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As you have probably seen on television and in the news, America is facing an obesity epidemic; even more frightening, a childhood obesity epidemic. More and more children are developing type 2 diabetes due to obesity, poor diets, and an overload of sugar in their diets.
I think part of this is because children are glued to the television, computers, cell phones, and video games. What happened to going outside and playing? When I grew up I played in dirt, played tag and was outside with friends for hours on end. Now many children would rather stare at a screen for three hours.
Other people blame media. Parents and many others say children are becoming obese or developing medical problems because the media markets sugar filled foods to children. Whether it is through commercials or boxes featuring their favorite cartoon characters, parents blame media as the culprit to overweight children. To me this is parents playing the blame game.
Who buys the groceries in the house? The parents; a child's not going to the store, filling the cart with cookies and sugary juices and then carrying them home and stocking the cupboards, the parents are. People will argue and say they have to take their children to the store with them and they insist on getting the unhealthy snacks. Again; who's doing the buying? You're the parent, you have a say in what gets bought. Say no. Yes the child may decide to throw a fit because you say no, but who cares? It wouldn't be the first time a child ever threw a fit in the store, and it won't be the last.
The parents are buying the groceries, so the media isn't making children obese; parents are, and that's why they try to find somebody else to blame. Since parents have control of what's in the house, parents often take it further and blame the school.
If parents want to blame the school's food, they can pack a lunch. Besides, the child is only eating one meal at the school; they are still getting breakfast and dinner at home; so more than likely it is what they are eating at home, not at school. Schools are trying to improve nutrition in their menu's and have come a long way. There are healthy options in lunch menus. Children just need to be taught what is healthy and what is not.
I'm not saying all children who have a weight problem will develop diabetes but it is a growing problem in the United States and I get tired of people playing the blame game Parent's buy the groceries, cook, and pack lunches and snacks, not the media or the children. By no means do parents need to completely cut off sugar or unhealthy foods but if they want children to understand healthy lifestyles they should try teaching children moderation and healthy alternatives. Doing this at a young age will help them grow up and continue eating sugar in moderation and choosing a healthy alternative. If nothing else; encourage children to engage in more physical activity, every little bit helps.