My son's dirty gym shoes sitting on a newspaper by the front door tell the story of an active life style.
By Magdalena I. García
As I write this, I have lentils simmering on the stove, made from scratch, with carrots and plátano verde (green plantain). That will be my family’s dinner tonight (and perhaps for a couple of days, as long as the beans last). My 12-year-old son loves beans of all colors: black, brown, pinto, white, split pea; in fact, he craves them. And he eats other things most kids won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, like sardines and spinach. He is also physically active, so chances are pretty good that he won’t become obese or have serious health problems later in life. But such is not the case with most kids raised in the US, including those growing up in Hispanic/Latin households.
Almost every day we find news headlines related to this subject. Today All Things Considered, a program aired by National Public Radio (NPR), had a story by Patti Neighmond on this subject titled “U.S. Youth Likely to Face Greater Health Issues.” She points out a statistic so familiar that it no longer shocks us: two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. And these unhealthful behaviors have unfortunately spread to children.
According to Pediatrician Amy Porter, who runs a weight management program for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and was interviewed by Neighmond, “this may be the first generation of children who may not live as long as their parents.” Why? Because of obesity related diseases. Allow me to quote another portion of the story:
“Porter points to what used to be considered ‘adult diseases,’ like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are now being seen in obese kids. She says she sees teenagers who have knee and joint problems so severe they need to consult orthopedists. And sleep apnea, which is often a symptom of obesity, is also showing up in record numbers among kids.”
With such alarming statistics, can somebody explain to me why the public school system eliminated daily recess, offers physical education only a couple of times a week (in the upper grades they often sit and study health instead of doing cardiovascular activity), and serves low quality lunches? It seems to me that no matter what the standard achievement test scores might be on other subjects, our schools are flunking obesity prevention. And unlike middle-class families, most working-class people don’t have the time nor the resources to enroll their children in paid sports or extra-curricular activities. Parents, teachers, doctors, religious leaders, and the community as a whole need to become stronger advocates for a truly rounded education, one that is less obsessed with preparing to do well on tests and more focused on developing healthy life-long habits: including self-care.
To read the complete NPR report go to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124738305
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