Cayman teens lazy, says study
(CNS): According to research conducted by the World Health Organization in Geneva, in a study of more than 70,000 young teens from 34 countries, teenagers from the Cayman Islands and St. Lucia were found to be the least active kids. Some 58 percent of boys and 64 percent of girls in Cayman said they spent three hours a day in sedentary activity. The results come at a time when obesity and diabetes is on the rise among local children. Health Minster Mark Scotland said in his World Health Day message yesterday (7 April) that almost 38 percent of school students aged between 11 and 14 are overweight.
This latest study was conducted by Regina Guthold and a team from the WHO, who found that, overall, most kids aren’t getting enough exercise. Published in The Journal of Pediatrics, it looked at 13- to 15-year-old school children from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East between 2003 and 2007.
The researchers defined adequate physical activity as at least an hour of exercise on top of gym class at least five days a week. Children who spent three or more hours watching TV, playing computer games, or chatting with friends outside of school time were classified as sedentary.
Across the 34 countries involved just one-quarter of the boys and 15 percent of the girls were getting enough exercise by their definition, the researchers found. And a quarter of boys and nearly 30 percent of girls were sedentary and didn’t get enough exercise. In every country aside from Zambia, girls were less active than boys. In more than half of the countries in the study, less than a quarter of the boys were getting enough exercise.
Uruguay had the highest percentage of active boys at 42 percent, while Zambia had the lowest at 8 percent. Girls from India were the most active with 37 percent meeting exercise recommendations, while girls from Egypt were the least active with just 4 percent getting adequate exercise. Kids in Myanmar were the least sedentary with 13 percent of boys and 8 percent of girls classified as sedentary. The most sedentary nations were St. Lucia and the Cayman Islands, with 58 percent of boys and 64 percent of girls spending at least three hours aday in sedentary activity.
While the study didn’t look at the reasons behind the lack of physical activity in various nations, Guthold speculated that urbanization could be a factor, as could the near-universal availability of cars and TVs.
Schools can help children become more active by having physical education classes and educating students about the importance of exercise, the researcher said. Adding lanes for bicycles, pedestrian crossings and other changes to promote walking and biking to and from school could help too, she added, as could giving kids space to be active wherever they live.
Studying physical activity in entire populations is difficult, Guthold noted, and any questionnaire used to measure physical activity will have limitations. However, "even with the limitations that questionnaire data (suffer) from, I guess it’s pretty safe to say that we have a huge problem with physical inactivity among schoolchildren around the globe and that we should take action," she told the international news agency Reuters.
Category: Headline News
The reason why non of the teenagers do any exercise is because they ARE lazy and vain. They can not find the stimulation as well to continue with any kind of sporting activity as they believe it "isn’t cool". The Caymanian children would rather take pictures of themselves to put on to facebook but the majority of children (expacts and locals) are not able to commit themselves with anything physical as they are to paranoid about their reputation! The weather is too hot as well! A simple and obvious option is just to open indoor youth gym facilities which are cheap so any one can join. To make people want to do more sport and exercise all the children have to be taught that it is cool and good to do sport so they wont get rejected from their "friends". It is also the parents fault when a child becomes obease! It should be illegal and the parents should be charged for child abuse. The government should lose weight and set an example other wise they come across as giant hypocrites.
These comments are so very typical of this site. A study has been done to highlight a serious problem in this country, a problem that affects all the youth and a great many adults as well — a problem, no less, that affects modern industrialized countries the world over — and all we can do here is bicker amongst ourselves. The problem is systemic, as the study points out. To fix it will require systemic change. It will require awareness. And it will require us to work together, just for a change.
Even Jamie Oliver couldn’t get American children to turn down chicken nuggets — we’re going to need more than this silly blame game to help our own.
Man, it’s depressing to read all this factional nonsense.
I think the point most people on this blog are trying to make is that no change will happen unless you take responsiblity for yourself and your children first! Don’t wait for someone else to make this change for you.
I can understand that awareness may be an issue in some other countries, but stop hiding behind it in Cayman. We are not in the dark ages anymore, and a large percentage of the population has been exposed to books, magazines, TV etc. There are constant discussions about the obesity issue in all of the media outlets, so you can’t tell me that people should not be aware that there is an issue with it.
