Our effervescent Felicia requested we post a childhood photo. Here's one that, until recently, was always prominently displayed in my mother's living room. Notice those chubby cheeks, fluffy arms and chunky thighs? How about the little roll just below the shoulder?Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. Experts estimate that 15 percent of kids are overweight and another 15 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. And two-thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults.
These alarming statistics have already prompted many of us to make a commitment to prevent obesity in our children or grandchildren by helping them maintain a healthy weight through appropriate food choices and adequate exercise.
Last week, several of us discussed having been reared as members of the "Clean Plate Club." Somehow, what began as the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 to preserve our food supply during WWI evolved into a movement forcing children to eat more than they really need.
I'm grateful the tide is turning, but my goodness, have you looked at a typical public school breakfast and lunch menu recently??
8 comments:
Public schools make me want to move to the country and home school. It's not just the food, but the classes around here are like 25-30 kids per teacher, how are my kids suppossed to get any attention?
The first things I noticed in that photo were your darling smile and twinkly eyes! You are just too precious.
And you're right: childhood obesity is alarming. Are we loving our kids to death??
I saw a delightful little girl with a charming smile. She is healthy and fit.
That is a far away call from the overweight children today. As a child there was only 1 fat child in my class and it wasn't me, although I had this idea that I was fat. There are more head games in this weight business than sand on the beach.
We need to be very careful that we don't confuse healthy lives with fat lifestyles. I have an abhorence of turning children into dieters or worse scared of their bodies. At the same time they need to know what is healthy. Who is to blame .... parents who give their children what they scream for, advertisers, peer pressure, poor education in nutrition & fitness ... all these and more.
For what it's worth I do think many parents struggle between what is love and what is not. Children need boundaries and guidance and many seem to miss out on these love basics.
cute pic!!!!!!! Keep working hard :-)
What a delightful photo!
Childhood obesity is a pet project of mine, too. I'm looking forward to checking out the link you provided. Thanks!
Adorable!!!
My daughter will start eating lunch at school next year. (first grade) I'm planning on packing her lunch on most days when I'm not being lazy. I'll keep this in mind when I'm to tired to put the effort into sending her a lunch.
Cute little ballerina!
Funny, but when I was a child I was not overweight because of what my mother was cooking. Being Eastern European it was always homemade and there were never any store bough treats in the house (didn't have a twinkie until i was a teenager ;)
Other posts have been out there about getting back to real food. Something that needs to be worked at for a lot of us.
Oh my goodness, you were adorable! NOT FAT!
In South Africa schools don't provide lunch and should I ever live in the USA I'll definitely be home schooling! Scientist are saying that for the first time in centuries the new generation will not live as long as their parents because of poor genetic material being passed down to children (we are what we eat, after all!) and the children then eating the same poor diet that their parents eat. The problem is not only childhood obesity, it's childhood degenerative diseases, which have become epidemic!
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