You wake up one morning, roll over and stretch as a sliver of pain shoots up your back. You reach for your insulin tester to prick your finger when you notice the Low Cholesterol guide sitting on your bedside table. "How did I get here?" you wonder. "I'm 18, on my own and finally ready to start life, but my body is on the fast track to death."
I've been thinking lately about crimes against kids, and enrolling your child in the Fat Track is up on the list of things that make me mad. Parents have the power to give their kids a head start to being healthy and making good choices about food that will carry through into adulthood. Unfortunately, it's just as easy for them to fill an innocent kid's stomach with poison, i.e. tons of sugar, cholesterol, and fat.
M is tall for her age. She's only 4 but towers at the height of an average 6 year old. Awesome! Hopefully she'll continue to grow and someday get a scholarship to play sports for a great university ;) Unfortunately, she's also heavy. When she came to live with us, she was almost twice the weight she should be. The doctor told us she would like to see M lose over 30 pounds! Yes, 30 pounds... and remember, she's only 4 years old. I don't even know any adults who could muster the discipline to lose that much.
The cause was easy to find. The simple answer by her mom was that she liked to give her whole milk, hot dogs, and french fries despite the doctor's continual warnings. The effects are just sad. We're taking her to the doctor to get tested for diabetes after spotting some physical signs. She's too heavy to lift into our arms, a grocery cart, or swing by her arms on the count of 3 between two adults. The department stores don't make pants that fit, so we have to buy skirts for her. How could this not be considered abuse? ...physical, psychological, social.The good news is that things are improving rapidly for M. She's lost 8 pounds in less than two months just by eating healthy and playing outside just like any normal kid. She makes good choices when considering foods, thanks to a little help from Foster Mom. She eats until she is full at every meal, and even eats a bit more if there's broccoli on her plate :) As the months continue, hopefully her health will steadily increase and she'll be back on the fast track to a long, healthy life.
It hasn't been hard at all for Foster Mom and I to encourage a healthy diet. We get free healthy food from the state, which her mom received as well, but obviously didn't stick to. So what's the reason for her early childhood demise? Is it cultural? Is it a cost issue? Is it lack of nutritional education? What do you think?
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