Now, that is a perfectly reasonable point. What annoyed me was the "but it’s only the Caymanian kids who are lazy"…"No, it’s not, the ex-pat kids are lazy too"…"it’s the governmnent’s fault"…"the Dart Parks are too small" nonsense below.
I think you’re absolutely right. The change needs to come from families, but first we need to acknowledge the problem instead of pointing fingers all around us instead.
We need a proper park in Cayman? There are tons of parks here, many more than in most places I have lived. There is certainly room in any one of them for kids to play any game they could dream up. One of the youth organizations (CAYS?) worked hard to improve the park opposite Kirk’s supermarket and I don’t think I have ever seen a child playing in it. Kids don’t need acres and acres of space to play a game of football or tag.
The kids can’t get to the beach because it’s been blocked by foreigners? Come on. I don’t like the concrete monstrosities that have been allowed on SMB any better than the next person, but there are no foreigners standing in the lane ways blockading your access. There are plenty of places to get onto the beach, Seven Mile or otherwise. If we can drive our kids to school, Burger King and the movies, we can certainly drive to the car park at Governor’s Beach.
Every issue here seems to deteriorate into a squabble aboutwho is most to blame for the changes we see around us in Cayman. What is the point, really? What does it achieve?
When this site started, I initially thought that people just needed to vent their spleens, get their gripes out in the open and afterwards the discussions would be more productive. Unfortunately, there are always a few who need to make some petty little point about the government, or ex-pats, or Caymanians, or…something. Sometimes the points are valid, but most of the time they’re just dropped into discussions like ticking bombs.
That’s a shame for so many reasons. The world reads this stuff, for one thing, and it’s embarrassing.
To get back to the issue at hand, you’re probably right. We shouldn’t need to have our awareness raised about obesity so late in the game. Unfortunately, we seem to be a step behind the rest of the world in several areas (recycling, McMansions, conspicuous consumption, and fast food, just to name a few), so a reminder probably won’t hurt.
We need a proper park in Cayman. The DART micro-park mini-play areas are insufficient.
The problem is that many of the posters on this site have no idea what a real park is like.
Build a large Park. Then surround it with all the junk food joints on the island and an arcade where the kids can sit and play PC games.
Bet that will fix things.
new headline (less critical) Cayman Teens work hard to create bigger shadows of themselves while standing on the sun.
Righttttt! Instead of calling them lazy, say inactive or sedentary.
Like instead of barber – say Hair Architect
manicurist – say Nail Technician
gardener – say Landscape Engineer
maid/domestic helper – say Residential Manager
BUT – based on the level of education of Cayman’s school leavers/graduates – they would understand it better if one says it the way it is – short and simple. They could spell it better, too.
Here’s a novel idea – why don’t we focus on the reasons for the inactivity so we can address them rather than name-calling and delivering insults? Is it because you think it applies only to Caymanian teens as opposed to "Cayman teens" as the article says?
can’t create a shadow when you spend your day sitting under a tree!
How about asking yourselves what the teens in the other 32 countries do that the teens in Cayman do not. What could be the difference? I can think of a lot of reasons and differences. How about you?
Listen up people – the reason this study can say that our kids are lazy is because of the changes in society today (which a lot of people think is so great). When I was growing up (not too many years ago) I had to walk a mile or two to catch the bus, and I did that twice a day (morning and afternoon). Now a days kids are pick-up and dropped off at their homes twice a day by the school bus or parents.
When I growing up I had to do chores around the house daily, today most kids have helpers or their parents who do all the chores around the house. Also, I remember having to do chores at school as well (sweeping the floor, moving around desks, pick up books etc.). Today these too are done by the teacher or an assistant.
Now, is there any wonder why this report can tell us that our kids are lazy? I don’t think so. Further once they get back home for the day they then become a couch potato and eat fast food, watch TV or play video games.
The principles of the past served us well because we ate home cooked meals, exercised (chores or other activities) so today we are healthy and strong. My advice to all of you (parents & grandparents etc.) who I am sure can relate to this should start insisting that their children and grandchildren become more active and make healthier eating choices. We know the benefits, so we owe it to the younger generation to guide them in the right direction.
