Childhood Obesity Prevention, Protecting Our Future
Our nation is currently facing a crisis. We have an epidemic underway that is both heartbreaking and infuriating. This is, of course, the epidemic of childhood obesity. There are those who may not understand all the complexities of childhood obesity or how it can be prevented, but the important thing is that we act to do something about this condition which is affecting 1/4 of America's children.
Childhood obesity has been linked to pediatric diabetes, pedantic arthritis, and pediatric heart disease. In a recent study more than half of the childhood suicide attempts registered between 2000 and 2006 were linked to obesity. With concerns like these it is imperative that childhood obesity prevention be at the top of our priorities list when it comes to the health, safety and well-being of our children.
The dangers of childhood obesity are apparent, what many people cannot agree on so readily is what to do about the problem. One of the biggest issues here is that no one wants to take responsibility for the situation. Everyone spends a great deal of time trying to find a way to blame everyone else. Parents do not want to admit that they are enables, schools do not want to admit that they are failing to provide healthy options and programs, and society on the whole does not want to admit that we have an entire generation of children that will be facing their first heart attack by the time they are 35.
The truth is that parents are the primary enablers of childhood obesity. This can have a great many reasons to be but the majority of them can be said to be the fear of either "drama" from the kids or ridicule from other parents who they fear will judge them for being "too harsh" on their kids. The unfortunate fact is that many parents have come to believe that it is not OK to say NO to a child. The kids have figured this out and when the parent tries to be stern they will simply create a scene to get what they want. This is nothing new, kids have been doing this for decades, but now it's more severe than ever. The truth is that parents need to learn that it is OK to say now and to enforce the decisions that they make regarding healthy choices. NO to Twinkies, hand them an apple, NO to McDonalds take them to a place with a salad bar, No to chocolate keep gummy bears handy. And most importantly NO to other parents who look at you when you are firm with your child, look at them and say that you are taking steps to ensure that they will be healthier and happier for the whole of their life; then remind them that you are the child's parent and that they should stay out of your business. Your child will throw tantrums, they will stomp their feet and hold their breath. They will cry and they will scream bad things at you, this is to be accepted this is what being a parent means. But ask yourself as you feel bad about these things, would you rather have a child who lives a long, happy and productive life or a "friends" who is dead before you are. The choice is yours.
Childhood obesity prevention is one of the most unfortunate and at the same time most controversial problems our society has to deal with. It is imperative though that we do deal with it and as quickly as possible.
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