Boy Scouts shun obese members as controversy continues

If any of you ATSers were or have sons in the Boy Scouts, I suggest you get riled up about this:

Boy Scouts hoping to attend the organization’s National Scout Jamboree will have to pass a physical fitness test before joining in the activities, leaving many wondering if the notoriously homophobic group is now excluding the overweight as well.

link

There is no denying that there is an obesity epidemic in America, but denying children just because they're overweight?! I have known some people who have put their kids in the Scouts so they can learn to be self-sufficient and maybe get a good workout while enjoying nature.

I do see some point to this physical fitness test, as to make sure some kids don't drop out of breath because of their weight, but I would like to see what you think of this, former Scouts.

First you can't be gay?

Now you can't be fat?

Lol!

I say you can't be a Boy Scout if you are older than 13.

Because when you're 13, you become a man.

Unless you want to become a Man Scout.

Being a Man Scout just sounds gay.

See what I did there?

The obese kids should go to a 'fat camp' and get fit before they join an organization that promotes self-sufficiency, good health, etc. It'll help build the character and fortitude they'll need to do some of the things that the Boy Scouts wants them to do.

Im surprised that given the scouts recent trend to sloth based merit badges they would still enforce some physical standards.

If a fat kid has to walk a lap for gym class they why shouldnt a fat kid have to walk one for the scouts? Seeing as how scouting is wholly optional and school is not shouldnt the outrage be directed toward school PE?

Fatty could use a pushup or two regardless.


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People really need to stop glorying the obese like it's some kind of curse or permanent disability.

The rate of obesity among children 6 to 17, by the last CDC report from half a decade ago, shows just below 18 to 19 percent average.

That's insane.

I blame parents for this epidemic. I don't like the boy scouts, don't' get me wrong, but their reasoning isn't way off base.

We required a level of fitness in order to come to the jamboree that we haven’t required before,” Dan McCarthy, director of the BSA’s Summit Group, told the Associated Press Monday. “And that has motivated an enormous return in terms of both kids and adults getting serious about improving their health.”

If the event is intended to be physically laborious then it does make sense that they would want to exclude those who may actually hurt themselves, or flare up an already existing medical problem.

There's no point sending a kid to camp if he's just gonna sit around all the time dry heaving and visiting the nurse.

~Tenth

Boy Scouts is an organization in decline. Between all the other activities there are for kids these days I'd say they probably shouldn't be alienating themselves from fat kids. They have had a fat person vendetta for awhile in 2005 they sent a leader of ours back from philmont scout ranch for fear of him dying. he wasn't even super obese more like pretty husky. i did have a good old time with the scouts but i'm pretty sure their top echelons of leadership are a bunch of morons and should probably watch themselves.

ps
I've seen a bunch of fat kids transformed by a week or 2 of philmont hiking. transformed em from pudgy whiners to lean scouts.

reply to post by TheToastmanCometh
Kids can be overweight and still pass a physical fitness test. Being a bit bigger in no way means that you aren't in good health and able to do the same activities as everyone else. I know people who are as thin as a rail that could not pass a physical fitness test.

Growing up I used to struggle with my weight, I was a chunky kid.

You know what I wish, I wish back than as a child some adults had taken a #ing stance and instead of telling me as a child "it was okay"

Had instead said "Hey put the candy and micky D's down"

It took until my college years for me to take my own health seriously, took the matter into my own hand and fixed it, would of been nice though if someone say with authority or with whom I respected had took me aside and explained Gently but firmly that the live choices I was making (AND THAT ADULTS ALLOWED) where going to lead me to an early grave as an adult.

Kids are just that KIDS, and they needs ADULTS to make sensible life choices for them and show them the way to live and grow up to be a successful adult.

The boyscouts are trying to address the issue, it maybe heavy handed and perhaps wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if its the first time someone told these OBESE kids NO.

Anyone that has obese children should be charged with child abuse. Allowing your child to become obese is setting them up for being a complete failure in life. It all starts with health, if you aren't physically healthy, then everything else goes out the window. In a perfect world, everyone would be having PE class first period. Get a good active start to the day, and it sets up the rest of the day for being productive.