"Listen up people – the reason this study can say that our kids are lazy…"
Except that the article difdn’t say that. CNS did.
The study used a more tactful word for lazy but the facts are still exactly the same. Don’t blame the headline for your kids being fat.
Ignorance and always trying to blame others does not help matters.
You’re probably one of those that blames Wendys for getting your kids fat. If you didn’t fill their faces with burgers instead of nutritional home cooking they would not be in such an unhealthy state.
Er… no. Sedentary and lazy are not synonymous. See my post at Fri, 04/09/2010 – 17:11. Be very careful not to expose your own ignorance when accusing others.
My kids are not fat and I am not blaming anyone. I am interested in what the reasons for inactivity are rather than giving pejorative labels.
Looks like the Shetty Heart Institute is just in time!!!
We needed a study for that???!!! Sitting around the dining room table with a family is no longer practiced. Eating healthy meals are not done anymore and too much sodas in the homes. Our children do not go outside to explore, play or run anymore, because parents are babysitting their children with cell phones, electronic games and TV’s. The parents are no better, they are not eating healthy and not eating in small portions. They are eating late at nights and some of them believe that the gym will solve their problems. Parents needs to go outdoors too and play and exercise. Parents needs to stop drinking sodas and sugary drinks and parents needs to learn how to cook and stop eating fast foods and restaurant foods. Those foods are full of perservatives and butter. Obesity is an epedemic in our homes, schools and Islands and with obesity comes Heart conditions and diabetes.
XXXXX soooo only the kids of "Caymanians" were included in this so called study? I belive not…acording to the headlines it says "Cayman teens" which could include the children of expats. So all you expats upranking "lazy parents = lazy kids, you could be calling yourself lazy….CNS please clarify if only Caymanian teens were included in this study…and if so, why?
Good point. You are almost certainly correct that it would have covered teens resident in regardless of nationality, but of course the prejudice shows up here that this must necessarily only refer to Caymanian teens. The good thing about these anonymous posts is that it gets these ideas exposed to the open so that Caymanians can see the rank hatred we are up against. If a Caymanian made a similar statement about any other nationality there would be cries of "xenophobia" "racism" etc. but apparently Caymanians are fair game.
This is my point exactly, I have no problem with what the article says…what I do have a problem with is expats…and yes I said expats of which I was one, but now consider myself 1000% Caymanian making comments like "lazy parents = lazy kids and expats upranking this comment….come on now, do we really need to go down this road? I am sure the majority of people residing in Cayman with teens HAVE to be by default hard workers regardless expat or not. So expats upranking that comment, remember that maybe your child was a participant in the so called "study".
I would take this to mean "teenage children living / growing up in the Cayman Islands". tI is apparent that those conducting the survey did not make a distinction between Caymanian and expat teens as you apparently do. Why do you do that anyway??? Does it really matter??? It’s time to end the stupidity of classifying residents as Caymanians or expats. Get over it and move on!!
You must have missed the news. . . ex-pats are not considered Caymanians. Remember, we only get 7 years there.
That’s funny. There are at least 50 expats in my company that have been here more than 10 years. Should I call the police, or is what you are saying not really accurate?
Duh. I think you have missed the point. The article did not say "Caymanians" but "Cayman teens". A teen resident in Cayman is a "Cayman teen".
Sooooooo. You are really reaching here. This article is very clear to the rest of us. The point of this article was not to ridicule but to enlighten. Hopefully it will help give Caymanian teens a reason to live a heathier life……and if not, why?
The article did not say "Caymanian teens" so apparently it was not so clear to you. The purpose of the study was to enlighten but the purpose of a number of expat posts here is obviously to ridicule.
Of course it includes ALL youth on the island regardless of whether they are "Caymanian" or non-Caymanian. This is an international study, your Village-Nazi "I’m a true-born" politics are nothing to do with it.
Are you seriously even trying to read into this article this a Caymanian/Non Caymanian thing? How sad and pathetic.
