After decades of success in modern medicine, why is mortality growing in 2016? Unfortunately, today's parents can expect to live longer than their children, a sad commentary on today's lifestyle. The bottom line ... the obesity epidemic among American children reduces their life expectancy, causing death in the wrong direction.
The first lady of America was engaged in the fight against obesity in schools of America. Of course, public school officials must remove access to sweet, high-calorie beverages from our national canteens. However, our children spend less than 20 percent of their time in classes. What is the use of this when a child cannot drink high-calorie drinks at school when there is a lot of sugar in their home refrigerator?
Recently, I heard someone ask, “What is the most important thing we can teach our children?” The answer was to teach our children what to do when they leave us. In other words, prepare them for life, “I was always aware of responsibility, which I perceived as a role model.
Today, since this is an article about obesity and mortality, I pray for the parents of young children. A national focus that stimulates healthier diets in public schools has taken a stand on the obesity crisis in America. Indeed, inaction on this issue will have initial results, including the life expectancy for members of our new generation from two to five years lower than the previous generation, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Think about it for a moment - with all the medical advances that our society has produced; children of this generation will have a lower life expectancy than their parents. The furious criminal, in my opinion, is fast food (I have never seen a child refuse French fry), video games and other screen activities that interfere with physical activity.
And when we hear about the high prevalence of obesity, we are reminded of the current epidemic of diabetes. In the US, diabetes affects tens of millions of Americans, costs about 174 billion dollars a year and is the sixth largest cause of death in the United States. And studies show that the greatest risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is overweight, which is characteristic of 85% of diabetics. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, nine out of ten cases of type 2 diabetes can precede exercise, healthy diets, smoking cessation and other healthy behaviors. Even moderate weight loss has been found to help people with diabetes achieve and maintain control of their blood glucose levels and live healthier, longer, and more active lives.
Complications of diabetes, as reported by the Diabetes Foundation, are legion. In my opinion, the most disturbing is that diabetics are 65 percent more likely than their peers to develop Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the high proportions of people with diabetes cause damage to their nervous systems, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and worse feeling in the legs or arms. And people with diabetes are two to four times more likely than others to develop heart disease and six times more likely to suffer from a stroke. Not unexpectedly, people with diabetes live an average of six years less than their non-diabetic peers. All this from a condition that can most often be prevented by reducing the consumption of sugar, carbohydrates and processed foods so common in the American diet.
At the same time, parents of young children in the United States must fully recognize and understand the health risks that their children face today and in subsequent years. They face the problem of overweight and increased chances of becoming a diabetic child. Today, a young diabetic will face a 65% risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in recent years. Moreover, diabetic life is six years less than non-diabetic. Children with diabetes have a much greater health imbalance than people with disabilities.
The message is very loud and clear. But you need to hear, understand, accept and act! The key to good parenting begins with love for our children, but we have to take it one step further. We need to start by accepting that we control how long our children will live. We hold our mortality in the palm of your hand. When we pacify them with french fries and sweet drinks, WE GUARANTEE to shorten their lifespan. They will die too soon and long after we leave. Is this the nationality you want to leave with your children? I hope not.
Copyright 2016
Allan Checkoway, RHU
