Obesity: a growing concern
We never expected obesity to become such a problem amongst Canadian children.
Studies have shown that child obesity has tripled in the last 20 years. In addition, studies show that 25 per cent of 9 year olds and 50 per cent of 14 year olds in Quebec are at risk of developing heart disease later in life. Who would have thought that young children as well as adolescents would have to deal with diabetes type 2, high blood pressure and heart related conditions? The fact that we have become a fast food nation has a lot to do with early childhood obesity in Canada.
With two working parents per household having become a common scenario, drive thru has become a fast and efficient option for many. Parents find themselves rushing to pick up their children from daycares following an exhausting and consuming day at work. Finally, children spend their remaining hours of the night hooked to the TV, snacking on their favourite potato chips or cookies. Does this sound familiar?
Children are consuming more food energy than they need for their day to day activities. The quantity is not necessarily the only concern, but also the quality of what is going into their mouths on a daily basis. All the favourite fast food chains contain foods that attract children through the use of gifts, cartoon representatives and through the vibrant colours and environments they provide. But what is really being masked, are the high amounts of saturated fats, sodium, trans fats, sugar and subsequently calories poisoning these young boys and girls. Clogged arteries, hypertension and cholesterol may become of concern to these children, sometime in their late teens and early 20s as opposed to later adulthood.
Even in our time consuming society, a sure investment is in your child's health. Taking the time to prepare nutritious meals and healthy snacks will help your child and the rest of your family learn healthy habits for a lifetime, even if it's on the weekend as a start. It can be turned into a family activity, i.e. using colourful vegetables, while being creative.
A good starting point would be to focus on the four main food groups; whole grain products, fruits and vegetables, lower fat milk products and meat and alternatives. According to the Canada's food guide, children benefit from 60-90 min of physical activity per day. Children should be encouraged to expend energy, whether it being through play, sports or even through chores. We must shift our children's habits today, but not drastically. Moderation is promoted.
Tip: Speak to your children's physician, ask him/her to keep track of their weight and height chart. It is important to keep an eye open to how your child is growing, ie. excess fat growth around the middle area and in other areas may be an indication that your child is at risk. There is a genetic component to obesity that also needs to be taken into consideration.
- Christina Ferreira is a nutritionist who leads a series of community kitchens in the West Island as part of the Bread Basket Project Lac St. Louis. For more information, call West Island Citizen Advocacy at 514-694-5850.
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Steven Guilbeault - Environment Column
Richard Cléroux - National Columnist
Kevin Mulvina
Comment online since January 31st 2008Few realize the economic impact of UN fear mongering campaigns, are at the root of the so called Health care crisis. Which appeared throughout the G8 countries with almost all of the causes connected to the Rio Conference driving policies. Ecologists Health scare and economic policies to fund UN demands are all taking away 100s of Billions from infrastructure in amounts beyond the "reasonable" perspective of what those economies should be able to afford. All the scares are applied multifaceted in an apparent goal of global depression.
If you look at the numbers the healthcare crisis like so many other issues, are all demanding immediate action and no other solutions are available otherwise the Government in opposition to their dictation are deniers or responsible for increasing the calamity.
In Canada we spend 2.5 Billion actually treating patients who are all standing in line waiting for those treatments, yet we can afford the recommendations of the RIO summit and can afford to invest 10s of billions over the next 30 years dedicated to such things as cancer management at the CCS or Global warming strategies and the creation enormous bureaucracy of Public health agencies being created as a result of nothing more than fear, which of course requires a public information ministry be set up in every province to regurgitate the exaggerated fears. On average with 2 hundred million dollar budgets allotted to healthscare media purchases in the 5 wealthier Provinces, which augments over a Billion dollars already being spent in the Health related ministries at the federal level. Anti smoker campaigns alone cost well over 2 billion dollars already with commitments to future expenditures at close to a Billion dollars already and lobby groups screaming for more.
If we took the funds being used to scare people, [fear likely making many more of them sick requiring treatments, for stress and depression] and put those funds to use in real hands on patient care; there would not be a health crisis.
The crisis as with the other major policy domination strategies, is artificial. creating more fear to allow more government intrusion, with the public blessing. A public continually being driven to less humane options.