Peg Leg, there was nothing prejudiced about your comments and sensible people will recognize that those posters are simply trying to twist what you are saying. The fact is that a number of the posters (no doubt expats) were equating "Cayman teens" with "Caymanian teens" and hence making prejudiced comments like "lazy parents = lazy kids". Of course bigoted expats will see nothing wrong with those comments.Those sorts of posts should make us realize the ‘quality’ of many of those we have among us.
No bike lanes, jogging trails, parks … NO EXCUSE. We live in a country with amazing weather (most of the time) which is surrounded by amazing water! We can all walk or run. Walking and running on the beach is GREAT exercise and away from the cars and the road. We should make it a priority to learn to swim so we can take advantage of the ‘activities’ that are free to us. Times are tough, but government needs to work with the staff at the Lions Pool to expand their ability to teach students to swim … look for pools in the Districts like they did in East End for school swimming lessons; join with the private sector to build a 50M pool so that more children can take part in the Learn to Swim programme. People. Even in the toughest of times we can find ways to exercise which don’t need specialty equipment.
I say again when we see these young people just walking up/driving and down or ‘hanging out’ or sleeping all over the place, in accordance with the police law they should be charged for the offenses of being idle or a rogue and a vagabond. RCIPS enquire as to where they live (many have left home because of rules) work or go to school. The law requires that they have a ‘fixed place of abode’ many do not have this but they are breaking laws to support their careless life style. We need to do everything we can do to rescue them from themselves.
no, the new suggested headline would not work as it is not as impacting as the "cayman teens are lazy" headline. A headline should be short and brief and grab your attention, which it certainly did 🙂
…and, on account of journalistic integrity, should accurately reflect the contents of the article, which it certainly did not.
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Many of Cayman’s children are certainly over-weight. Their parents don’t seem to care, and neither do they. "Lets eat stewed conch and cassava cake every day, and no almost no physical exercise". Caribbean food in general is some of the best tasting food period, BUT it comes with a cost. It’s also not always the best for you. This coupled with the lack of interest in physical activity might just be life altering for many people. People need to start looking after their bodies. Get responsible Cayman!
Thurs 14:24:
"let’s eat stewed conch and cassava cake every day". No. This is not happening, In the schools we ask kids – yes including "born Cs" since we have to say that in these troubled times – what their favourite foods are: Pizza;Burger King; Wendys; KFC. Been that way for 20 years.
Ah so it go.
Pizza;BThere are no Burger King; Wendys; KFC in Brac yet the kids are obese. Your thoughts on that? I would say it has to do a lot with starches. We eat a lot of starches. Rice and peas every day equals fat. Kids are definitely not as active as 20 years ago.
I do object to calling our kids lazy why? There is too much negativity here taht is bringing the kids down. Matter of fact, it’s getting me depressed.
nothing for breakfast (parents), fries and fried chicken / pizza / misc fried crap for lunch (school), no mandatory phys-ed or after school activites (school), chips while playing videogames throughout the late afternoon and evening (parents), more fried crap for dinner (parents).
Gheee wonder who is responsible for this mess ?
I think it will be a great idea if ALL the schools can stand together and ban fried food, junk food and sodas in school. Then parents and kids will have to look at healthier options.
Every morning when I drop my child off at pre-school I see a few kids having their breakfast and it is always a burger king crossanwich – for kids about 3-4 years old! What do you think these kids will be like in 10 years?
Parents are wholly responsible for giving their children nutritous food. That crap excuse that "my child won’t eat veg" is stupidness. My child eats veg or she eats NADA those are the rules and eventually she learned them and now eats her veg and fruit. Stop molly coddling these kids and wrapping them in cotton wool.
As for exercise. I agree there should be places to let them run around and exercise, in the absence of a good park, bike lanes etc I use my back yard, the beach, airport park, smiles, botswain beach and back yards of friends and family with more space. So, inadequate space still shouldnt stop us. Parents are too lazy and too caught up in facebook and hair and nails. I think that outside of some serious medical condition, where a child is obese and has unhealthy relationship with food the parents should be criminally liable for endangerment.
