On my way home from work this morning I passed the middle school. The P.E./Gym class was running laps around the school building and acreage. Most of the teens were in healthy (skinny) form and seemed to be keeping a good pace. The instructor (firm & fit) sounded like a drill sergeant screaming at the kids. At the tail end of the line were two heavy set (one was morbidly obese) boys. :think They were doing all they could do to keep up. I wanted to cry. I wanted to stop the car and deck the instructor, :couch2: I wanted to stop and tell those boys don't give up hope and things will get better. :clap2: I was those boys all through my school career, school was hell being the FAT kid. :cry Any thoughts or comments?

What happend was totally unacceptable! I REALLY wasn't picked on too much in school because of my weight or being short. In 10th, 11th , and 12th I guess I was of an OK weight. My first boyfriend (and later my ex-husband) was 6' 3", 220 and I was 4'11", 120-ish (those sure WERE the days:dance:). One of the reasons I really need the band is because I don't want my toddler son to think it's OK to be fat, period. If I ever catch my kid laughing at an overweight person, there's going to be a problem!

I think the parents should get involved (w/o the child really knowing, if possible). Not everyone was born a Jock! Then they wonder why kids are suicidal/homicidal....Come on folks, wake up!

Has anyone noticed that as soon as the USA get's a foothold in a country and McDonald's, et all, start opening restaurants, that the health of the people of that nation goes down while the weight goes up?

We are sacrificing our children at the alter of marketing and profits.

Very well said!:high5: However, I think people need to be responsible for what fast food they eat. If you haven't seen SUPERSIZE ME, it's really interresting what is REALLY in the salads there, SUGAR! Yes, sugar!

Do you remember the Presidential Fitness testing - ugh!!

Boy, did you sure bring back a blast from the past! I sure do remember the Presidential Fitness testing....I think I (seriously) was "sick", hurt myself, or was absent during a vast majority of that each year. I actually brought a splint from when my mom broke her finger to school with me with medical tape I took from home and wore it for almost a month so I didn't need an excuse from a dr. to get out of gym! Needless to say, the splingt came off when I got on the bus to go home in the afternoon cuz my mom would've killed me. Oh, when I did that, our elementary school PE teacher was a former Cleveland Force professional soccer player (very late 70's/early 80's). It worked though.....The only section of that I could ever pass was the sit ups. The person that came up w/that whole test I believe was also the inventor of the Iron maiden and other devices of torture featured on TLC's devices of torture special. I also hated (with a passion) gymnastics in PE.

Ah yes, the PFT. At our junior high they didn't have a "chin-up bar" so we used the bars holding up the basketball goal. Ten feet off the ground! I was four foot nothing, so they gave me a school desk to stand on to reach up. No, still too short....well, jump....I did and you can imagine the results. After picking myself up off the floor and suffering through everyone laughing at me, I managed to get up there the second time, but then the A$$hole coach was too busy writing it down to come move the friggin' desk. That was the first and last time I took that test.

My son is not fat - yet. I can tell he's taken the worst of genes from both Doug and I, he is inherently lazy and he tends to overeat, even though its only on good food. He's not athletic, although he plays several team sports, he's never going to be the star and that's fine by me.

But I consider it to be of paramount importance to keep him fit so he's not the one lagging behind, especially since he's asthmatic too. I run regularly and I encourage him to do the same (he's almost 11). We have a treadmill, he does 20 minutes a day on it, and I always invite him out with me if I run outside, he usually comes. We're active as a family too.

This way, I hope I can keep him from becoming fat and I hope I can keep him competent enough athletically to keep up and not be the odd one out. It may seem extreme to others but primarily its important he has aerobic fitness to control his asthma anyway.

Because once a child has become obese and is the one bringing in the rear, it doesnt matter what you as a parent do or say at the school, it doesnt change the fact that other kids will be cruel. Policies dont mean a thing, kids will just find ways around it to hang it on the fat kids. Its too late once they're there. So I do my utmost to prevent it. If the PE teacher were to make special consideration/rules for the kids that were too unfit to keep up, that would cause just as many problems and teasing.

My kids love their game boys and their play station but its rationed, not ridiculously but the bulk of their leisure time is spent running around outdoors, playing basketball or football with their teams, I just dont let them laze around and I dont bring rubbish foods into the house for them to eat. I'd rather prevent the problem than have to try to fix it.

