When I was teaching I always reminded my juniors and seniors that this is not a dress rehearsal; this is your life. I think this is important for people of all ages to remember.
We get one body and if you wreck because you didn’t take care of it then it is on you. As we age we really get to see the damage poor decisions make on our body. Sadly, too many children are on the road to poor health and they have no say in that decision.
I see way too many parents especially single parents and those where both parents are working who are relying on too much fast food or easy to make packaged food which means that sensible eating goes out the window. Now, I am not some health food nut who is telling people that eating a Big Mac is going to be their downfall but I am promoting moderation. These parents often know the importance of organization in other aspects of their lives but for some reason preparing meals isn’t on that menu so to speak. There are lots of web sites to help in this area. It doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare food ahead of time on the weekend and freeze things ahead. The selection of easy to steam vegetables is endless and it sure doesn’t take much time to microwave a “real” potato.
When I was homeschooling my youngest daughter I used to say that if you are what you eat then some days I am “fast, cheap and easy” especially when it came to lunch. However, our dinners were always balanced and she along with her older sisters had a love of vegetables and fruit. She also exercised regularly with karate classes and was active with outside activities.
Today I see far too many obese children. Yes, obese is accurate and all you parents who want to believe that at the age of 12 your child still has baby fat, well, I am sorry to be the one to tell you but that is not the case. For some reason parents either don’t want to make their children do anything they don’t want to do, are too lazy or tired to cook or they are also obese so that leads us to a generation of children who are looking at a limited life span. Not to mention a less than fulfilling life because of the obesity. Add to this the fact that these children often spend hours and hours on video games or in front of a TV and you have a recipe for disaster.
It is estimated that one out of five children are obese and that rate is rising. The rate of obesity rises with age and by the ages of 16 – 19 nearly 40% of teens are obese!! What are we doing to our young people? What kind of future will they have? How many have to put the career they hoped for on hold because they can’t pass a physical?
Recent studies show that obesity rates in this country have contributed to the rise in Type 2 Diabetes in people under 30 which was almost unheard of previously. Experts are referring to this increase as an epidemic. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has predicted that one third of all children born in the year 2000 will develop Type 2 Diabetes unless diets change and exercise increases.
People don’t seem to realize that over time diabetes leads to life altering health issues such as heart disease, kidney disease, amputations and blindness. According to the National Kidney Foundation 44% of all new kidney failure diagnoses are due to diabetes. Nearly 50% of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease have diabetes! Diabetes and hypertension are the top issues related to Chronic Kidney Disease. Both of the those conditions are directly related to obesity.
It is not easy to be a parent. I know. I have five daughters and eight grandsons. However, if you are going to dive into this difficult job and it is a job like no other, then you have to do it right. Don’t let lack of organization or taking the easy way out everyday where meals are concerned keep you from giving your children a good start in life. Life is hard enough without having to face it with health problems early on that could be avoided. If your child is already over weight and you want to get a hold of this problem now then see your pediatrician and have a serious talk about how to get a handle on this problem. Make sure you take part too in the change of lifestyle. Taking walks together and making nutritious meals can become fun family activities. Don’t visit on your children heartache that can be avoided.
Remember there are no do overs. This is not a dress rehearsal!!
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