I blame parents first of all for their lazy obese children, then I blame the Chilren and Family Service, Next, the government Police Department. The government does not care and the police have no teeth. If the Government would, and they could easily pass a law that stop all of these lazy young men and women, walking about the streets and laying around the beaches waiting for the Free Rotary food truck to pass. What you expect, when we have the Children and family servises, handing out free vouchers to young people who have the strength to work, yet they refuse to. They stay home all day and sell drugs and guns and they are give a free food, light and water bills paid, while they sell drugs and guns.. Yes they are lazy and obese. They use the parks to sell and use drugs.
Lazy??? No. They are BORED!
When almost every house is trying to keep up with Jones’ by getting gardeners, helpers and every high tech electronic that is sold. It is no wonder these kids don’t go out anywhere or do any chores.
This is why every district needs to have a multi-purpose hall that will allow these children a place to receive some sort of physical and mental activity!
They can’t get to the beach because it’s all blocked by foreigners. They can’t climb trees because their all gone. They can’t ride bikes because there are too many cars. And they can’t play on the fields because they are afraid to get SHOT by a drive by!!
What a shame.
And as usual, our dear old gov’t is more concerned about how much MONEY we get in to the country. WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS CONCENTRATE ON THE CHILDREN! Find something for these kids to do and a place where they can get to to do it at! Gov’t need to call up some their big shot foreign "friends" and tell them if they want to stay here – they invest in our youth’s here!
"every district needs to have a multi-purpose hall that will allow these children a place to receive some sort of physical and mental activity"
hey, great idea. I’ve thought of a name for it! We could call it a SCHOOL.
Here we go again – the government is supposed to step in and take care of it. Don’t you think the parents should be responsible for their children and ensure they are living a healthy lifestyle????.
Who is forcing them to hire a gardener or buy the latest electronic equipment?
I am a mother of two, and I don’t sit around waiting for the government to come in and take over to ensure my kids are not BORED! I give my children chores to do around the house and yard. I ensure that they are outside playing rather than sitting in front of the TV all day. In fact, they are not allowed TV at all during the week! I try and set an example and stay away from fast food. I take them to the beach where they can swim and run around.
I do not need the government to provide a fancy HALL for my children to keep them from getting bored.
Yes, I am working full time as well. Still, I can manage.
Get of your lazy butt and take care of your own children! Stop waiting for someone else to provide for you!
lazy parents = lazy children
Not all the time thatis so!
Drug addiction is a bigger contributing factor than lazy parents and lack of technical schools.
This is part of a UN conspiracy to undermine the reputation of Cayman.
When we have a country with no parks, with no running track or jogging tracks for the public to access, what do you expect?
When we have political leaders who are clinically obese and whose only response is to have surgery to deal with the problem, what message does that send to the youth?
Clearly, you are one of the people that sits around and does nothing…last time I checked, every district in Cayman had a park, they were all built by Dart.
Secondly, why do you need a track to go jogging? There are hundreds of people who use the roads / side walks every morning and evening. Cayman also has these things called beaches, they are perfect for long walks or jogs cause when you are finished you can relax with a swim and they provide quite nice scenery in compariosn with a track…You can also join a sports team and league, they use things called fields to run around on and every district has them.
Thirdly, who looks up to the obese political leaders in this country as role models? If anything that should be a warning of what happpens when you do nothing…
Fourthly, you’re point about this being a UN conspiracy against Cayman is absolutely absurd and retarded…you will note that the survey covered all countries in the world or at least the UN…was it a conspiracy against all of them as well?
Fifthly, get off your a&* and do something constructive and you don’t get fat! There are loads of leagues to join down here from football, to softball, to cricket, to rugby and the list goes on….making excuses just contributes to the problem..maybe that’s what the kids are following..whining parents who do nothing..NUFF SAID
Wanda Y. I agree fully with you – they use a "bandaid" to cover the problem but its only temporary as is the surgeries!
You do not need a designated park or a track to walk or run on! Ask any of the many people who take advantage of South Sound Road or other areas like Safehaven/Crystal Harbour, etc. to run or walk on. Lazy people will always blame their (lack of) tools for inactivity….. You have a huge ocean at your doorstep here – swim in it!
Your point about our role models and leaders makes sense. However, it just backs up the point of view that people here are lazy… short cut to thin required!
