Overly obese Boy Scouts barred from Jamboree

[techbeck]

So don't allow them to participate...people are upset...allow them to participate and something medically/physically happens to the kid. People are upset. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

What is really sad is the shape of kids these days and how lazy/unconcerned lots of parents are. Plus how people are sue happy and always point the blame at others instead of themselves. Blame the Boy Scouts...I blame how society has become.

[MorganX]

stop feeding your children garbage, problem solved.

 

More than garbage can make kids and adults obese. There are worse foods eaten commonly and though of as healthy or just regular food than Twinkies.

 

High fructose corn syrup can be converted to fat almost immediately depending on the metabolic and nutrient environment of the individual at the time it is consumed, REGARDLESS of how much or how little you eat. But it is a big money maker for America, so it's not going away and we are under-educated about metabolism. The fitness industry doesn't help since it's mostly skinny people or people using steroids, hormones, and dope.

 

It's all about makin' money.

So don't allow them to participate...people are upset...allow them to participate and something medically/physically happens to the kid. People are upset. Damned if you do, damned if you dont.

What is really sad is the shape of kids these days and how lazy/unconcerned lots of parents are. Plus how people are sue happy and always point the blame at others instead of themselves. Blame the Boy Scouts...I blame how society has become.

 

I agree with you regarding the scouts. I'm not sure many people are upset, the media is creating headlines. But I'm not sure people are out of shape because they are lazy. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry and at any given time half of all Americans are trying to lose weight. They don't know how. So many uneducated think it's simply people eating too much, or eating junk, or being lazy.

[MorganX]

Except the medical community has declared years ago and still agrees that being over weight doesn't mean health risk. yes, of course if your American style obese of course it's really bad for you. but being over weight doesn't mean that. there are other things far more dangerous to you than being "healthy overweight".

 

Maybe we should ban sports to, it causes uncountable number of health issues each year, and deaths as well. and must like being morbidly obese, it also causes early damage to your joints and and heart. 

 

I actually agree with you. But it does lead to a lower quality of life. If fact, overweight people who are constantly trying to lose weight, even if they fail, tend to be healthier than individuals of normal weight to make no efforts to mind their diet and exercise regularly.

 

The BMI states the obvious, and in the case of athletes or very well fit individuals it is totally worthless. Therefore, I find it worthless. It's like a Dr. Oz show where he stood an obese woman against a cardboard backdrop and drew with magic market, her obese outline. Then inside that he drew a svelte outline, and said, this is where I think you should be to be healthy. No ###### Sherlock.

[techbeck]

I agree with you regarding the scouts. I'm not sure many people are upset, the media is creating headlines. But I'm not sure people are out of shape because they are lazy. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry and at any given time half of all Americans are trying to lose weight. They don't know how. So many uneducated thing it's simply people eating too much, or eating junk, or being lazy.

Kids being lazy has a lot to do with it. Not all, but a lot. When all they do is sit around, play video games or watch TV...then that is not helping.

[MorganX]

It can potentially cause other issues in the future; i.e. bad knees, legs, shin splints, Plantar fasciitis, etc. I started training for a 5K earlier this year and had to stop because I tore my calf muscles. Doc said that the added weight put too much stress on the lower extremities. Still, I agree with you. My cholesterol and bp are normal despite being over 300 lbs

 

A lot of heavy people make this mistake, running isn't for the heavy. Even light runners if they keep running, will eventually have these type of injuries, all of them. There's an exponential impact with running that should make it forbidden for heavy or overweight people, and inadvisable for most in general. Only Kenyan's avoid injury, or those built like them.

Kids being lazy has a lot to do with it. Not all, but a lot. When all they do is sit around, play video games or watch TV...then that is not helping.

 

That makes them inactive, not lazy. And it does have something to do with it. But there are just as many kids that spend most of their childhood in front of a TV that do not become overweight adults, as there are those who do. But definitely, for a kid showing the genetic propensity to become overweight, this is a practice that will lead them into a lifelong struggle with weight as adults.

