I remember photos of me when I was a small but big child. I remember being very picky about food. I loved the grilled cheese and peanut butter sandwiches. I don’t know exactly when I got a better build or shape, but I remember in second or third grade me and my brother and sister would go out in the winter to clean driveways for people. We walked miles knocking on doors and we enjoyed it. So, I remember doing a paper route with them and we had 52 clients. I think it is quite a long route for young children on foot and by bike. I remember that my dad would send us outside to play and would not let us in even if we wanted to. So I guess as I got older I became more active. I remember entering seventh grade weighing less than 100 pounds. I remember in ninth grade I suffered from allergies that just wouldn’t go away. It must have been around the time of my weight gain. I remember wearing a size 11 or 13 pants. I walked to school when I could have caught the bus, so we lived more than a mile apart. The reason for my weight gain had to be my diet. He was still a picky eater and didn’t eat much, plus he had already started drinking beer by then. In the eleventh grade I joined the military and went to training camp. Guess what. I lost weight again.
I had a neighbor friend who had a very plump, overweight son. When he got to high school he joined the soccer team and lost a little weight. Over the next several years, his height skyrocketed. Now he is tall and scrawny. Unhealthy appearance.
Our diet can leave us looking fat and unhealthy. We see this in the photos of hungry children with their bellies sticking out. Our bodies tend to retain fat when they don’t get the nutrients we need from our diet. Other times we cannot have fat at all and only skin and bones. This is the result of our metabolism is high enough. In today’s world, it is difficult to get the nutrients we need from diet alone. Today’s kids have so many processed food choices that they lack nutrition and are causing harmful effects. When a large part of what we eat comes from a box, can, or bottle, it can have devastating effects. These things are loaded with higher amounts of sodium and ingredients that have no nutritional value. Reading labels and comparing items is a great way to start watching what you eat.
Not all children get past the fat stage. In fact, most carry it with them into adolescence and adulthood. The reason is your lifestyle. Too much fast food and little to no exercise.
So why should we care? Why don’t we let the children be children and enjoy it? They are only young once. Why? Because we are adults and we must set an example. We need to protect them from any harm. We need to teach them good habits so that when they are older they can fend for themselves and make decisions for themselves. They need to be strong and they have to be tough to survive. I
If our children are to reach adulthood and enjoy life, they must be healthy. Being overweight and denying your body a well-balanced diet can have devastating effects on your future. I’ve heard it said that “if we don’t change the way things are going, this could be the first generation that parents outlive their children.”
A balanced diet is essential to provide our body with the necessary nutrients to function properly. Unfortunately, most Americans find it challenging to make healthy choices.
It is affecting the health of our children and we need it to stop. Here are some examples of the devastating effects of a poor diet.
- A children’s physical education teacher said that when she started teaching 20 years ago, she told kids to run a mile and they would. Now, he asks the kids to run a mile and ends up with 2 pockets full of inhalers. Asthma has become an epidemic in our children in the United States and the industrialized world. There have been several clinical trials in which asthma patients showed a significant reduction in antioxidants in the lining of the extracellular fluid of their lungs. The antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene were found at low levels even when the children did not have an acute attack.
- Another disturbing fact is that the number of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes has increased 6 to 10 times since 1994. Blood sugar problems put them at risk of developing a number of serious health problems including but not limited to , heart attacks, strokes and Alzheimer’s. disease, some cancers, infertility, blindness, kidney failure, amputation, and sexual difficulties.
- Strokes are dramatically increasing among young and middle-aged Americans. The figures reported by the American Stroke Association conference come from a large national study of stroke hospitalizations by age. Government researchers compared hospitalizations in 1994 and 1995 with those in 2006 and 2007. The steepest increase was 51%, and it was among men ages 15 to 34. Strokes increased among women in this age group as well, but not as fast, 17%.
Heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and strokes can be prevented with a proper diet. Exercise is good, but diet is more important.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General lists the health consequences of being overweight and obese as:
- Early death
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Respiratory problems
- Arthritis
- Reproductive complications including an increased risk of birth defects, an increased risk of death for both mother and baby, as well as an increased risk of gestational diabetes for the woman and complications during labor and delivery.
It is important for us to stay healthy and enjoy life. Don’t let your child be robbed. Make sure they learn to eat fresh meat and vegetables. Shop more of the produce, meat department and dairy aisle and offer some healthy options around the home. We don’t have to completely eliminate junk food. Some junk food is fine. We just need to make sure we are getting the nutrients.
If you have a picky eater at home or perhaps someone with allergies or other health problems that prevent you from eating a balanced diet, supplementation is very important. I encourage you to take care of your health and that of your child. If you can’t eat 3 healthy meals a day, supplement.
