No one at the age of ten should have their appearance be able to be described as "unhealthly". When I was a child, I was beyond active and I was not even what you would describe as a "sporty" kid. My friends and I burned off so much energy running, playing, and generally just messing around. Whether it was soccer, baseball, red rover, "duck, duck, goose", tag, or the countless games you would devise yourselves, we never stopped. I remember "playing" outside until the latest moment possible, where my mother had to finally yell out the backdoor to beg me to get inside. Outside of a physical problem, I literally can't understand what excuse there is for a child to be carrying weight? But maybe that was then and this is now. Kids have far more lazier distractions now then what many of us had when we were growing up. What with all the videogames, Internet, and dvds. Arguably it would be hard to not want to stay indoors to play with all the new toys that technology has bestowed upon us. And yes, I am sure the point can also be made that "the big bad corporations" seemingly never stop innovating new ways to make food more fattening while also brainwashing children to crave them day and night. Having said that though, I do remember spending a lot of my early days planted on a couch watching the likes of "rocket robin hood" and eating mounds of pac man cereal. So what gives? What is the deal with rolly poley and his little sister fatty patty?
The problem falls on the parents. Children more and more now are being left to their own devices. Less and less are families sitting down to home cooked meals and in more cases kids are eating take out. Mom and dad are too busy, so the kids are eating delivered pizza for dinner. Instead of packing lunches, the kids are tossed some money to get Mcdonalds and Burger King. Kids are left on their own more and are making their own eating decisions, so what do you think they are going to choose to eat? If you were six and had a choice between Doritos and an apple…what do you think is going to win that food war? Children don't know the consequences of eating good or bad or the importance of appearances (as shallow as that may sound). The problem is kids are asked to make too many decisions for themselves now because times have changed and parent supervision has diminished. Additionally, parents are too lenient and let their kids have their own way far too much. Understandably, not every family is going to have a stay home parent now, but mothers and fathers should still make the effort to have family "dinner time", monitor their children's diet and sometimes say no. Kids at their age are not cognizant to the repercussions of being overweight, both healthy and socially, but they will learn them unfortunately very quickly when they get into their teens. It is the parents who ultimately need to make these decisions for their children, by thinking of what they eat, how much they eat, and where they eat. There is a difference between a treat and an eating pattern. It's time for parents to say "okay honey, four fruit roll ups is enough…"
…but that's just my opinion.
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