Childhood Obesity–Food for Thought
In the Washington Post, there was a series of articles about children’s health, obesity, and its subsequent killer results. “An epidemic of childhood obesity is compromising the lives of millions of American children…” and this epidemic is putting almost “every major organ at risk. The greater damage is probably irreversible.”
This is leading to a nasty prediction: this could be the first generation in history to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Ouch. By 5 years or more. Ouch.
Here’s some food for thought:
Parents, teachers, medical professionals–are we not the ones responsible for creating the environment for this epidemic? Yeah, you can bring up genetics, but come ON. Genetic expression seems to come when a whole host of factors are favorable for its “turning on.” We all have cancer cells growing in our bodies every day, but the body usually does a good job of controlling that growth. Only when all of the physical, nutritional, environmental, spiritual, and psychological factors are turned the wrong way does the cancer show up as a big problem.
So it is with the childhood obesity thing. Yes, it’s a socio-economic thing. Yes, genetics may play a role. But, puh-LEEEZE. When are parents going to start taking preventive measures and start feeding their children healthier food and have them go play outside? You know why kids “don’t like” healthy foods like greens, grains, vegetables–not French fries? Because they’re not fed them on a regular basis. Hey, I didn’t like carrots until I was in my 40′s because I thought they were bitter. That may have had SOMETHING to do with the fact that I ate a lot of sweet stuff in my 20′s and 30′s. I couldn’t taste the natural sweetness because my tastebuds only recognized refined sugar from candy and baked goods as “sweet.”
it takes a while to change a nutritional or taste habit. About 5 days. Yep, that’s it. Take ‘em off sugar. It’s important to start feeding the next generation with foods that will preserve the next generation. And I’m not talking about chemical preservatives in the food.
Maybe we should start with ourselves? Eating healthier and playing outside with our kids. Let’s be the role models we need to be to change the predictions.
In health and harmony,
Sally
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