[ILikeTobacco]

This seems like a no win situation for the organization. Everyone is saying they are discriminating against obese kids. They have health standards for a reason. That is like arguing that an amusment park is discriminiting against an overly obese person when they tell them they can go on a ride. This particular camp is not a joke. A child who is overly obese could actually die out there attempting to do what the more fit kids are doing. So it is a no win situation. Face a lawsuit from when someone dies or put standards in place to save lives and have the ignorant media blast them for it.

[Azies]

I was a big kid and was able to do outdoor education, which is basically Boy Scouts with hiking and and wall climbing via rope activities, just fine, with no issue... .... but then again I dont think I'm morbidly obese either.

[Hum]

If the Boy Scouts are so 'cool', why don't they have a program to help the obese kids lose weight ... ? ;)

[ILikeTobacco]

If the Boy Scouts are so 'cool', why don't they have a program to help the obese kids lose weight ... ? ;)

They do. They teach you about healthly diets and exercise programs. However, most troops gather once a week and have no authority on a childs personal life outside of the organization. You questino is like asking why are there obese kids even though gym is a required class at most elementary schools.

[123456789A]

Overly obese, ey? Is there such a thing as overly obese? What's the line between regular obese and overly obese?

 

 

Exposing obese people to sudden amounts of exercise is dangerous. The first kid who collapses will have his parents suing the scouts. This might be more about liability than trying to exclude kids.

 

I use four levels:

 

Overweight - BMI 25-30

Obese - BMI 30-39

Overbese - BMI 40-49

Globese - BMI 50+

[chrisj1968]

The boy scouts are surely sending a wrong message. the gay scouts issue truly divided the scouts. Now this. being a scout doesn't seem as good as it used to be.

[ILikeTobacco]

The boy scouts are surely sending a wrong message. the gay scouts issue truly divided the scouts. Now this. being a scout doesn't seem as good as it used to be.

So the message they are suppose to be sending is safety doesn't matter, just making sure everyone feels special and healthy even when they are not? Sorry, but if you are really going to knock an organization for doing something for the good of their members health, something is severely wrong with you.

[Shiranui]

To be fair, the obese probably think that a Jamboree is a kind of dessert.

[Hum]

^ Did someone say, cherries jubilee ?!

 

[LOC Veteran]

Ah, making fun of people who are above the "normal" weight expectations. The last bigotry accepted around the world.

 

Can't make fun of black people, white people, gay people, transgender people etc etc. But fat people? THE GATES ARE OPEN FELLAS. I don't even know why I comment in these types of threads anymore. Oh well, I'm sure there will be some real winner responses to follow.

[ahhell]

When will people realize that BMI is complete ######.

It's a ###### poor way of determining body fat.

[Hum]

^ You forgot blondes.

[Shiranui]

Ah, making fun of people who are above the "normal" weight expectations. The last bigotry accepted around the world.

 

Can't make fun of black people, white people, gay people, transgender people etc etc. But fat people? THE GATES ARE OPEN FELLAS. I don't even know why I comment in these types of threads anymore. Oh well, I'm sure there will be some real winner responses to follow.

 

I'm not saying that the obese are deserving of ridicule, but the above is not a fair comparison.

[LOC Veteran]

I'm not saying that the obese are deserving of ridicule, but the above is not a fair comparison.

But that's exactly why it is a fair comparison. Because it is acceptable to ridicule and make fun of and demean overweight people. But it's not (though that's subjective depending on who you are talking to of course) alright to make fun of someone because of race or sexual orientation etc.

 

No one bats an eye at jokes about "those fatties", right?

[thomastmc]

The Boy Scouts of America?s new fitness standards for participating in the organization?s annual Jamboree are so rigorous they would not just exclude chubby tenderfoots ? they would even bar many NFL players.

