Fighting The Fat For A Fit Future
It’s not good to be fat; you look less flattering than you would like to, you have associated health problems, you find yourself out of breath often, you can’t find decent clothes that fit, airplane and bus seats seem too small to hold your significant behind, and so on and so forth. Obesity is worse when you’re a kid – you’re fighting an uphill battle with the bulge, and with all the ribbing you get from the other kids, life is no walk in the park.
With childhood obesity on the rise all over the world and especially in nations where the children are exposed to fast food very early in their lives, health officials are leaving no stone unturned to remedy the situation, at least in the United Kingdom. With Britain having the highest number of obese people in Europe and with a government think-tank predicting that 60 percent of males and 50 percent of females will be obese by 2050, the country is taking positive steps towards creating a healthier nation.
First, it was the introduction of nine healthy towns – citizens will receive tags that they can swipe at public parks and exercise facilities to log how many miles they run and how many calories they burn. The tags can also be swiped when they buy vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods. They receive points for their efforts, and these can be reclaimed against sports clothing, shoes, a day at a pool, and other such fitness-related options.
Not everyone is for this proposal though, with some residents claiming that the government is interfering in something that’s a personal preference. Fast food joints are refusing to trim their menus with the argument that they must cater to their customers’ wishes. And the only way they can stop making food loaded with transfats is if their customers stop buying them. Since adults are set in their diets, it follows that it’s the children who must be educated about the dangers of fast food and its direct association with obesity.
Accordingly, the National Health Services is running a nation-wide campaign accusing parents of obese children of “killing” their kids with kindness. It’s kindness that makes them overfeed their children and give in to their demands for sugared colas and junk food; it’s kindness that makes them allow their kids to eat snacks at any time of the day in any amount; and it’s kindness that makes them allow their kids to get away with a sedentary lifestyle spent in front of the television or a video game.
Childhood obesity is a looming problem that we must battle before it’s too late for our kids. If we really love them, it’s up to us to take their diets and exercise routines seriously and help them along on the road to fitness and a better life in the bargain. We can start by preparing all meals at home, encouraging them to get out and play a sport or take a jog in the park, cutting down the time they spend in front of the TV, and switching them to healthy snacks that do not contain saturated fats.
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This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of Ultrasound Technician Schools. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25 [at] gmail [dot com].
