School for Overweight Teens gets Failing grade in Nutrition

i used to think "if my high school serves it, it must be healthy" of course i was 14 years old at the time and calories meant nothing... that is how i became the disgrace that i was... the point is that they tried to take physical education out of my school and they kept offering us more choices of fried foods, my school never promoted healthy eating, not even in health class. i think this school has a great concept, but i hope there is more education than just feeding them lowfat items.

I definitely have to agree that education is key because these kids need to make the right choices the rest of their lives. I was never taught nutrition basics in any of my classes growing up and gym class was a joke (spent a third of my time on the sideline because our classes were so big). I never really even looked at a nutrition label until I started on my lifestyle change. The more I learn, the more I want to succeed and be healthy.

Singling out teens and sending them to special schools is the answer? Yeah, because teens respond well to being singled out. Right.

The government has legislated horrendous school policies (NCLB, anyone?)...so why can't it do something right for a change and create some sort of decree forcing public schools to offer nutritional education? There used to be something called 'health class' where they taught about health and something called 'home ec.' where they taught you how to cook simple meals.

When I was in school, both of these classes were mandatory for students of both genders. Bring 'em back! And add some more gym while you're at it.

For $5900 a month I'll go over to the parents house and show them how to cook for their kids....or at least slap the candy out of their hand...you know since that whole losing weight thing is 85% based on nutrition and the hormonal responses from the body to regulate burning of stored fat. I bet these are the same people who believe in a low fat diet and more exercise as the solution....yeah cause more sugar and increased insulin resistance will never lead to weight gain....sigh. Oh saturated fat causes heart disease too while we are throwing out highly effective and scientific proven facts....note sarcasm.

Never teh Bride said:
...why can't it do something right for a change and create some sort of decree forcing public schools to offer nutritional education? There used to be something called 'health class' [...]

As the mom of a teenager in public high school, I can assure you that a full year of health class is mandated by the state. It contains a bunch of required elements that various legislators and teachers have thought to be important, like drug abuse resistance and education, and "human sexuality". In fact, there were a couple weeks on nutrition, and my son paid as much attention to this as any parent might imagine, i.e. none. I think that teenagers know they are immortal, so what they eat and how much they exercise are irrelevant to them. You can't force them care about these things, however many classes you make them to suffer through.

You know, I don't ever remember ever thinking anything at the school cafeteria was healthy to eat - ever (tuna croquettes anyone? Ketchup pizza?) We would BEG to take our lunches, but it was $5 a week for school lunches and my mother's shoe collection was more important than what we ate. (Hint: the beginning of emotional eating...)

We had gym class and were quite active (running, tennis etc - you could be terrible but you had to participate) and I was lucky enough to walk to school. I also played softball and soccer. But I was already an EMOTIONAL eater - I just managed to stay slim because I was so active.

It's not the junk at the school, it's somewhat the lack of physical exercise, yes (video games didn't really exist when I was a kid - Pong only lasted so long) but it's the crazy no time for our kids lifestyle that leaves these kids utterly empty of any kind of emotional life! Food is always there, always fills that hole at least temporarily. What happened to sandpit baseball? Freeze-tag games that went until 9pm, tag-football, frisbee throwing (and climbing the roof to get them off)... that's all disappeared. It's munch and shoot something on the screen. Heck, play king of the mountain on a small hill for a few hours see how fat you stay!

Kill your television, pack your kids lunch with real food, clear your schedule and play outside. Worked in the 70's when we were all skinny.

About a year ago Jamie Oliver (celeb-chef) made a national effort to overhaul England's atrocious school dinners. Unfortunately while myself and many others in the UK were applauding his well-overdue and (mainly) selfless efforts, some parents of the kids that attended the schools under trial were slipping bags of crisps and other junk through the fence to their kids! Can you believe these parents that would deliberately sabotage their own kids opportunity to learn to eat more healthily !? There were kids there that couldn't recognise even the most basic of vegetables too... *groan*

Lemaloon said:
Lemaloon[...]

...or not :-(

These students get 79% of their daily caloric intake from carbohydrates!!

According to this page:
http://www.academyofthesierras.com/low_hunger.html

79% carbs, 12% protein, 9% fat

The only way they can lose weight with that level of insulin floating around is to restrict calories to around 1500. No wonder why the only exercise they are recommended is walking!

This diet is guaranteed to turn these kids into stick figures. With only 70 grams of protein a day, there is no way they are retaining muscle mass in a caloric deficit. They're probably losing half their weight in muscle.

These Sierra pricks are turning out a legion of the skinny fat. And laughing all the way to the bank.

Make me want to open up a competitor, "Kailash's School for Buff and Sexy Kids". Our school motto will be "Our kids can beat up your Sierra kids (only $4,000/month)"

I'd feed them pasture raised animals. In fact, they would raise the animals, grow vegetable gardens, and pick and process fruit and nuts. In addition to the farm work, kids would be encouraged to lift weights or do strongman exercises.

The incentive would be that the more you work or lift, the more you eat. Don't lift, don't work, here's a lettuce leaf and a chicken wing. Get your exercise in, here's a 16 oz steak and a plate of green beens.

Anybody got some start-up capital?

I think the school is a great idea. I was a fat kid in school and it really sucked to be around my skinnier classmates. The guys tease you and the girls do not talk to you. The worse they treat you, the more you eat.