Absurd... Everyone knows that all NFL players are the epitome of American health...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mayo [Clinic] data showed that 82 percent of NFL players under age 50 had abnormal narrowing and blockages in arteries, compared to the general population of the same age. This finding suggests that the former athletes face increased risk of experiencing high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.

 

http://www.sciencecodex.com/mayo_clinic_finds_retired_nfl_players_at_increased_risk_for_heart_problems

 

Edited July 18, 2013 by thomastmc

[thomastmc]

But that's exactly why it is a fair comparison. Because it is acceptable to ridicule and make fun of and demean overweight people. But it's not (though that's subjective depending on who you are talking to of course) alright to make fun of someone because of race or sexual orientation etc.

 

No one bats an eye at jokes about "those fatties", right?

 

Not that it's alright to ridicule someone because of their weight, but...

 

Race and sexual orientation can't be changed, but the majority of people who are overweight are in their predicament because they are just eating too much bad food and not exercising enough, in other words, bad choices. People are ridiculed for the consequences of their bad choices all of the time.

 

How can you tell that most people are overweight due to environmental factors rather than a significant genetic predisposition?

 

Because of the enormous (no pun intended) rise in obesity over the last 20-30 years. It's not as if all of the sudden people just started being born at high rates with a significant genetic predisposition to being overweight in America.

[Shiranui]

Not that it's alright to ridicule someone because of their weight, but...

 

Race and sexual orientation can't be changed, but the majority of people who are overweight are in their predicament because they are just eating too much bad food and not exercising enough, in other words, bad choices. People are ridiculed for the consequences of their bad choices all of the time.

 

How can you tell that most people are overweight due to environmental factors rather than a significant genetic predisposition?

 

Because of the enormous (no pun intended) rise in obesity over the last 20-30 years. It's not as if all of the sudden people just started being born at high rates with a significant predisposition to being overweight in America.

 

That's what I wanted to say, but couldn't be bothered to type.

[Torolol]

Obescouts coming soon.

[blerk]

Not that it's alright to ridicule someone because of their weight, but...

 

Race and sexual orientation can't be changed, but the majority of people who are overweight are in their predicament because they are just eating too much bad food and not exercising enough, in other words, bad choices. People are ridiculed for the consequences of their bad choices all of the time.

 

How can you tell that most people are overweight due to environmental factors rather than a significant genetic predisposition?

 

Because of the enormous (no pun intended) rise in obesity over the last 20-30 years. It's not as if all of the sudden people just started being born at high rates with a significant genetic predisposition to being overweight in America.

Also it's interesting to note that some cultures do prefer larger people and people actively try to become fatter. Many sub-Saharan African cultures are like this I believe; a larger person is seen as having more access to food and therefore is from a richer family and is thus better to marry. This preference seems to be found in resource-poor parts of the world.

 

Western culture (and other cultures - I believe many eastern Asian cultures have the same general outlook on fatness as us) tend to be richer, and obesity seems to be viewed as the result of gluttony and a lack of self-control - i.e. traits that are to be ridiculed. 

[thomastmc]

Also it's interesting to note that some cultures do prefer larger people and people actively try to become fatter. Many sub-Saharan African cultures are like this I believe; a larger person is seen as having more access to food and therefore is from a richer family and is thus better to marry. This preference seems to be found in resource-poor parts of the world.

 

Western culture (and other cultures - I believe many eastern Asian cultures have the same general outlook on fatness as us) tend to be richer, and obesity seems to be viewed as the result of gluttony and a lack of self-control - i.e. traits that are to be ridiculed. 

 

Very true. This used to be somewhat true in America in the early to mid 20th century as well. A lot of the pin-up girls of that age were somewhat heavy by today's comparison.

 

I remember my Grandmother commenting on how tastes changed over time, saying "When I was younger, everyone liked the bigger girls, but I was thin. Now I'm bigger and everyone likes thinner girls". She was born in the 1920's.