Child Obesity
Why wouldn't we be facing an epidemic of child obesity? After all, these children live in families with parents who raise them in the manner to which they become accustomed. If the parents are overweight and far too many also morbidly obese, it's little wonder the children are as well. A familial inheritance of indolence and over-indulgence, of neglect, lack of values and acceptance of the quick-and-easy.
We're now informed that Canada's younger generations are expected to live shorter lives than their parents, on the evidence being presented today with respect to the health of young Canadians. Too little exercise, too much fast-food, too little concerned parental oversight; too much time dedicated to house-bound activities like watching television, playing computer games.
It's the easy life. But it's a life devoid of some fairly basic values. Children are born to be active young animals, although they do need encouragement from time to time to remind them of their natural need to use their physical resources in a constructive and entertaining way. As growing young animals children also require nutritional meals to help them along the way to good health in maturity.
We live in a world where too little value is now invested in raising children, in making economic sacrifices for that very purpose. Within families it is now accepted practise that children be shopped out to child-tenders while both parents work. Where once it was enough to have basic shelter, to provide a range of basic nutritional foods for the family table, with sufficient clothing to cover all the seasons, no one is now satisfied with what is currently considered to be an acquisitively-meagre lifestyle.
Possessions are equated with quality of life. That's where the drive is, to have the economic wherewithal to acquire ever greater treasures with which to share one's life, to enhance lifestyles. Forgotten are the needs of children, to have a secure and trusting oversight through their formative years, to engender in them an appreciation of morals, ethics, values and a fundamental way of life that appreciates what truly matters.
Children are exposed to advertising that entices them to eat junk food, and their parents are happy to oblige, since it's more difficult to explain to them that empty calories don't equate with nutrition. High fat and salt and sugar content appeals to human taste, including that of the parents of these children who don't have the time in their busy lives to actually cook healthy meals for themselves and their children.
Rather than spend quality time as a family, reading, going on nature outings, visiting museums, galleries, zoos, musical or dance events, bowling alleys and the like, it's less time-consuming in busy lives and more relaxing for everyone to just sit around and watch inane television programmes which further instill a lack of real-life values to all concerned. During which more junk food can be eaten, instead of fresh fruit.
Now the state of the country's health has been impacted to the point where those who govern are worried. After all, the health care system, already over-burdened as it is, can hardly accept additional strain. And when people are unhealthy they don't constitute a reliable workforce. And if the workforce isn't there, how can business and corporations further themselves, enhancing the GDP, and adequate taxes be collected?
Well, municipal authorities have something to answer for in not finding the wherewithal to replace condemned playground equipment in public parks and in schools, leaving the children little to do to work off steam, so they wander aimlessly around during school breaks at lunch and recess along with off-times. By placing soft drink and candy dispensing machines within schools as money-making ventures they've added to the problems.
Yes, people should know better, they should care a whole lot more, but in today's busy world there isn't enough time for too much introspection in the race to keep up with whatever is popular. And advertising plays such an incredibly invasive and mendacious part in our lives; the allure of owning the latest technological gadgets and vehicles is just too much for people to ignore.
This is the society we've made together, these are the values we uphold, this is the lifestyle we aspire to. This is the result.
We're now informed that Canada's younger generations are expected to live shorter lives than their parents, on the evidence being presented today with respect to the health of young Canadians. Too little exercise, too much fast-food, too little concerned parental oversight; too much time dedicated to house-bound activities like watching television, playing computer games.
It's the easy life. But it's a life devoid of some fairly basic values. Children are born to be active young animals, although they do need encouragement from time to time to remind them of their natural need to use their physical resources in a constructive and entertaining way. As growing young animals children also require nutritional meals to help them along the way to good health in maturity.
We live in a world where too little value is now invested in raising children, in making economic sacrifices for that very purpose. Within families it is now accepted practise that children be shopped out to child-tenders while both parents work. Where once it was enough to have basic shelter, to provide a range of basic nutritional foods for the family table, with sufficient clothing to cover all the seasons, no one is now satisfied with what is currently considered to be an acquisitively-meagre lifestyle.
Possessions are equated with quality of life. That's where the drive is, to have the economic wherewithal to acquire ever greater treasures with which to share one's life, to enhance lifestyles. Forgotten are the needs of children, to have a secure and trusting oversight through their formative years, to engender in them an appreciation of morals, ethics, values and a fundamental way of life that appreciates what truly matters.
Children are exposed to advertising that entices them to eat junk food, and their parents are happy to oblige, since it's more difficult to explain to them that empty calories don't equate with nutrition. High fat and salt and sugar content appeals to human taste, including that of the parents of these children who don't have the time in their busy lives to actually cook healthy meals for themselves and their children.
Rather than spend quality time as a family, reading, going on nature outings, visiting museums, galleries, zoos, musical or dance events, bowling alleys and the like, it's less time-consuming in busy lives and more relaxing for everyone to just sit around and watch inane television programmes which further instill a lack of real-life values to all concerned. During which more junk food can be eaten, instead of fresh fruit.
Now the state of the country's health has been impacted to the point where those who govern are worried. After all, the health care system, already over-burdened as it is, can hardly accept additional strain. And when people are unhealthy they don't constitute a reliable workforce. And if the workforce isn't there, how can business and corporations further themselves, enhancing the GDP, and adequate taxes be collected?
Well, municipal authorities have something to answer for in not finding the wherewithal to replace condemned playground equipment in public parks and in schools, leaving the children little to do to work off steam, so they wander aimlessly around during school breaks at lunch and recess along with off-times. By placing soft drink and candy dispensing machines within schools as money-making ventures they've added to the problems.
Yes, people should know better, they should care a whole lot more, but in today's busy world there isn't enough time for too much introspection in the race to keep up with whatever is popular. And advertising plays such an incredibly invasive and mendacious part in our lives; the allure of owning the latest technological gadgets and vehicles is just too much for people to ignore.
This is the society we've made together, these are the values we uphold, this is the lifestyle we aspire to. This is the result.
Labels: Realities
posted by Pieface @ 1:41 PM
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