Our Children, Our Future: Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

By: Ebony L. McCline

As of late, many thoughts have been flowing through this brain of mine but one seems to bother me the most. As a person that has many family members who aren’t “skinny,” weight and healthy food choices are always a part of some conversation when we all get together. I look at the youngest children in my family and all I can think about is where did we go wrong?

I look at my younger cousins and I see the food choices they make on the regular: pop over juice, juice over water, chips over carrots, and candy over fruit. Although it’s rather disturbing to me, I’m at odds with myself when trying to decide if depriving them of these items is a great idea. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know right from wrong, but is it fair for me to say that they can’t have chips when I practically lived off chips when I was their age? Not to mention, I took multiple trips to the corner store as a child and none of my purchases consisted of water, carrots, fruit, or even juice for that matter.

I like to think that part of being a child is being able to eat whatever you want. We’re told that our metabolism is fast, our “baby teeth” will fall out and that it’s just “baby fat” that won’t follow us into adulthood. However, this notion is seeming more like a myth these days. In fact, I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad when I saw a little girl on the treadmill in the gym yesterday.

Times have definitely changed and today, we’re seeing more overweight children and many celebrities, activists, and politicians who are supporting initiatives for children to live healthier lifestyles. However, in the meantime, as parents, family members, and someone that these children interact with on a regular basis, maybe it’s time to take matters into our own hands.