Save The Cereal

The CDC Report

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) based in Atlanta has said that based on two National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys conducted in 1976-1980 and 2003-2004 showed that the percentage of overweight children were increasing as shown here:

2-5 years went from 5.0% to 13.9%
6-11 years went from 6.5% to 18.8%
12-19 years went from 5.0% to 17.4%

The numbers show a definite increase in childhood obesity. In fact, the numbers have basically tripled. One question I could not help but wonder was why the first study took 4 years, and the second was done over the course of 2 years. The fact is I think the movie Super Size Me did a much better job of explaining the obesity epidemic. Although they did not specify ages, they did specify geography that I think if coupled with economic information would be very interesting.

The CDC also has a page regarding contributing factors to this epidemic. Here are the behavioral factors they list:

Energy Intake- The CDC specifically points out sugar-sweetened beverages (i.e. Coca-Cola) that are high in calories as a potential leading cause due to children not compensating for their intake during meal time and their unfilling nature as a liquid as compared to a solid
Physical Activity- The CDC points out that children will spend less time engaged in physical activity while in school. Daily participation in school physical activities dropped from 42% in 1991 to 28% in 2003. Education cutbacks, improper physical eduction criteria, and diminishing after school activities due to the loss of funds are all contributable factors
Sedentary Behavior- The CDC found that one study showed children spending 3 hours a day watching television, DVDs, and movies as an attributable factor due to decreased activity, increased snacking, a lower metabolic rate, and finally a mention about children making poor choices due to advertisements. There is no mention of the amount of time children spend online, playing video games, or reading so it is assumed that those activities are in addition to the 3 hours

The CDC at no time lists cereal as a potentially contributable factor, and only once mentions advertisements. The CDC does mention that the 3 hours spent is watching television, DVDs, and movies but does not give any numbers regarding how many commercials for food are shown during that time period. One would assume that it would be a substantially less number considering that advertisements for food products have never been seen on a DVD and most movie advertisements happen before the previews for foodstuffs sold specifically at the concession stand of which there are none that I know of that sell cereal.

Here are the environmental factors the CDC lists:

Within the home- the home environment can affect the behaviors of children who see their parents as role models including how it relates to calorie intake and activity
Within childcare- Almost 80% of children 5 years and younger with working mothers spend 40+ hours a week in childcare. Childcare needs to be an environment where eating healthy and activity habits are developed
Within schools- Because of the amount of time children spend in schools each day, they become an ideal place for nutritional education, healthy eating habits and physical activity. These habits can become lifetime values
Within the community- Communities influence a child’s access to not only physical activity through parks, playgrounds, and bike paths but also a child’s access to affordable healthy food choices in local markets

What the CDC does do is highlight a point I have been trying to make since the fascist tyrants at the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, that the failure of our education system is not only a factor but appears to be along with economic impacts and the disappearance of the middle class, the REAL culprit here. Not only does the educational system fail to provide children with enough physical activity, but it has failed in educating them and their parents before them, who are role models to their children, about nutrition.

When properly educated, the advertisements will have no effect on the choices both children and adults make. The choices they make, whether society deems them right or wrong, will be their own and of their own free will. That is afterall what this country is all about… isn’t it?

The cereal companies, under threat of the lawsuit and special interest group pressure with no advocate from the general public as their own, had but only one thing to do…

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