A frightening study was just release in The New England Journal of Medicine about the state of our children’s health. Diabetes is in the rise and is strangling the life out of our children. A startling 3600 young people per year are newly diagnosed. Why is this so unnerving? Because as recently as 1990, the disease was rare. And the answer is simple: we are a nation of obsessive consumers of food. We need to remember: diabetes kills people. This is war.
Before I make any parent feel too guilty, let me say that we, like our children have become the victims of insanely aggressive marketing. Everywhere we turn, food ads appear. And when they do, we salivate. We’re only human. Marketers are manipulative and the problem is, manipulation works. Make something look delicious and we will take a bite. Marketing works with food, violence and sex. We all know what’s happening. Muffins have been injected with steroids, the ¼ pounder is now a ¾ pounder and we feel as though we’ve lost the battle- either with ourselves, or with our children.
Personally, I think it’s too much to have to choose between fifteen types of potato chips, so I skip it altogether. And varieties of pantyhose? Don’t get me started. I felt liberated the day that my 28 year old daughter told me that they were out of style. Praise God. One less decision to make.