How the Heck Do Kids Get Fat?

I'm starting to see a lot more overweight kids nowadays, but aren't kids supposed to have really really fast metabolisms? I am in my early twenties, and while I lose weight a lot easier than gain it, I keep hearing people say "oh, kids are lucky - they can eat whatever they want without getting fat". So why so many fat kids? I know obesity can be caused by sedentary activity and a high calorie diet, but I during my entire childhood I was living off of Oreos, McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, mac & cheese, chips (and I ate CONSTANTLY). My parents never let me outside by myself till I was 13, so I spent my hours drawing, not running around. And I was never overweight. So, with a kid's fast metabolism, how do these kids manage to become overweight? And don't say it's due to a disease or hypothyroidism, b/c I find it hard to believe that like, 15% of kids were born w/ diseases. Do you think it's an additive food companies are now adding to products?

I can understand how anyone in the puberty years or later become fat, b/c the metabolism slows. But fat 7-year-olds - I cannot understand..

They don't go oustide anymore! When I was a kid, we were outside everyday, playing sports, running around, riding bikes, lots of things! Now, kids cant go outside because the parents fear that someone will snatch them. Times have changed, and also, kids these days have computers, video game systems, and television to keep them indoors. Plus, the food these days is really unhealthy, and some parents don't care what their kids eat. It really sucks to be a kid these days!

Fast food parents wont cook.

2 words, video games

they play video games, play online, parent 2 busy 2 cook healthy meals, dont walk anywhere,and schools dont provide healthy meals either

They get fat because they don't eat properly and aren't active. I was always a thin child with a high rate of metabolism. Then as I got older, I grew more sedentary, slowing down my metabolism. Years of fast food through college and work did wonders to put the weight on me. Now I am struggling to get my diet to the healthy state it was when I lived with my parents.

Well, like you, I had a very fast metabolism as well when i was a child and I simply gained weight and grew taller and looked like a twig. Children's metabolism rates can vary because you should know that no one is the same. Obesity can also be easily obtained when you are a shorter height and grow slower than everyone else.

There are alot of fat parents out there and kids learn their eating habits from their parents. Not only that, but with all the video games and such out now, kids don't get out and exercise like they should. It's not disease, it eating too much of the wrong foods and not getting enough exercise, just the same as it is with adults.

you probably ate a lot of small meals. thats a HUGE difference. and when you were younger the portions were probably a lot smaller(im not calling you old its just that a lot has changed in the past 5,7 years)

and different people have different metabolisms. most of the time genetics has a little to do w/ it. even though the parents should know better than to let their kids eat garbage.

and the schools offer terrible meals!! at my middle school they say that they cant sell some candy in the "school store" however they sell stromboli, pizza, ice cream, munchos(the saltiest chips you will ever taste), nachos, fried chicken(no grilled chicken, heavily fried) big pretzels w/ cheese dipping/ breadsticks w/ cheese in them(aka bosco stiks), etc.

the food companies are causing it too

Maybe you didn't eat the fatty foods these kids are eating now. When I talk with the mothers that come into the club to lose weight and talk with them about what foods they have in the house, you wouldn't believe the junk they have. They have a hard time staying away from it too. They buy alot of fast food because it's easy and fast, they have alot of sweets in the house because it's for the kids. The kids don't do much any more either except play on the computer and watch tv.
Any time too many calories are taken in and not enough activity to burn it off, weight will be gained, and this is what's happening.

you answered your own ? .... to much fast food and not enough exercise. to much boob tube, vidio games and etc. not enough ball games, bike riding and etc

food companies aren't putting anything addictive in their products other then fat and sugar. kids love these two items, so theirfore they gain weight. It's sad. Read "Don't Eat this Book" by MOrgan Spurlock. the guy from the Super Size me Movie. It's pretty good. he goe after school lunch programs and gives some interesting information

they eat alot of junk!!!!!!!!

No it's the fact that they dont do anything. It might be genetics though, some kids are born fat. Even small amounts of exercise will increase the speed of your metabolism.

You may have been blessed with a fast metabolism -- most kids are not. The reason they are getting fat is because they sit on their butts playing video games or watching tv during the time when kids of previous generations were out doing chores or actively playing.

Ask your grand parents or great grandparents where and what type of food they got growing up.
They did not have fast food(it is less than 40 yrs old),
They didn't have commercial processed food like now.
They didn't have foods out of season.
they didn't have foods from more than 500 miles away.
They didn't eat out more than twice a week.
Beef chicken pork fish were not genetically modified as they are now.
They didn't have an excess of foods with corn bases.
Their portion sizes were 1/2 or more smaller than today.
they had foods that really had vitamins and minerals all ready in them not enhanced.
Water was for drinking not just bathing.
We didn't even have peanut allergies.
The disease are byproducts of the food manufactoring systems.

We warn our kids about all those sickos ready to kidnap them and then wonder why they won't go out and play.