Convincing Kids To Get Off Their Fat...

from the fill-in-the-blank dept

Thu, Jul 29th 2004 1:19pm — Mike Masnick

Okay, so there are all sorts of stories about the kids these days, sitting still all day playing video games, surfing the internet and staring at the TV, getting ever wider and wider. Since it's becoming clear that suggesting they simply "go outside" isn't going to yank them away from their screens, it looks like more people are trying to come up with ways to use those screens to get those kids to actually get up and move around -- while still keeping the eyes glued to the screen. There are TV shows coming to children's TV stations focused on convincing kids to get up and do stuff. I wonder if, like most exercise shows on TV, those kids will just sit still mocking folks bouncing around on TV? In the video game realm, it's nothing new that developers are working on games that actually require some amount of exercise, but it sounds like many more exercise-ready games are coming to market.

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24 Comments

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SC, 29 Jul 2004 @ 2:27pm

Exercise powered devices
One solution (that my father came up with years ago) is to create an exercise-powered pc. The pc would only remain powered on as long as an attached exercise device was in use. A better way of doing this would be to automatically lock the computer if a) the device wasn't present or b) a certain "exercise" level wasn't met over a certain period of time. Luckily, when I was a kid, my parents didn't know enough about computers to make that happen.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Jul 2004 @ 4:27pm

Re: Exercise powered devices
My dad come up with an even better solution he took away the TV and Video games and MADE us to outside and play soccer and football in the park.
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Candrian, 29 Jul 2004 @ 10:08pm

Blame the people, not the tv
I've come up with an even better solution. Get two dumbells, starting lifting them. Hell, you can watch tv while doing this (for the majority of exercises, some like benchpress or flys aren't so conducive for this).

Not to mention when running nowadays, its trivial to take along a radio/walkman/iPod or whatever technical device you fancy..Really maybe I'm just old fashioned, but theres nothing about exercise and entertainment that can't coexist. The entire problem is peoples laziness, sitting in front of the television just happens to be a result of that, not the cause.
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Number 6, 30 Jul 2004 @ 2:52am

Police 24/7
I played a great arcade game about a month ago (police 24/7), it used a camera to record your movements, so you had to jump up and down and move from side to side in order to hide or dodge bullets (it was a light gun game) I played it for about 10 minutes, and my legs hurt a good 2 days afterwards...

Just some thoughts
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Frozen Chrome, 30 Jul 2004 @ 6:19am

Just say no
As a parent of two kids, just say no seems to work out fine. There is NO video game playing during the weekend. There is NO cable service ( 6 channels of crap is enough for me & my kids ). There is NO watching television by yourself ( familly interaction make great add-on to TV watching ). There is NO more then one TV in the house. There is NO more then 1 hour of TV watching a night. There is NO use of the TV as a baby sitting apperatus...

Yes, life does get hecktic when it is raining outside and the kids are itching to do something. Yes, there is very little time for my self ( or self indulgence ). Yes, my life is full of child related activities. Yes, it is hard to maintain this, especially with the influence of external peer preasure on my kids. Yes, my kids are well rounded. And Yes, I take full responsibility in raising my kids, including the successes and the failures.

'Nuff said.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2004 @ 6:31am

No Subject Given
Monkey see, Monkey do. Children of active parents are more likely to be active. Children who watch their parents come home tired and flop into a chair to watch TV ... well, that's just say they do pretty much they same thing.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Jul 2004 @ 9:10am

Re: Just say no

Frozen Chrome,

I TRULEY admire you & wish you the very best with your child rearing. I commend you for being an active involved parent !

I was going to post that the children are ONLY a result of their parents, but seeing post like yours renews my faith for a future generation of children.

KUDOS to you !
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Jeremiah, 30 Jul 2004 @ 4:17pm

DDR Max
Spending the few bucks on a Dance Dance! Revolution! game on the PS/2 or XBOX will get you off your ass too.

"Afronova" anyone??
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Chris, 30 Jul 2004 @ 6:26pm

No Subject Given
"Kids, go outside and play for an hour." It's amazing how well that works.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2004 @ 9:05pm

Re: No Subject Given
My kids watch TV in the morning. At lunch, too. And they're healthy and active as anything. They get bored of it after a while. No need to be draconian about restricting TV - you're practically guaranteeing they'll be sitting around watching TV all day as soon as they get away from the house. That, and they won't have as much/anything to share with their peers who do watch more TV.
Anyway, what I really wanted to say was that they've been trying these "exercise video games" since the early 90's! And they've never really taken off - the latest Japanese dance games, etc. are about the closest thing.
And - it's NOT just about calories burned, its calories taken in, too. I have no respect for parents who let their kids get fat! Good god, YOU control 100% of their dietary intake! Maybe they get snack food at school, but still. And whoever said that parents modelling the behaviour is crucial is also right on the money.
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Lisa, 22 Jul 2006 @ 4:02pm

fat
as a fat kid i don't care,...i just eat and eat and eat never exersize and being fat is fun in a way...i am 119 pounds and i am still getting fatter i am gettig puffed writing this just leave us f*ckn fat kciks alone we like eatng ok sure we are bered in fTckn piggish fat but at lease we show it to the world by wereing small cloths i am 11 size 12 but i were size 6 bathers ll my fat pokes out then i love it i also like poking it it is fun my perents don't give a shit they say better a fat piggy slob then a skinny skank!
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LISA, 22 Jul 2006 @ 4:04pm

