidance
feelings of embarrassment or incompetence
lack of safe facilities
limited accessibility to physical activity facilities
ignorance of the benefits of physical activity.

 

[13thforswarn]

They're right.

 

[Ben Legend]

Ok... right, lets just explore this, you blame, video games, internet and television.... but wait... hear me out... this is just a theory... but... ermmm... parents? Seriously, this is the root of the matter, parents need to raise children to know that exercise and a somewhat healthy diet is essential, and gaming should only be allowed for so long per day, yes I know it means less fun for game fanatics, but still, being healthy is more important than gaming... surely?

You know that the WHO's article says that children need proper guidance in that regard, right?

Oh yeah I know, i'm just saying that jumping straight to blaming video games may net you points with some people who want to use it as a scape goat, but it's going to annoy a lot more people.

To be honest, i've just had enough of people trying to blame video games: first violence; now obesity. Sadly, it'll never end.

Sorry, i'm ranting again.

 

[Treblaine]

"It's not just gaming that got the blame though, as the report also cites television and internet usage as causes."

Right, so we should go back to living in the 1940's?

But come on, I just find it a bit out of whack that the W.H.O are getting worried about a few tubby kids who MIGHT develop health problem later in life if they remain overweight while millions of children are still dying of malnutrition and disease.

Is say being 'overweight by choice' is a hell of a lot better than being 'underweight by poverty'.

 

[JEBWrench]

Oh yeah I know, i'm just saying that jumping straight to blaming video games may net you points with some people who want to use it as a scape goat, but it's going to annoy a lot more people.

To be honest, i've just had enough of people trying to blame video games: first violence; now obesity. Sadly, it'll never end.

Sorry, i'm ranting again.

Mostly, I'm ranting myself about the claim that the WHO is playing the scapegoat card - when it's just a misinterpretation of a much larger article that refers to several catalysts in a bigger picture.

 

[JEBWrench]

But come on, I just find it a bit out of whack that the W.H.O are getting worried about a few tubby kids who MIGHT develop health problem later in life if they remain overweight while millions of children are still dying of malnutrition and disease.

There's a reason for that.

Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight.

65% of the world's population live in a country where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. This includes all high-income and middle-income countries. Globally, 44% of diabetes, 23% of ischaemic heart disease and 7?41% of certain cancers are attributable to overweight and obesity.

And they are pumping $50 billion into childhood nutrition programs, so it's not that they're being out of whack per se. They're addressing as many problems as they can.