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Current Events » in reply to Re: 'First we call all the parents'

Re: Only the people with the data can do the math
Mary Anne — (archived)

<By the way, if you went to one of these Family Literacy meetings, and collected all the clients in one room, and asked them "how many people here think you can get fat from eating too many french fries?" I bet everyone raises their hands.

OK, Tom, take the same group and ask them how many calories an adult should have to maintain a healthy body weight.

Silence.

So you tell them.

Then ask about how many of those calories should come from carbohydrates, and how many from fat.

Silence.

So you ask them what a carbohydrate is.

Silence.

So you tell them.

Two hours later, after the whole food pyramid thing, provided everyone can still focus and is still interested, we get around to the crucial question:

How many calories are in a fish sandwich from Burger King?

Do you know the answer to that one?

Are you ready?

Over 700. (I looked it up once, and was horrified.)

And you thought fish was good for you!

Have that and a "milkshake" (that's dairy, right? right?), and you have used up over 1,000 calories from your 1800 calorie dance card for the day.

And they gave up the fries!!! So why are they still fat?

I have heard people claim that they give their children fruit at lunch and cite jelly as the fruit.

It's really discouraging for people. It's difficult to break a habit of a lifetime that tastes really good to you for results you can't see. So there needs to be support and reinforcement. Tell me where they can get it at a price they can afford. Or do we just kiss them off?

This is how it is.

Regards--
Mary Anne

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