Happy MORSELICIOUS MONDAY and Happy Thanksgiving week! Check below for a special coupon code love, Mo!
Today’s post is written by the fantastic Karen Whittier, founder of EMBRACE ACTIVISM, just in time for the upcoming holiday where most of us tend to overstuff and over indulge. R If you’ve looked around you know that people here in the U.S. are fat and getting fatter. The tipping-the-scale point appears to be around 1980. What has changed?
A better question might be what hasn’t changed?!
Obesity is on the rise for both adults and children.
Adults can make changes in their lifestyle that would impact their
health and wellness in positive ways, but it is just plain harder
to change once bad habits are set in for 10, 20, 30 years.
So I’m most concerned with helping to set children on the health and wellness path from the get-go. Think about the average child’s life
before 1980 and now. There have been dramatic changes to their daily lives. Three areas: Family structure, school days and evening hours
have undergone huge changes.
Today there isn’t the stigma associated with unwed mothers,
which is good, but when fathers abandon their children,
the children are often doomed to a life of poverty.
Society has also eased on the once-taboo arrangement of living together.
This has resulted in greater numbers of children born into cohabitation or into single-parent households (usually with the mother as head of household). In an USA Today article, Rutgers sociology professor David Popenoe said,
“The United States has the weakest families in the Western world
because we have the highest divorce rate and the highest rate of solo parenting.” What does this have to do with obesity? I hinted at it above. Poverty. Single-parents–or let’s just state the usual scenario—single mothers, in general, have lower incomes.
Typically, cheap food is calorie-dense, nutrient-poor and often ‘manufactured.’ I feel the term ‘manufactured foods’ is a more accurate description than processed foods. But to quiet a grumbling belly, you do what you can do.
School has changed as well. Back in my (elementary school) days we had the 3 Rs to be sure, but we also had a morning and afternoon recess as well as a lunch recess. Rarely were we confined indoors for a recess and, if we were, it was for some group-play in the cafeteria that doubled as a gym playing something like Dodgeball. Now, recess time has been reduced–if not cut out altogether. Whether it’s having more time to teach to whatever standardized test is in vogue or worrying over potential liability lawsuits, school kids’ time for independence and unstructured free time has been largely eliminated. I vividly remember my son telling me they were no longer allowed to play Tag at recess–he was told they didn’t want anyone to fall and get hurt. Recess had always been something he looked forward to…now it was getting boring. I think everyone would agree that life is not risk-free. Of course, every effort must be made to provide a safe environment, but the fear of scrapes and scabs should not be cause to restrict recess activity on the playground. Heck—back in the day again—we were allowed to climb monkey bars and twirl around them…and did I mention it was over a blacktop surface! No pads, no thick layer of bark, no sand–not even grass like in this photo, just asphalt!
The numbers of mothers who work outside the home has also grown necessitating their children are either relegated to day care/after school care centers or left to make it to their homes following schools. Without parental supervision, the TV too often becomes the babysitter. Without parental supervision and the fear of stranger danger, children of course are restricted to their houses. When mothers do get home from work there’re a myriad of things to attend to before getting up and starting all over again. It can seem like there are just not enough hours in the day and it’s understandable in this overwhelming situation how appealing stopping by to grab a fast food dinner becomes. If dinner’s a stretch, how far down the line would physical activities be?
The problems associated with obesity are immense. There might not be a one-size-fits-all solution, but there are steps that can be taken to head in the right direction. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution by Helena Oliviero shares the story of a mother and daughter dealing with the daughter’s weight issue. Having ‘the talk’ about obesity with your child isn’t easy. But no one said parenthood was supposed to be easy. One of the resources listed in the article, www.strong4life.com, offers parents tools and tips for this discussion. One aspect of my parenting style originated out of my belief that by emphasizing healthy food for meals, NOT dieting, and insisting on daily physical activity, including many family activities, the foundation for health and wellness would be laid. And guess what? YOGA is a great activity to do together! September is National Yoga Month. Embrace Activism is supporting Yoga Health Foundation’s Yoga-Recess campaign to bring yoga in to schools. Read all about it here. Yoga and children are a good fit! You don’t have to take my word for it, you’ll be persuaded after reading “Giving Kids the Gift of Yoga”
Use the special code for a 10% discount on top of the 10% donation on purchases– just use promo code MACNMOS Predictions note that by 2030 every state will have obesity rates of at least 44%….and in 13 states the rate is greater than 60%. The health care, productivity and quality of life costs, if that were to happen, are staggering. But there is a silver lining and it’s highlighted in one of my favorite quotes from Margaret Mead. She said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever does.” Believe it: We can make a change.
Health, Wellness & CURES!!
Karen Whittier RYT
Chief Activist, Embrace Activism
Karen@EmbraceActivism.com
BIO:
Karen Whittier, Chief Activist of Embrace Activism , created the business to empower individuals to take more control over their own health destinies and make a difference. Embrace Activism is the online source for yoga products with a CAUSE. Health & eco-friendly as well as socially-conscious, Embrace Activism allows you to do MORE with your practice!
In addition to her role as Chief Activist for Embrace Activism, she is a registered yoga teacher. Her students range in age from preschool to senior citizen, from beginner to experienced. She enjoys witnessing the transformation yoga brings to her students; empowering them to take more responsibility for their own health and wellness. Her blog, On & Off the Mat, shares tips, suggestions and articles on health and wellness topics. Visit the website at http://www.EmbraceActivism.com
Mo’s response to desserts this Thanksgiving? Use my special coupon code TENMO for an extra 10% off when you place your online order: https://macnmos.com/shop/main.sc
Happy THANKSGIVING to you and your MORSELICIOUS family!
xo Mo
Karen, what a well written and timely article. Thank you for your insight. And I love to see Mac-n-Mo’s included because this is the kind of food we should be including in our diet. I work at the UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities and I look forward to sharing this with the staff. Julie
Thank you so much for posting a comment, Julie!
Would love to hear more from you on this subject and your work.
Have a MORSELICIOUS Thanksgiving!
Thank you Julie—I appreciate your comment and value your work in keeping children/families healthy!
And, thank YOU, Karen, for this powerful post!
Have a MORSELICIOUS Thanksgiving!
Thanks Mo for sharing my concern over the rising obesity rates in children and the danger that puts them in for diabetes. I’ll be thinking about your “Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks” photo…powerfully simple & true.
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