I guess I am not like most on the board. Jr High was a complete blast, high school not bad either, lots of friends and fun. I did learn to exercise, even lift weights, run and enjoyed volleyball, basketball, softball and track. Then became a Aerobics instructor and taught 2 one hour classes a day for a couple years. Then, marriage, then kids and just completely stopped taking time for myself. By the time (now) I do have the time, I am out of the habit and substain one injury after another trying to be and feel like I used to! Its a vicious circle for all...! I hoping to get my date after my last pysc visit and END THIS CYCLE!

PS I do remember the Presidents Physical Fittnes Award because I got one... I am like the old out of shape football players you see... We have been there, we know what its like... were just not there now!

yuk! P.E. brings back bad memories. Put obesity together with really bad eyesight ( almost no depth perception) and it was h#!! I was so tired of coaches telling me I wasn't trying and just goofing off when a ball would hit me in the face or even miss catching it. I always thought coaches were big @ssh0!# jerks! That was before I was even out of elementary.

Terry

I was lucky to be very sporty too, despite being tall and solid (not fat in my teens) it was to my advantage, I was a good softballer (played state level) and a good netballer too.

Much like my oldest son whom I mentioned above, I had a "pre"weight problem, I was always just slightly overweight but I didnt get fat till after I had babies in my 30's, so thankfully I didnt grow up the butt of people's jokes.

I was never heavy when I was younger......... just after having babies but people are cruel. That is life. Some smart person said, " We spend our adulthood trying to overcome things that happened to us in our childhood."

I have made the choice long ago to let go of my childhood and all of the baggage. What doesn't kill you makes your stronger........

I was a jock in school and was even a team-mate of a man who eventually played in the Super Bowl. That was my freshman year of college, but it was also the year that I injured my leg and had to quit football, and I gained 80 pounds in that year. My appetite went unabated while my calorie output about dropped to zilch. With a bum knee, I had to give up not only football, but competitive basketball, track and softball.

I alway ran slow on purpose in Gym class. Some of the girls were much better looking from this point of view.

Ok Ok truth be told. I was the chubbie one. But when I got to the police academy I came in third in the class in the 5 mile run to pass.( don't be cute folks there were 62 cadets in the class not 4) I was never so proud of myself. But I don't rememeber any of my teachers ridiculing me or any other students. But I'm sure I would not have liked it.

Second place in my class was a female officer...re-read my first line

I'm with all of you. School was hell. I finally got a doctors excuse to stay out of gym class. Ofcourse that didn't do me any good physically, but mentally was a different thing. The name calling, the finger pointing, the being the last one picked for anything and never part of the group was a horrible thing that has stayed with me all my life. Now I'm a 51 year old loner for the most part. Our children need more and I agree that PE teachers should have a lot more education in nutrition and a lot more compassion than most of hem have.

Maudispan feel free to call the school principal anonymously and let them know what you saw

I agree with this line.

So many people lack compassion... understanding... kindness for anothers disability.

This class is labeled Physical Education... which means to be educated about physical activity. It should NOT be a class where peer/teacher pressure causes the one that needs it the MOST - to dread the most.

Easily these situations could be turned into a positive experience. When peers encourage and cheer for those lacking, it gives everyone a much better attitude... all around. And teaches team effort!

Darcy, remind me to hug you next time I see you - Good for you for getting that teacher on the right track!

I was very heavy in HS, my weight topped at 300+ lbs at graduation. I did the physical fitness test that year, we had to do the 1.5 mile in under 15 minutes.... I did it in 19 and this skinny, twig girl who smoked did it in over 20 minutes. Kids did not make fun of me during the test but I felt so ashamed.

Times have changed, I think schools should too and they need to focus on healthy eating and exercise thats for sure. Maybe get rid of wood shop or home ec and put in health & exercise instead.

Times have changed, I think schools should too and they need to focus on healthy eating and exercise thats for sure. Maybe get rid of wood shop or home ec and put in health & exercise instead.

Why not keep both shops and Heath Education?

If we love our children as much as we claim, why should they have to make the sacrifice? We should sacrifice by forking over what ever it takes to give the children a formal education and good health education.