Reversing obesity in children
Leave it up to our federal government to spend $1 billion on an initiative that works only seven percent of the time. But that’s exactly what has happened since the feds decided to try to get the kids to change their eating and exercise habits.
Needless to say, it’s been a disaster.
Out of 57 programs the $1 billion funded, only four showed any success in getting kids to change their eating habits.
Dismal results aren’t stopping the government from spending more, however.
The key, the government says, is more education about healthy eating and exercising. But is education all that’s needed?
Let’s look at the educational tools that have already been put in place. There are numerous programs that this money has been spent on—everything from using video to glamorize fruits and vegetables to preaching about the feel-good vibes you’ll come away with after eating a healthy meal.
One program offered free fruits and vegetables to school-aged tykes. As time went on during the program, the children involved became less inclined to eat the produce. They didn’t like the taste.
Another program offered prizes to children in exchange for their eating fruits and vegetables. When the prizes dried up, so did the eating of fruits and vegetables. The kids had slid back into their old dietary habits that included soda pop and chips.
This is truly a sad thing, especially when you consider the statistics. Recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control show that over the past 30 or so years obesity rates have quintupled for 6- to 11-year-olds and have tripled for both teens and 2- to 5-year-olds. And with those ridiculously high obesity rates have come some very adult medical problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
It seems that the problems are too complex to solve simply through reeducation.
How do you reeducate taste buds? Or family lifestyles? First of all, children have little control over what their parents buy. When I was growing up, I had to eat what was put on the table. Lucky for me, it was wholesome and nutritious. That’s the way folks used to eat. But we could get healthy foods locally, and they didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Now, there’s an overabundance of junk food—and just like its contents, its price is CHEAP. Also, exercise can be more challenging for kids today. A study just came out showing that despite the fact that a full third of American kids live within one mile of their school, less than half of them regularly bike or walk there. Yet, I don’t see how we can act surprised. Most live in communities where it could be life-threatening to ride a bike or walk on the roads! And a lot of communities aren’t equipped with sidewalks.
Then there’s the problem with kids being inundated with food ads shown on television. It’s easy to blame TV, but it’s not hard to see the impact it’s having on kids. Children between the ages of 8 and 12 see about 21 ads every day featuring snack foods, fast food, candy and sugary cereals, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
That’s an average of 7,665 ads per year. Researchers also found that for every 50 ads for junk food, there was only one ad for healthy food.
The government needs to tighten the reins on the advertising that’s directed at kids for these foods of little nutritional value like sugary cereals, fruit drinks and gelatin desserts. And our politicians should wise up and stop subsidizing all of those over processed, center-aisle foods that are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats and heavily processed soy protein. If it weren’t for taxpayer subsidies, most of those foods would be priced much higher than they are now and wouldn’t seem like such a great “value.”
As for those other government programs that aren’t working, the feds should stop wasting our money and instead spend it on things that will make a difference: community-based programs. Often, a state’s health department will sponsor a program to help fight childhood obesity. Also, check with your county for any programs it may offer, possibly through the YMCA or the Department of Recreation and Parks.
Another resource I’d recommend checking would be with local clinics and hospitals in the area to see if any of them offers a weight-loss program. Through such a program, children can go in for regular monitoring, measurements, and general support.
Last but not least—put your child or grandchild’s pediatrician to work for you. Ask him for recommendations that are action-oriented, not just a bunch of “Make sure you eat healthy foods and ride your bike some.” Have the doctor do some research to find a program to fit the needs of your individual child.
Persistence in finding a solution will pay off.
