Why are Americans so unhealthy?

[OldWiseGuy]

sorry, but it's parents feeding babies & children NOW
parents doing the grocery shopping

do teachers take nutrition classes?

do they teach nutrition in elementary school?
how about middle school?

teen has made it to middle school with no classes on nutrition or health classes offered -zilch
this yr it's music, gym, art, ap creator for specials- there is no nutrition option

Kids need to be informed as well as taught. This is the great failing of schools. Teachers believe that every subject must be difficult to learn and students must apply 'rigor' to learn it. However much valuable knowledge only needs to be informally exposed to them. Kids have the capacity to absorb knowledge far beyond what is presented formally in school. This capacity is wasted in our school system.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

The only reasonable answer is education, and that's up to the educational system. They have our kids for 12 to 20 years or more. Perhaps they should include some good habits in their curriculum.

So I guess that would be;
Relinquish ownership to higher authority. (Not possible unless you stop believing you're solely responsible for your own actions)
???

The schools in this case.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

So I guess that would be;
Relinquish ownership to higher authority. (Not possible unless you stop believing you're solely responsible for your own actions)
???

The schools in this case.

While in school you're under their authority.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

Schools teach kids that they are not responsible for their own actions. That ship sailed long ago.

As you state - that's the bit that I thought added to the problem.
The worldview - "...you're responsible for your own actions..." checkmated people into the addiction.

I thought they would do well to revisit that thinking.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

As you state - that's the bit that I thought added to the problem. The american worldview - the whole "...you're responsible for your own actions..." talk checkmated people into the addiction. That's what I thought when I lived there.

I thought they would do well to revisit that thinking.

I'm a little unclear about what you mean here.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

I'm a little unclear about what you mean here.

It means that people said "everyone is responsible for their own actions" - which is true.
People didn't seem to apply the principle uniformly though.

So no one had to account for anything they did, except the last person in the chain of events - who happened to be the consumer.

Food producers could produce bad food, state agency could let awful food through, law could allow addictive and practically poisonous food to flood the market.

But, of all these actors in the chain - the concept of "you're responsible for your own actions" was only applied to the consumer.

People seemed to simultaneously be unable to stop consuming horrible food, even when they knew better, and also believe they alone were responsible for their actions.
I thought this was their nature and their philosophy combining to make a mess.
To escape it, America as a whole needed to take a good look at their philosophies.

Perhaps review for themselves what you can control and what your cannot.
Perhaps hold responsible ALL participants in the chain of events - not just the individual consumer.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

It means that people said "everyone is responsible for their own actions" - which is true.
People didn't seem to apply the principle uniformly though.

So no one had to account for anything they did, except the last person in the chain of events - who happened to be the consumer.

Food producers could produce bad food, state agency could let awful food through, law could allow addictive and practically poisonous food to flood the market.

But, of all these actors in the chain - the concept of "you're responsible for your own actions" was only applied to the consumer.

People seemed to simultaneously be unable to stop consuming horrible food, even when they knew better, and also believe they alone were responsible for their actions.
I thought this was their nature and their philosophy combining to make a mess.
To escape it, America as a whole needed to take a good look at their philosophies.

Perhaps review for themselves what you can control and what your cannot.
Perhaps hold responsible ALL participants in the chain of events - not just the individual consumer.

That can be a dilemma as well. Organically produced foods for example. While sustainable agriculture, humane treatment of livestock, cultivating the fertility of the soil without chemicals, is desirable, if applied broadly would lead to high food prices, shortages, and mass starvation in the developing world. In many areas of life we are on a runaway train. We can't stop it, and we can't get off.

We actually need a course on "the cold hard facts of life"; something most choose not to face.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

...if applied broadly would lead to high food prices, shortages, and mass starvation in the developing world...

That, I don't know.

I've heard the other side spoken mostly. That there are ways of producing food that lead to abundance for all, but will require us to change. Or, everyone taking responsibility for the role they play.

...We actually need a course on "the cold hard facts of life"; something most choose not to face.

Don't know about that either.
I think everyone already knows the cold hard facts.
Don't know how much educating them with a course will help?

