This morning I was watching the news, and heard some news that really surprised me. A new study shows that more than 70% of American children have lower levels of Vitamin D than they should have, which increases their chances of heart and bone disease.
The cause, based on the study is poor diet and lack of sunshine.
I never remember hearing things like this when I was a child- Why? Because we couldn’t wait to get home from school, get our homework done and get outside. Even in the sweltering heat of the summer months, we came inside to grab something to drink and/or eat and out we went again. Times have obviously changed.
It saddens me when I think about so many children today who would rather sit at the computer, watch television or play video games instead of spend any time outside, and what saddens me even more than that, is the parents who would rather use these items as a glorified ‘high-tech’ babysitter so they can do whatever it is they do during the day.
There needs to be some sort of balance, a balance that is set by the parents, not the children, since we all know, if given their choice- many (notice I said many and not all) children would prefer to stay inside and ‘do their thing’.
I am concerned that if this trend continues, the amount of overweight children in this country will continue to rise, along with the number of diseases that have started showing up in children.
The cycle can be broken. Are YOU doing all that you can?
I’d love to hear your feelings on this subject.