English, baby!

Getting Fat

Date: Mar 13 2007

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Over the last decade or so, Americans have developed a reputation for being fat. And not just adults. Children are also dealing with weight problems.

In fact, over the last 20 years, the percentage of children and teenagers who are obese has increased dramatically. And with obesity come other health problems. One of the major ones in diabetes, which now occurs at an alarming rate in young Americans.

Listen to Mason and Amanda talk about the weight of “their son.” (They don’t really have a child together. They’re just pretending.)

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Amanda

Mason: I’m worried about our son, Amanda. I think he’s getting a little chunky.

Amanda: You know, what’s interesting is I was talking with some of my other friends in the moms’ groups and play groups…

Mason: Mm hm.

Amanda: And there’s that trend of obesity in children as young as three, four and five…

Mason: Three, four and five?

Amanda: Because they’re not active these days.

Mason: Moms just think it’s still baby fat, right, at that point and so they’re justifying it to themselves…

Amanda: Sometimes. Sometimes they make that excuse to justify, but it’s convenience. Because of our busy days, they run through a McDonald’s. No problems. No qualms.

Mason: And we just sit the kids in front of, uh, the television.

Amanda: Xbox. Four, six, eight hours straight.

Mason: I know I’m guilty of, uh, teaching our son how to play, uh, the PlayStation 2.

Amanda: No, I’m guilty of running through a drive-through when we’re running late for an activity.

Mason: So, it’s both of our fault.

Amanda: Absolutely. We are both contributing to our son’s potential obesity.

Mason: We should ask, uh, the 24 Hour Fitness if they have a child’s membership.

Amanda: You know, I really hadn’t thought about that. Maybe it’s discounted because he’s a child.

Mason: Mm hm.

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Discussion

Mason and Amanda are discussing the weight of their pretend-son and the trend of child obesity in America.

Amanda points out that when parents are busy, they depend on fast food, which can make their kids fat.

Mason says that children spend too much time in front of the television playing video games.

They discuss, somewhat sarcastically, that they should take their son to 24 Hour Fitness, which is a gym.

Do children in your country have weight problems? Why?

Comments

Ryo

Saudi Arabia

ok im im the pc for long times

and im not fat

yes i think my country is the numebr maybe 3 of the most country

who has probelem weight

i think because they love to eat

the rice that they eat its contue in broth of checken and me t

and they love me t too much

by the way some if them they perffer people who are allittle fat

my mom love fat

sierbird

China

During the dialogue, the two parents feel qualms about their son’s chunky.

They talked about why kids who getting obese are younger and younger, they both blame for themselves, for eating the fast food, do not exercise just watching tv and playing video games.

They decide to work out with the kids.

mgirl

Ireland

obese chidren are result of wrong food habit and this is the responsibility of their parents

crash001

India

tHis is very good lesson about getting fat: I liked it.

tiger_bagira

Greece

NICE

winer129

Yemen

This is good lessen

I try to keep contenu

wangyuell

China

we are both contributing to our son’s potential
obesity i can’t hear “both”

hermann

Latvia

I must disagree. Obesity is increasing in all industrialized countries, indeed. But obesity is not a problem of being reach! It’s poor and often “food-illiterate” people problem.

getchar

Algeria

you have to take care …obesity is something really bad for health!!

bnu1986

China

recently,there are more and more fleshy childrens in our country.at first , almost chinese families only have one child, so they have economy ability to take care of their child very well…actually,their child have been reared too abundance