applepie

There isn't too much going on in my world, so I thought that I would talk a bit about a touchy subject, Chilhood Obesity. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in the U.S. we have decided to refer to the growing number of obese people as the "Obesity Epidemic". What concerns me is the growing number of overweight and morbidly obese children in the states. According to NCHS statistics 17 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight. 13.2 % of 2-5 year olds are considered overweight, and 19% of 6-11 year olds are overweight while it drops to 17% by 12 to 19. I find it very disturbing that more than one in ten preschool children are overweight while that number almost doubles by the time they enter into grade school.

My concern lies with where the blame for the issue is being placed. I watched a news program the other day where there was an "expert" who argued that fast food companies like McDonalds should shoulder the blame. The man who argued that the blame fell to parents was made to look bad. Afterall, it is their advertising that makes children prefer to have those chicken nuggets and fries rather than a meal cooked at home. Fast Food places and snack companies have been forced to shoulder the blame for a problem that is not created by their business. I will concede that there is much more on the market today in the way of "junk" food than I remember seeing as a child. There are many types of Oreos rather than just one or two, and there are tons of snacks geared towards children. Fast food places are everywhere you look today as well. This doesn't mean that they are at fault.

I have a simple plan to keep your children from eating unhealthy food... Don't buy it. If they want McDonalds everyday, tell them NO. It is real easy. Limit fast food to maybe one day a week, and limit unhealthy snacks to a small amount once a day. It works remarkably well. I keep the house stocked with fruit, veggies, yogurt, nuts, and other healthy foods. I'm always amazed that my son will often ask for a banana before he ever demands to have a cookie. When he eats lunch he will normally ask to have a yougurt or some applesauce. Dried fruit makes a great mid-day snack. His sweets are limited to a small serving after dinner. It is then that he may have some ice cream or a couple of cookies. Our stand on fast food is that we get it maybe once or twice a week. If I eat out more than once (whatever the reason) we will go to Subway where we can get something healthier. If he asks to go and get a cheesburger, but it was not in the plans for the day I tell him no.

I generally find that the problem is not with these companies that are trying to promote and sell their product. The issue lies in this idea many parents have that they should not refuse their children anything. The problem is parents who would rather go through a drive thru than cool a dinner at home. There is no substitute for a home cooked meal. Buying TV dinners and "box" meals will not offer the same nutritional soundness as something made from scratch. Cooking doesn't mean that you have to slave away for two hours in the kitchen. You can make a healthy meal in as little time as it takes to go out an get food. I think it is time that we all own up to our responsibility in this so called "obesity epidemic" and make the necessary changes in our own society to correct the issue. We need to revive the idea of the family dinner (at home) and teach by example what it means to eat healthy.

We need to take a practive approach if we wish to lower the incidnece of obesity in children. Rather than demanding that companies offer healthier food and provide the nutritional guidance that is our responsibility, we need to take it upon ourselves to make the necessary changes in our own families. I may not make any drastic changes by doing this, but I do ensure that my own children will not become part of a disturbing statistic. I've managed to protect my own family from this "epidemic", this disease, by using a little common sense.