How about some of the best scuba diving in the world. People spend hundreds in air and hotels to exercise in the warm waters of Cayman.
They save for a year to enjoy a week here. All the kids have to do is jump in the water any one of a hundred free shore dive spots.
To blame this on a UN conspiracy or overweight political leaders is not only unfair, it is just plain wrong.
Ron Kipp
I totally agree with you 100 percent. Scuba diving is hard work!! But first we have to get these kids swimming!!!
You are obviously joking Wanda Y and simply wanted to get a response with regards to your UN conspiracy point – get real. I do however agree with your obese political leaders comment.
As far as the track not being open to the public, why don’t you speak with your elected official and have them bring it up in the Legislative Assembly? It sits there and bakes in the sun only to be used by a handful of atheletes, school children, and the Carifta Games every 15 years. This of course would not help with the obese lazy children issue but it would be a nice alternate for active people who currently risk their lives runnning on the road every day.
and you needed a study to figure this out ?
Look around at all the fat kids everywhere !
CNS: with the above clipping from the article, would you please explain your headline to us please? Given the cultural dynamics and the stereotyping used against Caymanian kids to justify the economic tyrannical rule in our country by some do you not believe this play on words even in headline feeds this empowered minority?
Could not: Cayman youth found to be In-Active or Sedentary…work just as fine or better?
well done CNS for saying it how it is…. time for some people to face up to reality…
"cultural dynamics being used against Caymanians to justify the economic tyrannical rule".
I’m sure this sounds clever to you, but it actually doesn’t mean anything. This is the sort of thing that Dr Frank would say. Impressive words but strung together in such a way as to be non-sensical.
If kids are fat, it’s because they eat junk and don’t excercise enough. Go to Walkers Road at 3PM and see them wobbling their way out of the schools and you’ll see there’s a real problem here.
Sedentary=Lazy, dont blame CNS for the headline blame the kids laying on your couch
Not sure what dictionary you are using, but the Oxford English Dictionary defines sedentary as "1. tending to spend much time seated; characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise". The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as "doing or requiring much sitting; not physically active". In fact I searched half a dozen other online dictionaries and could not find one that included the meaning "lazy" for sedentary. On the other hand "lazy" is defined as "UNWILLING to work or use energy". There is obviously a qualitative difference between the two although there will be overlap. It is akin to saying "African American kids as a group are among the poorest performers on the SAT test = African American kids are stupid".
Interestingly, as much as I prefer CNS to the Compass the latter had a more accurate headline on this article: "Cayman kids most INACTIVE in world". Unfortunately, CNS’s title distracted from the real issue about how to address the problem by identifying the reasons.
Well said and thank you for defending the subject here.
I’m not sure whether you’re Caymanian(at any level) or foreign national, but nevertheless i’m sure you see the "ATTACK" in all the anti-Caymanian sentiment/rhetoric being viciously posted here.
Straight to the point, it should UNDERSTOOD that;
(1) this "Survey" did NOT state that it was done on the Native Caymanian kids solely as the Foreign National in Cayman is always ready to think and say. This survey I’m sure, would have included those from parents on Permanent Residency as well as those from parents on Long-Term Permits.
(2) is that IF the above was/was not the case, then it should be understood that the Census Population of the Cayman Islands is vastly made up of approximately 70% Foreign Caymanians(The other 120+ different Nationalities that we have here) so therefore it is more likely the MAJORITY of these kids are NOT Native Caymanian. Furthermore these "Caymanian Kids" are now MORE mixed with Foreign Blood… do i need to say any more?
(3) The article on survey does NOT mention ANY OTHER statistics about Cayman Kids other than the statics as quoted. "It showed that 58 per cent of boys and 64 per cent of girls aged 13 to 15 in Cayman and in St. Lucia spend more than three hours a day watching TV, on computers or chatting with friends, outside school hours." The article did NOT include if/how many hours that Cayman kids exercised between 3pm and 9pm. The article DID NOT state how many kids were surveyed and from what social groups.
