My mind is racing, I won’t be able to sleep until I get these thoughts on paper. My ears had to listen, my eyes visualizing all the colors, number and statistics put before me and my mind had to process what was taught, what was brought to the big screen. I was made aware, I was enlightened and frightened. A production called; Fed Up, a film on the consumption of sugar in America, and the obesity epidemic. Whose fault is it? The person for the poor choices he makes in food, healthy or not healthy. Calories really are different in how they are processed in the body. Is it the family for buying it, allowing the kids to eat it and themselves not leading by example? Is it the food companies; a billion dollar industry that is making America sick? The government for not putting more control on the way food is marketed, and served to our kids? The questions could be endless and the points of view so different. Something that stood out in the film after processing it a bit more, was that these families lifestyles (for the majority) were not very active. (the girl who swam and walked, kayaked was different) and the families did not seem to be an advocate, a leader, a mentor or an accountability person for their kids or each other. There was no nutritionist in these kid’s lives, no cooking classes no other healthy food choices at home. It seemed as if the parents relied on the doctor only or the big bad bariatric surgery. If your parents are not going to demonstrate healthy at home (that could be a slogan) why should the kid care? Because if mom or dad is doing it, it must be okay. And if their peers at school didn’t support them instead of criticize them and bully them, who do they turn too? They turn to food to make them feel better for a short lived high. It’s all really sad. I was raised as sweets being a reward, not healthy! My family cooked real food for dinner every night….meat and potatoes and a veggie. Fruit was practically obsolete. You can see how my food habits were developed and I was picky. As I aged I dared to try other foods I had never heard of or was “grossed” out by as a kid. What made the change, ‘what clicked’ in my head that I could venture out and give my taste buds a bit of a thrill? I mean the worst thing that would happen after a taste was gagging and spitting it out, right? Which I did the other night after trying Kimchi! BLAH! YUCK! GAG! I almost made it, I like cabbage and sauerkraut. But this was a bit potent for me. Ask my mom to try it and she would have walked out of the kitchen. As many others would, I don’t think I want to try a grub, but others would be okay with that. So some of the questions pondered after the film; “how do we get kids to eat outside their normal palate?” What if all they know is Mac N Cheese, Pizza and Chicken Fingers; and they swear anything else will make them vomit? Society has been so demanding at shoving sugar (another good slogan) in our faces it’s become a norm for many. Those of us that do eat healthy and have never been in the shoes of being overweight, have NO idea the struggles one has with food and exercise. Yes it comes down to a choice, but how do we arrive at finally making that change and being the small 2% of society that doesn’t quit trying to develop a new habit? That is a fact…most never make it to the end goal with the rewards because of frustration, anger, temptations, etc. If we are not influenced by healthy eating choices, healthy cooking classes, healthy organic food markets, healthy advertising, healthy people; we tend to be brainwashed by the poison. If your family doesn’t adapt to healthy eating and you are not at will to do your own grocery shopping at the age of 12, we are going to have a problem. Your body is a machine, constantly working and processing and trying to stay alive on foundations built long ago, and we have introduced foreign substances that have confused it. I don’t think the body has adapted well to the “sugar shoving” as we can see from the waistline, the scale and the health problems. For some sugar is an addiction, for some it makes them feel good emotionally, for others it’s just not even thinking before eating. The saying goes, “Everything is permissible, but is it beneficial?” What makes folks so different from each other? People that have drive, gumption, ambition; where does that come from? Does your personality reflect your ability to change to your eating habits? Uh, I think the questions could go on and on. If you have the strengths of being a health leader to benefit the longevity of one’s life, get out there and make a difference. We all need some inspiration in all different departments of life. We need a glimmer of hope. Tell us how we can make the most of what this body has. No one likes the “reformed smoker” attitude either, folks who are fat…..guess what?…..they know they are fat! Support, love and education will get you farther then hammering “your know it all” ways into the person who is already taking a beating emotionally and physically. Share your struggles so folks know you are real and have won a battle, share your ups and downs, share your knowledge, share your love. It’s not about the number of years in your life, but the life that is in your years! ……………………………….Whew I feel much better that I don’t have to attempt to sleep with that racing in my head! You don’t have to agree with anything I said, this was just thoughts on paper pondering what I was exposed to this evening.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 02:33:07 +0000
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