What does it take to wake up America to the dangers of obesity? Otherwise loving and often overly protective parents seen oblivious to the problem. Maybe because at least some of these parents fall into the obese – or at least overweight – category themselves?
Well there’s now a major study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, that tracked a large group of American Indian children for an average of 24 years. The findings? That obesity, pre-diabetes (glucose intolerance) and hypertension in childhood were strongly associated with increased rates of premature death. Specifically – the heaviest kids were more than twice as likely as the thinnest ones to die before they reached 55. That’s 15 to 20 years below average American life expectancy. And typically, say the experts, American Indians are about a decade ahead of other Americans in terms of obesity numbers. Right now nearly a third of all American children are either overweight or obese. You can see where this is going….
There’s never been a good excuse for ignoring obesity. But at least if you’re an adult – you’re making your own, presumably desired, decisions. That’s certainly not true for children. And millions of kids are being doomed to an early death simply because their parents, extended families and school teachers – those most responsible for protecting and directing them – are not doing their jobs.
Never mind the impact on our already fractured health care system. Think of the impact on a kid’s life. Years of taking pills or struggling with insulin shots. Heart attacks that can ruin lives even if they don’t kill. Cancer with all its implications. Strokes.
Do you really want the worst for your child instead of the best?
Habits instilled in childhood last a lifetime. It’s a lot harder to think thin for the first time when you’re 40 than when you’re 10. Healthy food in reasonable portions combined with daily exercise is not exactly a recipe for purgatory. In fact the exercise is called play when you’re a kid. Remember?
So parents and teachers – belly away from the food bar and invest a little healthy living in your kids’ future. And maybe in the process those of you who are making bad decisions about your own lives – will add a few good years onto them.
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Health Care Reform 2.0.3
Look. This is getting ridiculous. I’ve just been reading some of the details of President Obama’s new 10 year budget proposal. Which projects a deficit equal to 11% of our Gross Domestic Product for next year (2011) and even 10 years down the road envisions a deficit worth 5% of GDP. This bleak estimate doesn’t allow any room for new domestic programs of any kind.
Hello? Is anybody with a half a brain out there paying ANY attention?
Yes, yes I’m getting to health care reform. Right now. It seems obvious – what with the loss of the Democrats’ super majority in the Senate and the seemingly total inability of the White House or the Democrats in Congress to explain what is really in the 2 multi-thousand page reform bills – that we aren’t going to get much reform in this administration.
So here’s my what you might call "meat cleaver" approach. Starting with a lot less use of the real meat cleaver and a lot more black beans and rice.
Yes, America, we need a National Food Police and Exercise Agency. NFPEA. With absolute, dictatorial powers.
I don’t care how old you are --- you will start eating properly. Limited consumption of red meat. Or really, any meat. No sugar in children’s cold cereal. Much less salt in all restaurant, prepared and even home-cooked meals. (Watch out Grandma! That big flat screen TV on the kitchen wall is now watching how you make your chicken soup!) Portions a third to a half smaller. That includes those huge cups and cones of ice cream at the DQ. Reasonable amounts of vegetarian style entrees making sure there is adequate protein (like the beans and rice combination) and only enough olive oil and garlic sauce on the pasta and veggies to coat the penne – not drown it.
No McDonald’s burgers. Or any other fast food burgers or fried chicken or fried fish. Absolutely no French fries. No fried food of ANY kind – except as a very occasional treat. And whole wheat or multi-grain bread. The first edict from the NFPEA will make eating Wonder Bread and all it’s gluey offshoots an imprisonable crime.
Along with the food reform will go exercise. Every American of any age will be required to do at least enough exercise to work off more than the calories he or she eats. For those currently healthy enough to do it, that exercise will be aerobic, heart-healthy fast walking, running, biking, swimming or sweat-worthy classes. Or heavy labor. Or both. And flicking the remote at the TV does NOT count as heavy labor. (Nor does walking 3 steps to the kitchen to refill the bowl of potato chips.)
I think you get the picture. With no possible lobbying from insurance companies or doctors or hospitals ---how can you lobby against better health – Americans will slowly get thinner and healthier. The incidence of diabetes will start falling instead of increasing. Heart disease will begin to disappear. Cancer rates will drop. And kids who used to be thin and active and healthy will no longer leave the pediatrician’s office with a diagnosis of high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
In just a few years we will have accomplished health care reform without any political wrangling in Congress. And Americans – now actually able to see the rest of the world over their bellies – will start noticing what really goes on in Washington. And what doesn’t.
Health care costs will drop drastically and some expensive specialists may have to drop down to the primary care level – where they are actually needed.
It’s a simple little system. Eat less, eat better and exercise. Really now – why would we need the White House or Congress to mandate that?
Hello? Is anybody with a half a brain out there paying ANY attention?
Yes, yes I’m getting to health care reform. Right now. It seems obvious – what with the loss of the Democrats’ super majority in the Senate and the seemingly total inability of the White House or the Democrats in Congress to explain what is really in the 2 multi-thousand page reform bills – that we aren’t going to get much reform in this administration.
So here’s my what you might call "meat cleaver" approach. Starting with a lot less use of the real meat cleaver and a lot more black beans and rice.
Yes, America, we need a National Food Police and Exercise Agency. NFPEA. With absolute, dictatorial powers.
I don’t care how old you are --- you will start eating properly. Limited consumption of red meat. Or really, any meat. No sugar in children’s cold cereal. Much less salt in all restaurant, prepared and even home-cooked meals. (Watch out Grandma! That big flat screen TV on the kitchen wall is now watching how you make your chicken soup!) Portions a third to a half smaller. That includes those huge cups and cones of ice cream at the DQ. Reasonable amounts of vegetarian style entrees making sure there is adequate protein (like the beans and rice combination) and only enough olive oil and garlic sauce on the pasta and veggies to coat the penne – not drown it.
No McDonald’s burgers. Or any other fast food burgers or fried chicken or fried fish. Absolutely no French fries. No fried food of ANY kind – except as a very occasional treat. And whole wheat or multi-grain bread. The first edict from the NFPEA will make eating Wonder Bread and all it’s gluey offshoots an imprisonable crime.
Along with the food reform will go exercise. Every American of any age will be required to do at least enough exercise to work off more than the calories he or she eats. For those currently healthy enough to do it, that exercise will be aerobic, heart-healthy fast walking, running, biking, swimming or sweat-worthy classes. Or heavy labor. Or both. And flicking the remote at the TV does NOT count as heavy labor. (Nor does walking 3 steps to the kitchen to refill the bowl of potato chips.)
I think you get the picture. With no possible lobbying from insurance companies or doctors or hospitals ---how can you lobby against better health – Americans will slowly get thinner and healthier. The incidence of diabetes will start falling instead of increasing. Heart disease will begin to disappear. Cancer rates will drop. And kids who used to be thin and active and healthy will no longer leave the pediatrician’s office with a diagnosis of high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
In just a few years we will have accomplished health care reform without any political wrangling in Congress. And Americans – now actually able to see the rest of the world over their bellies – will start noticing what really goes on in Washington. And what doesn’t.
Health care costs will drop drastically and some expensive specialists may have to drop down to the primary care level – where they are actually needed.
It’s a simple little system. Eat less, eat better and exercise. Really now – why would we need the White House or Congress to mandate that?
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