Now speaking of "Sedentary"… People, the Caymanian Compass seems to have QUOTED the statements of the WHO. "The WHO researchers defined adequate physical activity as at least one hour of exercise outside of school gym class, at least five days a week. Children who spent three or more hours a day being inactive were classified as sedentary." In this scenario, kids get out of school at 3pm and many don’t go to bed until 9pm or later. This survey does NOT account for ALL 6 or 7 hours during this time. Not every family has the means or money to facilitate their kids with daily exercise. Furthermore isn’t it ok that kids watch TV AND can be educated likewise through various shows given proper parental controls?
NOTE – As per the CayCompass – "According to the researchers, only one-quarter of boys and 15 percent of girls were getting enough exercise (( WORLDWIDE )),(This says that 75% of boys and 85% of girls WORLDWIDE might be "Lazy" according to the rhetoric here on CNS), and "while a quarter of boys and nearly 30 per cent of girls were sedentary and not getting enough exercise." THIS is also a global statistic.
The other FACT here is that the Foreign Nationals(especially the ‘Caucasian ones’) already having racial tendencies and now DISCRIMINATION against the Native Caymanian has become prevalent and has now TRULY SET IN on our people is a BIG part of THIS ATTACK.
FYI – The Cayman Saga (Foreign Nationals vs NATIVE Caymanians) is GROWING very quickly. This SAGA (and real Social UNREST to come), is the PROCESS by which the Foreign National(mainly the Caucasians and the Jamaican) is setting out to take this country – ‘the Gold Pot’ – we call the Cayman Islands ALL for themselves and to PUSH the Native Caymanian ASIDE like has happened to the Native Indians/People of MANY Countries around the world.
While we can agree this may be an issue here, and that it should be addressed, be reminded there are FAR worse issues in MOST other countries around the world such as where the Foreign Nationals who speak so critically against the Caymanian, comes from. Maybe you should be critical of your own countries, go back home and fix your own problems.
End of Story.
Yours Truly,
IRON CLAD
This is a DEADLY serious problem that has unfortunately been given a "Sedentarily" low priority level in this society. We sure don’t need an "In-Active" description of something that actually requires us to be shocked into action. In my opinion, the headline is quite appropriate. Describing youth obesity as in-active or sedentary would be like describing murder as involuntary passing!!!
The best way to empower the Cayman youth is to give them back their physical health so they can have the stamina and confidence necessary to tap into their true potential as an "Empowered Adult Caymanian Citizen" of the future.
It is not a stereotype if it is true.
A stereotype is a commonly held public belief about specific social groups, or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups, based on some prior assumptions. <b>Generally speaking, these "stereotypes" are not based on objective truth, but rather subjective and often unverifiable content-matter.</b>
Your definition of stereotype as a common held belief etc. means that steretypes can be true or untrue. Stereotypes are by definition prejudice about all members of a group.
You are completely right. I had precisely the same thought after I had read the article. The term "lazy" is pejorative and denotes someone who is unwilling to work or otherwise exert themselves whereas, as you quote, the study didn’t look at the reasons behind the lack of physical activity. For example, I am far less physically active than I had been but I do perform intellectually demanding work, so it doesn’t follow that I am lazy. The title is therefore not supported by the text of the article and it is difficult not to conclude that it is there to play to a certain negative stereotype of Caymanians and reinforce prejudices.
Nope, they’re just plain lazy.
And you are just plain prejudiced.
Why should they feel the need to cover it up or hide it away by disguising the truth?
Instead of finding excuses and blaming other people, why don’t you try parenting your children properly. Cook them fresh meals and get them ou playing sports. Don’t fill their fat faces with Burgers and let them play playstation 3 all night.
Unfortunately in this case the stereotyping is proving to be very very accurate and is not only limited to teens.
Such a typical response! Always defensive, always feeling insulted. Go on, continue to stick your head in the sand and be in denial of what is going on.
Yes, that is a funny response people have when attacked and insulted.
The report did not establish what is going on in terms of reasons
Lol…
I’m a Caymanian and I can tell you, people who have low self-esteem are effect by this article. I have kids and I raise them very well. They are not lazy.
So… what about the other kids. They are just reflective of the parents they have. I can care less if someone brands my kids along with theirs. Just have to prove them wrong.
:o)