Why Are Our Children Developing 'Adult' Illnesses?

I am very concerned about the health of our children. Obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease and other serious conditions are becoming increasingly common among those under eighteen. Decades ago it was nearly unheard of for a child to develop any of these diet-related illnesses, but nowadays, it's quite widespread, which is disturbing. What's different now? Why are our children developing these 'adult' illnesses? Well, there are many reasons for this. One reason why our kids are so unhealthy is because parents are busier and more stressed than ever, causing them to spend less time preparing wholesome meals. There were more stay-at-home moms in the 60s than there are presently. Staying home enabled moms back then to devote more time to preparing healthy and nutritious meals on a daily basis. Currently, with the rapidly escalating cost of living, more and more mothers are forced to work outside the home since it's nearly impossible to survive off merely one income. The children are either left to eat processed and prepackaged foods that their parents quickly throw together, or fend for themselves. And we all know what food choices kids will mostly likely make when they fend for themselves: junk. As long as it's quick and tastes great, our kids will eat it. Fast food, French fries, pizza, hamburgers, cookies and sodas are top foods on many children's and teens' list of favorite foods.

With school-aged children in school thirty-five hours a week, parents certainly can't take all of the blame for the state of our kids' health. A majority of foods served at schools offer mega calories and very little nutritional value. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 9 out of 10 U.S. schools offer the a la carte programs, which do not have to meet the U.S. government's nutritional recommendations. These recommendations suggest eating at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables and getting no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. Children go to school to learn, so why aren't they taught how to eat properly? Why are schools serving processed and unhealthy foods like tater tots and chicken nuggets, which are usually laden with preservatives, trans fatty acids, saturated fats and high sodium? Well, sadly, most schools don't want to stop serving these unhealthy foods because they know that if they serve baked chicken, baked potatoes and broccoli that most kids won't buy it and the school loses out on a lot of money. Schools should be more concerned about the health of the students than making money! What's more important: the health of their students or extra money for the school? Perhaps if schools educated the students on what could happen to their health and bodies if they eat all the unhealthy foods on a regular basis, the kids would be more inclined to try foods that offer more nutritional value. Slowly replacing unhealthful foods with healthier versions would be a great way for schools to provide more nutritious menus for school kids. It could start out as small as replacing the crust of pizza with whole grain bread. Most kids wouldn't even notice, and the whole grain crust would improve their brain function, increase fiber in their diets, and supply them with some much-needed 'B' vitamins. Schools don't have to make major or costly changes in order to improve the health benefits of the meals that they serve. All it takes is some effort and someone who really cares in order to implement the much-needed changes in the school menus.

Even though some of the responsibility for the increase in diet-related illness in children lies with schools, parents can't be let off the hook, either. When I go to the grocery store, I often shake my head as I look into other people's shopping carts. Many of them are filled to capacity with Pepsi, frozen dinners, cakes, cookies, candy, and other food (if it can even be referred to as food) that is totally void of any type of nutritional value. I'm not downing these shoppers for their shopping habits, because not too long ago, my shopping cart was also loaded with the same unhealthy foods. I was the person who bought all the Pepsi, the prepackaged meals, and the cakes, cookies and candy. What changed for me? Well, I became ill. Not the kind of illness that most people would expect, like heart disease, diabetes or high cholesterol. I developed a condition called multiple chemical sensitivity as well as various food allergies. I would become very ill after eating any type of food or smelling strong fragrances. Doctors couldn't find out what was wrong, which led me to search for my own answers. Researching my condition taught me all about the unnecessary and potentially dangerous ingredients in many foods that we eat on a daily basis: preservatives, dyes, and other harmful chemicals, just to name a few. These harmful ingredients build up in the body and can cause an array of possibly debilitating ailments. After removing all of the foods containing artificial ingredients from my diet, my body slowly began to heal and I started to feel like myself again.

My experience has taught me that I definitely don't want my kids consuming these types of foods and cause them to possibly develop allergies and sensitivities like I did, or any other condition. It's my responsibility to ensure that my children eat healthy ninety-nine percent of the time. As long as their school continues to serve fattening and unwholesome lunches, then I will continue to prepare preservative-free sandwiches on whole grain bread with raw chopped vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and other nutritious foods. I'm not saying that my children can't ever participate in pizza parties, have McDonalds with friends, or eat some birthday cake every now and then. I don't deprive my children of occasional 'treats,' but because I have taken the time to educate them on the importance of proper nutrition, they usually prefer homemade cheeseburgers with antibiotic-free beef or turkey, with organic toppings and whole grain buns to Burger King or McDonald's. So if and when they do request a McDonald's happy meal or other 'forbidden food,' as long as it's not everyday I will almost always grant their request.

Too many children are developing dangerous and life-threatening diet-related illnesses, that until recently, only adults developed, and it's not merely one person's responsibility to ensure that children eat healthy and get adequate amounts of exercise. It's the responsibility of everyone involved in a child's life: parents, teachers, babysitters, and whoever else has regular contact with the children.