Childhood obesity

[Guest guest]

> From: " Diego Crespo " <gladiadores@...>

>Subject: Re: Re: Childhood Obesity Epidemic

>

>I have 2 practical solutions:

>1) Return to old fashion diet, not 90% carbs.

>2) Encourage play, pick up games,etc...put a basket up,encourage

>neighborhood kids to play on it, drive to park 2x week with kids for

>informal pick up games,etc...

>

>Diego Crespo

>Quito,Ecuador

>

Sorry to burst your bubble, Diego, but it's not that simple. #1: there's a

time element in both buying and preparing healthy food. When I was working

60 hour weeks, I simply did not have the time to go to the store and buy

fresh fruits and vegetables every other day. Frozen and canned items are not

as healthy but do have a longer shelf life. I have relatives in Mexico that

have servants to go buy fresh produce on a regular basis but here in the

United States -- where often both parents are working full-time and

full-time sometimes involves working 60 hour weeks -- it's just not

feasible. When you also factor in how much time adults spend driving to and

fro, there's not enough time left for planning, cooking healthy and balanced

meals.

Secondly, who is supposed to supervise these kids when they play outodoors

and where, exactly, are they supposed to play? Not everyone lives in a LEAVE

IT TO BEAVER neighborhood as portrayed on television. There are drug

dealers, child molestors, speeders, loose dogs and a host of other problems

with just turning kids loose to play outdoors. One of my neighbors used to

do that, until a car coming around the curve in the road nearly hit one of

the kids, then the nice social workers from Child Protective Services came

over to tell her to watch her kids more closely. Now they sit in front of

the television set watching Disney films.

This is a complex problem and your simplistic answers just totally miss

reality for too many Americans.

- Mari Steele

Las Cruces, NM