| Every generation of youth has its fads and signs | | | | calories. Sugar and its white cousins are implicated |
| of "I'll do it my way" in their clothing, jewelry or | | | | as the base causes for diabetes and heart |
| hairstyles. But one trend is setting this current | | | | disease the second cousins of obesity in adults. |
| younger set apart - obesity. More and more of | | | | Sugar is slowly killing us just as surely as alcohol is |
| our children and young people are getting "tummy | | | | killing the drunk - unless we make a radical about |
| rolls", flabby and just plain fat at an age when | | | | face... and STOP eating the food that is killing us. |
| they should be at their best physically. | | | | Why don't parents do the same for their kids and |
| Why? I think the answer is obvious. Junk food is | | | | careless eating choices? Why don't we take them |
| too readily available to our young people. Mochas | | | | to the hospital CCU and long-term care wards to |
| and burgers are usually just a 5 minute drive | | | | see the final results of eating too much sugar. |
| from the high school so teens have access to | | | | Hey, we don't even need to go that far. Fat and |
| empty calories throughout the day. To make | | | | wheezing folks surround us when we do our |
| matters worse, cafeterias offer fast-food type | | | | shopping. Why not point out (discretely) that they, |
| foods since "they are going to eat it anyway", not | | | | like the alcoholic, are headed for certain and |
| to mention vending machines flash their impulse | | | | miserable death. |
| foods in many nooks and crannies of the school | | | | Why don't we? Because we as parents are |
| halls. | | | | ourselves becoming victims of these diseases and |
| How do we combat this? How can a parent help | | | | either out of ignorance or carelessness suffer |
| their youngsters to avoid the slippery slide into | | | | from early or advancing symptoms of these |
| poor health and obesity? Thankfully, we are | | | | diseases. The junk food, empty calories that are |
| seeing more and more cooperation in the schools | | | | making our children chubby are the same food |
| in eliminating vending machines and making better | | | | forms that we are ourselves addicted to. It is |
| menus for the cafeterias. But the first, best | | | | hard to admit that we are the cause of our |
| choice obviously is to teach them EARLY to | | | | children's malady; that we are the ones that need |
| make better choices when eating. Help them to | | | | to make a change - first. |
| see the benefits of healthy eating habits while | | | | But we can change! And we must for our |
| they are young. As they get older, talk about | | | | children's sake as well as our own. Let's begin by |
| heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc. and how | | | | making better choices when it comes to eating |
| they are a direct result of regular poor food | | | | both at home and when we are away. You know |
| choices. | | | | that you will be hungry when you are gone from |
| When I was young, I remember seeing drunks | | | | home, so plan to take some good food choices |
| slumped on the side of the street downtown. My | | | | along. Almonds, dried fruit like raisins, fresh fruit, a |
| dad would comment that the poor fellow made | | | | small cooler with cheese sticks, bottled water or |
| one too many bad decisions and chose alcohol as | | | | juices. Even a sandwich or veggies on ice are an |
| a solution to his life's problems. Alcohol has its way | | | | excellent option. If you know you want something |
| with a man's life, slowly killing him unless he makes | | | | sweet, plan to take along cookies you made at |
| a radical turn around. | | | | home or granola bars you bought ahead of time. |
| So, what does this have to do with junk food? It | | | | Solutions are easy. Discipline is hard. Take it one |
| is so relevant it is frightening. Doctors are finally | | | | step at a time toward better food choices. Begin |
| making some headway both in research and | | | | today to take responsibility to improve the health |
| diagnosis of diabetes (and the other biggie: heart | | | | of your children and young people. Give them a |
| disease). It is glaringly obvious that these diseases | | | | chance to live long, healthy useful lives. |
| are a direct result of our regular ingestion of junk | | | | |