Being around other large children seems supportive.

The 1500 calories a day calories is not bad. However, I would increase the protein consumption to 100 grams a day and fat consumption to 50 grams a day.

The fats would be unsaturated and the carbs would be low glycemic load.

I would also add some bodyweight strength training to the program

I'd like a school with that general idea-- except, of course, my family as with most of the poor obese would never have sent me there.

HOWEVER, it needs a total overhaul with trainers and RD's. That's obvious.

Dr. Kal said:
The 1500 calories a day calories is not bad. However, I would increase the protein consumption to 100 grams a day and fat consumption to 50 grams a day.

But one size does not fit all.

The recommended daily protein intake (for the average person) is between 1.6 and 1.8 grams per a kilogram of body weight.

Calories for fat loss should be between (10.2 x bodyweight + 879) x .50 and (10.2 x bodyweight + 879) x .60, using bodyweight in pounds.

I would make sure these kids got a lot of omega-3 from animal fats, particularly DHA and EPA. Feeding them seafood would insure that they also got plenty of iodine, which powers the thyroid. Saturated fats would help boost hormone levels that will result in the retention of muscle and healthy, growing bodies.

Carbs would come almost exclusively in the form of nuts, which are also beneficial sources of monounsaturated fat and many minerals. I don't believe in elemental vitamin and mineral supplements. If we couldn't hack out 100% intakes through a structured dietary program, then we'd be failures like this Sierra program. Blech.

Since these are kids we're talking about, I'd give them two carb-outs per a week. All you can eat whole wheat pizza and all you can eat ice cream. This would also insure that leptin levels don't drop. And we'd schedule it for right after strenuous activity, with weight-bearing aspects. Such as the return evening after an overnight backpacking expedition. Or a day-long canoe race up-river to a pizza party.

Some people would get down on me for "using food as a reward". But the fact of the matter is that we're supposed to refuel after exercise, so that our bodies can be built stronger. There's no better time to feed than after strenuous exercise. And if you underfeed, you only have made yourself weaker.

"Kailash's School for the Strong": Still looking for start-up capital.

Kailash said:
The recommended daily protein intake (for the average person) is between 1.6 and 1.8 grams per a kilogram of body weight.[...]

The minimum, by formula, is 0.8g/kg body weight - and that's a minimum for complete protein that includes all essential amino acids in correct ratios - so what one actually consumes to do that is usually a bit higher.....add in any stress to the body or LBM, like exercise, and you'll need a bit more also.

Kailash said:
Carbs would come almost exclusively in the form of nuts, which are also beneficial sources of monounsaturated fat and many minerals. I don't believe in elemental vitamin and mineral supplements. If we couldn't hack out 100% intakes through a structured dietary program, then we'd be failures like this Sierra program. [...]

One can meet and exceed dietary requirements for vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids and essential fatty acids with diet alone if they eat a controlled-carb diet. I've posted a lot of menus on my blog showing this again and again - it takes very little time or effort to plan such a menu once you know what foods have what nutrients! In addition to nuts, I'd add in a large variety of non-starchy vegetables - they'd be, in my ideal world, the main source of carbohydrates since they're rich with essential nutrients....nuts and seeds would be there too, but not as primary source of carbohydrate, but rather to keep calories adequate!

Regina said:
In addition to nuts, I'd add in a large variety of non-starchy vegetables - they'd be, in my ideal world, the main source of carbohydrates since they're rich with essential nutrients[...]

Like green beans and carrots? I love those too. :)

Kailash said:
Like green beans and carrots? I love those too. :)[...]

Green beans, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, bok choy, turnip greens, rudabega (sic), zucchini, summer squash, etc.!

"This diet is guaranteed to turn these kids into stick figures. With only 70 grams of protein a day, there is no way they are retaining muscle mass in a caloric deficit. They're probably losing half their weight in muscle."

I saw this school profiled on either 60 Minutes or Dateline a few years ago. They followed a bunch of kids who eventually lost 100+ lbs and were heading home. They were definitely not stick figures, though. As I recall, there was strength training etc. offered there too. Anyway, it was interesting (and pretty moving too).

this isn't about the children, imo. this was always just a way to exploit desperate parents and their children in order to get lot of cash. this is evident in the founder's comments which show his lack of nutrition knowledge, the "one-size-fits-all" calorie allotment given to the children and the food they are feeding them. maybe i'm being too harsh by saying their aim is to exploit but i think, first and foremost, their main aim is to make money and their secondary motive is to help the kids lose weight. however, even that's debatable. their secondary aim could actually really be for the fame aspect (i.e - those who want to be seen as extraordinary people making some big contribution to society when their motive are in fact not all that honest) and the children then the third element of their plans. it's an interesting concept yet a sad reflection on how society has become. people are so desperate for a "cure" that they will jump on the bandwagon of any company who want a slice of the $46+ billion diet industry.

kids need to eat alot. my bro eats i'd say over 3000 cals some days and he's 14, 5'6" and 125 lbs. as for myself i'm 96 lbs, 16 years old, and 5"6". and i eat about 2000.and thats on a day i don't exercise. so school's have to provide high calorie food cuz most active teens actually need to eat like that.

Diet pop in the same category as water? You have got to be kidding me!