More on topic, the BSA do things like hikes etc, or at least they did when I was a member. The fat kids usually voluntarily quit after not too long, because the scout masters got really annoyed that they had to coddle these kids. Having to stop too often because the fat kids complained of being tired, and didn't really hide the annoyance. A lot of the kids were annoyed too.

Originally posted by benrl
Growing up I used to struggle with my weight, I was a chunky kid.

You know what I wish, I wish back than as a child some adults had taken a #ing stance and instead of telling me as a child "it was okay"

Had instead said "Hey put the candy and micky D's down"

It took until my college years for me to take my own health seriously, took the matter into my own hand and fixed it, would of been nice though if someone say with authority or with whom I respected had took me aside and explained Gently but firmly that the live choices I was making (AND THAT ADULTS ALLOWED) where going to lead me to an early grave as an adult.

Kids are just that KIDS, and they needs ADULTS to make sensible life choices for them and show them the way to live and grow up to be a successful adult.

The boyscouts are trying to address the issue, it maybe heavy handed and perhaps wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if its the first time someone told these OBESE kids NO.

Don't blame others for your fatness.

Didn't you realize that you ate too much?

Didn't you ever get full?

Didn't you feel your pants were getting too tight?

Didn't you sweat like a pig?

Didn't you see yourself in the mirror?

Didn't anyone tell you you were fat?

So let me get this straight...

A fat kid, gets out of his butt and joins an outdoor activity..and people deny him that?

Wow...

Its like dangling an Insulin shot in front of a diabetes patient.

Originally posted by benrl
Growing up I used to struggle with my weight, I was a chunky kid.

You know what I wish, I wish back than as a child some adults had taken a #ing stance and instead of telling me as a child "it was okay"

Had instead said "Hey put the candy and micky D's down"

It took until my college years for me to take my own health seriously, took the matter into my own hand and fixed it, would of been nice though if someone say with authority or with whom I respected had took me aside and explained Gently but firmly that the live choices I was making (AND THAT ADULTS ALLOWED) where going to lead me to an early grave as an adult.

Kids are just that KIDS, and they needs ADULTS to make sensible life choices for them and show them the way to live and grow up to be a successful adult.

The boyscouts are trying to address the issue, it maybe heavy handed and perhaps wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if its the first time someone told these OBESE kids NO.

Don't blame others for your fatness.

Didn't you realize that you ate too much?

Didn't you ever get full?

Didn't you feel your pants were getting too tight?

Didn't you sweat like a pig?

Didn't you see yourself in the mirror?

Didn't anyone tell you you were fat?

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
If the event is intended to be physically laborious then it does make sense that they would want to exclude those who may actually hurt themselves, or flare up an already existing medical problem. There's no point sending a kid to camp if he's just gonna sit around all the time dry heaving and visiting the nurse.

Can't argue with that. No sense in 'dumbing down' the activities to the lowest level.
Instead, those who are obese should get in shape so they can be capable of going.

Notice that the article said OBESE.
That's a serious medical conditon.
Boy scout camps aren't for the physically weak.

I'd like to be able to say otherwise, but I think tothetenthpower has a pretty good point.
If someone can talk me into thinking otherwise .... I'll listen.

Well, this thread has all kinds of disinformation in it, I'm not sure if it was intentional or not.

In years past, the National Jamboree was held in and around Washington, D.C. This year it is being held at Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. This site is a High Adventure site due to it's distance from hospital and other emergency services. The obesity requirement has always been a condition of High Adventure events. It is not something new, it is just being applied to the Jamboree for the first time because of the new location in the West Virginia mountains.

It is not a "Physical fitness test' it is a maximum Body Mass Index of 40.0.

Someone is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his or her ideal body weight and has a BMI of 40.0..... Used to determine an individual’s ideal physical condition, BMI calculations have become increasingly popular in determining the specifics of one’s fitness. BMIs of 25.0 to 29.9 fall in the overweight range, while those with 30.0 or higher are considered obese. The average American male has a BMI of 28.5, with females reporting 29.0. Approximately 17 per cent of American children between ages 2 and 19 are considered obese, figures that have doubled for children and tripled for adolescents over the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It should be common sense that someone who has a BMI of 40.0 presents a much higher risk of physical failure requiring immediate emergency medical help. The Jamboree site is too far from these services for the safety of someone in that level of danger.