FUCKN FAT
i am a FUC*N FAT BITCH I AM OBESE
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derek, 16 Oct 2006 @ 11:05pm

BITCH I KILL YOU
lol obese lisa. HAhaah. but no realy i dont get how people can be fat. I myself am a cyclist and runner and if i dont exersize for a day i feel like a piece of crap. Its jsut somethingive become adicted to. And to think I used to play 5 hours of video games everyday after school before i got iN highschool. Fuck that!
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robert, 17 Nov 2006 @ 7:40am

As a kid myself..i belive that you take the tv or what ever away that they will go to there friends house and play like i do ..i am active just so i dont turn fator anything..just take your kids to the nearest park with some friends and bring a football or vollyball or soccer ball, it doesnt matter what . But i think thats a pretty go idea :)
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debbie, 14 Dec 2006 @ 2:51am

fat
why does all u ppl hav to be fat
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debbie, 14 Dec 2006 @ 2:52am

fat
why does all u ppl hav to be fat do use ever stop eatin will ha ha i am sittin here eating an i am still nt fat ha ha wud u like a mars bar well u cant hav 1 cuz u as all 2 fat ma niger
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fat lisa, 14 Dec 2006 @ 2:59am

Re: FUCKN FAT
we all no u a fat fuckin bitch jus sort it out u big fat lesbian by the way wud u like to meet up for a date wit me cuz i am fat an lesbian my name is Lisa an nobody wants to go wi me so wud u it wud be a special christmas present from u 2 me lulz n lz n lz n lz u new lover Lisa
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Big Fat Lazy Glutton, 18 Feb 2007 @ 9:38am

I'm Fat And Happy so Fuck Off!!!
I'm a big fat lazy glutton and I'm perfectly happy! I'm short and fat, only 12 years old, 4 ft. 10 in. and I weigh 850 pounds. My butt is 6 feet wide so I can't wipe my own ass, and my lower belly hangs down over my thighs almost down to my knees! I will never be able to have sex when I grow up because my belly hangs down over my penis, but I don't care. I prefer to eat and sleep instead. I sleep in my reclining chair in front of the TV because I can't walk anymore. I wake up at 10:00 AM in the morning and eat throughout the day until 6:00 PM, so that is 8 hours of constant eating, then I fall asleep anmd wake up again at 10:00 AM. So, I get 16 hours of sleep and I'm only away for 8 hours when I'm eating. I love my life, and I'm perfectly happy, and I hope to get even fatter until I weigh over a thousand pounds! If you all don't like it, then you can all fuck off! Just leave this happy little fat boy alone!
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dasd sadsad, 26 Mar 2007 @ 4:35pm

dsa saddsa
sadas dsadsa
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Anonymous Coward, 16 May 2007 @ 7:48am

just hoover.. they will soon get pi$$ed off.
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Anonymous Coward, 16 May 2007 @ 7:49am

just hoover.. they will soon get pi$$ed off.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Apr 2008 @ 4:18pm

YOY TELL EM bill Clinton
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Big Fat Lazy Glutton, 3 Dec 2008 @ 11:32pm

Fatter And Even Happier Now
It's been over a year since I have posted here, so I thought I should give you all a progress report on my weight gain.

I'm now 14 years old, and 5 ft 3 in tall, and I now weigh about 1,500 pounds. My lower belly hangs down below my knees, and my butt is 7 feet wide.

I'm completely immobile, and I'm perfectly happy and contented. I intend to keep on gaining weight.

I hope to become the first person to weigh a full ton, and then I intend to keep on gaining.

If you all don't like it, then I don't give a fuck.

That's because I can't give a fuck, since my belly hangs down over my penis.
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mira, 16 Jan 2009 @ 3:59am

overweight
when i was 7-11 i was heavy i still am whether i eat right exercise nothing works i love fruits and vegetables i prefer them over fast food and junk but i don't lose weight i dont eat too much i eat a small amount at every meal but it doesn't change parents cant always keep their kids healthy some kids just dont stay thin no matter what they eat or do i'm an example of that i'm now 15 going on 16 and i've pretty much given up on being thin because nothing i do works some people just cant lose weight naturally
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