I stumbled across an article that actually offended me last night, Ten (Quick and Easy) Toddler Lunch Ideas. I’m not a dietician, but feel confident stating that dried cranberries, potato chips, crackers, cheddar cheese, and a fruit burst do not add up to even a remotely healthily lunch. I can’t imagine how horrible a child would feel after eating this for lunch.
While working on this post, I happen to catch a few minutes of The Doctors, where they were discussing a controversial campaign to combat childhood obesity.
The episode featured a powerful public awareness video campaign created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The video shows an obese 30-something-year-old man being rushed to an emergency room after having a heart attack. It then flashes back through the past 30 years showing the man eating fast food and candy and sitting on the couch playing video games. The video flashes forward to the ER again, and the tagline on the screen reads: “Your child’s future doesn’t have to look like this.” The Doctors say the “Rewind the Future” video might seem harsh to some, but parents need to understand its strong message: Unhealthy food choices that start as children can have deadly consequences.
The Doctors share a few alarming statistics and food swap ideas:
- 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese.
- About 84% of parents take their children to fast food restaurants at least once a week.
- In the past 30 years, the rate of diabetes in adolescents has quadrupled.
- Americans consume an average of 3,700 calories per day, the highest in the world.
Eliminating one 16oz. Soda Per Day = 61 lbs. Sugar A Year
Fruit Swap for Large Fries = 25,000 Calories Per Year
I don’t have children, but am often with friends who have a couple of little ones. I’ve witnessed some pretty ridiculous excuses as to why they justify handing their child french fries in order to shut them up. I have no doubt that the average parent would do anything to protect their child from harm, so why is it okay to pump their children full of things that are harming them on the inside? Ignorance Is Bliss?????