Originally posted by Frankenchrist

Originally posted by benrl
Growing up I used to struggle with my weight, I was a chunky kid.

You know what I wish, I wish back than as a child some adults had taken a #ing stance and instead of telling me as a child "it was okay"

Had instead said "Hey put the candy and micky D's down"

It took until my college years for me to take my own health seriously, took the matter into my own hand and fixed it, would of been nice though if someone say with authority or with whom I respected had took me aside and explained Gently but firmly that the live choices I was making (AND THAT ADULTS ALLOWED) where going to lead me to an early grave as an adult.

Kids are just that KIDS, and they needs ADULTS to make sensible life choices for them and show them the way to live and grow up to be a successful adult.

The boyscouts are trying to address the issue, it maybe heavy handed and perhaps wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised if its the first time someone told these OBESE kids NO.

Don't blame others for your fatness.

Didn't you realize that you ate too much?

Didn't you ever get full?

Didn't you feel your pants were getting too tight?

Didn't you sweat like a pig?

Didn't you see yourself in the mirror?

Didn't anyone tell you you were fat?

Lol,

1.Now I don't, as an adult that #s on me, hell it was in my teen years I started to try and do something and successfully did.

2. Wasn't about too much, it was about eating CRAP a 900 cal happy meal vs say a 500-700 cal home cook meal. The home cooking will fill you where the happy meal youd still be hungry after.

3. Pants, why no, why would they when everyone caters to fat people and carries their over sized #?

4. Sweat? as a child, pfft, You have to move to do that, and as a child I had tv, video games, and permissive parents so no I didn't.

5. Saw myself everyday, Had parents and family, who would pinch my cheeks tell me how cute I was, and how special I was. (Biggest load of horse # but people love to coddle children)

6.Sure they did, but with all the above, I was so confident that it didn't bother me, I was a special, cute, well loved child whose parents did everything to shelter and coddle that behaviors.

So yea from k-9 grade Did nothing, HS tried and bumped up against the household was raised in, and like I said, in College I locked that # down.

AT any point I could of handled that # with my Adult mentality now, as an elementary aged school child? NO.

Its a private group they can do what they want. If you don't like it, don't send your kids.

reply to post by TheToastmanCometh


I say good.

get rid of the fatties.
Then get rid of the Irish. They too stupid to be scouts.
Then them dark skinned folks. Can't have them hanging around.
Then them jews. Don't need no damned jewboys scoutin'.
Then lets get thems diabetic kids. Can't eat candy. Bunch of wusses.
*spits*
Then get rid of thems gaymos.
Then gets rid of them damned kids that get sun burn.
Then gets rid of thems kids with allergies. Damned sissy-boys!
*scratches crotch*
Then gets rid of thems kids ain't beeleeve in Jebus!
Then gets rid of thems crippled kids. Damned retards!
Ain't needin' no damned red heads neither!
*hee-yuk!*


*sigh*

I think I will take my son out of scouts. Instead of scouting, I will take him fishing and boating and camping. I will teach him how to;
Light a fire
Pitch a tent
Catch a fish
Respect everyone

And never, ever to exclude anyone.

Ever.

Just in case someone missed it, I'm a little steamed.

My son, my child was born with a vision problem. He can't effing see too well. I suppose he should get kicked out of scouts also!

Originally posted by beezzer
I think I will take my son out of scouts. Instead of scouting, I will take him fishing and boating and camping. I will teach him how to;
Light a fire
Pitch a tent
Catch a fish
Respect everyone

And never, ever to exclude anyone.

Ever.

Surely you know about the high adventure requirements? It is a fundamental part of the yearly required medical form. Why is it so discouraging now?

It doesn't make sense to take boys in this much danger of physical failure so far away from medical help.

There is so much to get out of scouts it would be a shame to deny your son that experience.

reply to post by beezzer


When it comes to physical exertion you're better off blind than fat.