 

[bèlla]

We could feed everyone without undertaking harmful practices for food production. They’re motivated by greed not efficiency. Before advocating government involvement, I recommend reading The Case Against Sugar.

~bella

 

[mama2one]

Kids have the capacity to absorb knowledge far beyond what is presented formally in school.

that's why parents are the first teachers of their children & why nutrition is responsibility of parents who buy the food & feed children daily

our child has been grocery shopping with us from day 1
(age 2 at adoption) and picks out her fruits/veggies

also, why our school district partners with parents in education...they expect parental involvement
such as in elementary school- required reading time/day

 

[OldWiseGuy]

That, I don't know.

I've heard the other side spoken mostly. That there are ways of producing food that lead to abundance for all, but will require us to change. Or, everyone taking responsibility for the role they play.


Don't know about that either.
I think everyone already knows the cold hard facts.
Don't know how much educating them with a course will help?

A weekly 'aud' with the whole student body present to hear lectures (and testimonials) on the subject would be my suggestion.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

that's why parents are the first teachers of their children & why nutrition is responsibility of parents who buy the food & feed children daily

our child has been grocery shopping with us from day 1
(age 2 at adoption) and picks out her fruits/veggies

also, why our school district partners with parents in education...they expect parental involvement
such as in elementary school- required reading time/day

I commend you on this, however the majority of parents don't do this. "Train up a child in the way he/she should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it." Based on the condition of our seniors they weren't 'trained up' properly. So there's that.

I often thought that 'commencement ceremonies' should include a look at what has become of past graduating classes, maybe going out 15 or 20 years.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

that's why parents are the first teachers of their children & why nutrition is responsibility of parents who buy the food & feed children daily
our child has been grocery shopping with us from day 1
(age 2 at adoption) and picks out her fruits/veggies
also, why our school district partners with parents in education...they expect parental involvement

I've been suggesting harnessing the power of the group to monitor the quality of food production before it gets to market shelves. (And a philosophical review of beliefs and worldview - but nevermind that).

@OldWiseGuy Mentioned education. I can see that some people - although they know very well they are eating junk, they might not know what is good. So I can see education playing a part in the answer.

Would you not like to see a regulator over food production quality?

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

A weekly 'aud' with the whole student body present to hear lectures (and testimonials) on the subject would be my suggestion.

ha - maybe.

Pretty sure everyone thinks we are dead via climate change and everything else - So don't know if further lectures will work - but any suggestion is better than no suggestion.

In fact, everyone seems to all be aware of the cold hard facts, but feel incapacitated/helpless (or on a runaway train they can't get off of or stop as you call it).

I am hopeful at the younger kids coming up though. They don't seem to feel helpless. They seem angry at previous generations, I wonder if they will make drastic changes?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I've been suggesting harnessing the power of the group to monitor the quality of food production before it gets to market shelves. (And a philosophical review of beliefs and worldview - but nevermind that).

@OldWiseGuy Mentioned education. I can see that some people - although they know very well they are eating junk, they might not know what is good. So I can see education playing a part in the answer.

Would you not like to see a regulator over food production quality?

Actually we have several agencies charged with monitoring food production from field to supermarket. We have a very healthy food supply. Regarding one's diet that's another topic.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

ha - maybe.

Pretty sure everyone thinks we are dead via climate change and everything else - So don't know if further lectures will work - but any suggestion is better than no suggestion.

That's my point. People can't act on information that they don't have. Our schools have the responsibility to not only teach, but to warn our kids. Learning by experimentation is the devils tool.

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

Actually we have several agencies charged with monitoring food production from field to supermarket. We have a very healthy food supply. Regarding one's diet that's another topic.

So you're saying the good food is available for all if they want it?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

So you're saying the good food is available for all if they want it?

Absolutely. The 'food desert' is a myth.

 

[mama2one]

I often thought that 'commencement ceremonies' should include a look at what has become of past graduating classes, maybe going out 15 or 20 years.

our school district has a yearly Hall of Distinction for former graduates

might include former mayors, community leaders, etc

 

[Confused-by-christianity]

That's my point. People can't act on information that they don't have. Our schools have the responsibility to not only teach, but to warn our kids.

You want to see more lectures in schools warning children about the cold hard facts - and from this, they will act?