Right now the answers are running about 60/40 favoring Yes. I think that's good, better than I expected, however, it's one thing to be affected by something immediately after watching a film, but 2 months later, a year, not so much. Habits and peer pressure override logic and good intentions so people routinely act in ways they know are not in their best interests.
For teens there is still the feeling of omnipotence that most thankfully outgrow in their 20's. There is also I think a fair amount of denial going on about being overweight. Out of my 195 or so students, I probably have 25-35 students that are 20 or more pounds overweight, (a few a lot more than 20 lbs).
The scary part is that my students are 14 and 15 years old. How much will they weigh at 18 or 25? My school is not unique either as overweight is the "new normal". Is McDonalds to blame? Yes, but only partly. Who else? Some blame also goes to PepsiCo, which is a food conglomerate that owns Mountain Dew, Lays chips, Gatorade, Cheetos, Doritos, Tostitos, well- you get the picture. Who else is to blame? Direct TV, Apple, MTV and quite a few others that market 24/7 entertainment choices to young and old alike. Why get exercise when I can sit in my bedroom, eat chips, drink soda, not do my homework and text my BFF until my thumbs are sore?
All across the US kids are spending more time eating junk, drinking junk, playing video games, texting, watch videos, updating their Facebook page, THAN THEY ARE walking, running, playing sports, eating fruit, drinking water and reading for pleasure. A lot more time.
Flabby bodies, and it appears flabby minds as test scores and graduation rates can attest. While we have been discussing obesity and nutrition now 8 school days into the new semester, in every class students have asked "can't you just have an operation? That stomach thing?" Just 5 years ago my students saw liposuction as the solution to overweight. Today, gastric by-pass. It apparently worked for "that guy" in the SuperSize Me video. I generally stop the video then and say "Yes, and his next operation will be a quintuple by-pass for his heart, unless he dies in route to the hospital."
