Are We Killing Our Kids? Who’s To Blame For The Obesity Epidemic?
Sounds a strong question to ask doesn’t it? and you may think it absurd to even write it.
For one moment stop and look around you, at our children’s lifestyle, attitudes to life and zest for life.
I work with some young people who care about how they come across to others , have great respect for themselves and those they share their lives with and want their health to be a PRIORITY and make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others, who want to learn what is they need to do to ensure a successful healthy life using their full potential. I also work with some young people who by age 20 have had their dreams taken away, who feel life has dealt them a crap hand, and don’t see light at the end of the tunnel and whose health is NOT a priority, the legacy of nurturing your thoughts and taking care of the amazing body that we live in every day has not passed down to them, so what will they pass to their children and the cycle continues. These youngster berate their bodies with poisonous fuel daily, with what they are eating and drinking with no care for the damage this IS doing to their bodies and minds.
How do we stop this cycle?
What can we as parents/adults do to AVOID our children and those we work with inheriting attitudes of malaise and lack of care for themselves, their thinking, their health and the making poor choices that will affect their adulthood and ageing process. I know when faced with my sons suicide attempt and poor physical and mental health I had to step up to the plate and re educate myself in order to give him the best care, attention, inspiration, support and guidance. Once our kids have the right information to influence a body positive attitude they can make an informed choice and they are then responsible for their own health and cannot blame anyone else for self inflicted health problems. But for those kids/young people who have NOT had the right information to influence a body positive attitude and make an informed choices and take responsibility for their own health, we cannot blame them for their self inflicted health problems, as they have not been given the right information and that comes down to those who charge they are/were in.
This is a huge subject, so for today I want to look at diet and food production, and get us all thinking about this. As the food we eat is paramount to our health, both in the physical sense and mental sense. We are both what we eat and what we eat influences how we think, it is all linked.
The obesity epidemic is only growing and unless we take accountability NOW we are going to see parents burying children before themselves, with all the associated illnesses and disease linked to being overweight. I believe it starts at home and educating our children as young as possible, and that may have to start with educating the parents. Which should not be an issue for parents they would want to learn how to ensure their children their most precious assets can live a full active healthy HAPPY life. Don’t you agree? I know that is what I want for my kids as old as they are now.
I believe a few small changes can lead to big results and a healthy legacy for our kids and their kids, but it has to start with US. If we leave it to others, then we have NO right to complain.
I read this article on the internet from Spark.people.com which I found very interesting and thought provoking.
Are we killing out kids?
Fight for Your Food Rights
Who’s to blame for the obesity epidemic? The suspects are many, from television to schools to parents. A growing number of people are arguing that one culprit–the food and beverage industry–is getting off relatively scot-free.
“The food industry is changing, but slowly,” says Dr. Kelly Brownell, author of the book Food Fight, a look at America’s obsession with food and what we can do about it. “Dieters can become media literate.’ This means being vigilant to and upset about the multiple layers of persuasion the industry uses to get them and their children to eat unhealthy foods (not only the obvious food ads on TV, but product placements in shows and movies, pricing strategies, etc.).”
A good place to start looking at is in school.
Many of us would be shocked to learn just how sugar-packed and calorie-laden school food really is. Menu choices are often very limited and surprisingly unhealthy. Faced with these choices every day, it’s no wonder more than 15% of teenagers are overweight. They can’t win this fight on their own. You have to help your schools make choices for them. Talk to your school boards and principals. Ask that soda machines be removed and that menus follow USDA nutritional guidelines.
Says Dr. Brownell, “School systems all around the country are taking on this issue, first by getting rid of soft drinks in vending machines. This movement is growing and will probably be joined soon by more organized efforts to get rid of unhealthy snack foods, improve school lunches, and increase physical activity.”
At home, it’s important to think critically about what you’re eating. People make mistakes all the time, thinking that they’re eating healthy when they’re really not. Mainly, it’s because they’re not paying quite enough attention. For example, Dr. Brownell cites parents giving their kids “sugared drinks with fruit in the name or sports drinks, thinking kids are getting something healthy,” is a common mistake, along with “eating whatever is in a bag, box, or bottle, thinking they are having just one serving,” when it could easily be 2, 3, or more.
It’s never too late to start. In fact, today you can take a few simple steps to make your kitchen healthier. Dr. Brownell suggests starting by immediately throwing out “soft drinks, sugared cereals, high calorie snacks, and almost any product with a cartoon character or celebrity attached.”
