When I encounter a morbidly obese child, the first question that comes to my mind is, ‘Who is responsible for this?’
In most cases, the answer is obvious.
My wife and I were looking for something to do one hot August afternoon, so we packed up our five-month-old son and headed down to Discovery Canyon just north of the city. For those unfamiliar, Discovery Canyon is a small water park where kids can ride inflatable tubes down a short man-made stream or play in a rocky pool of slow-flowing water.
We found a shady spot and began chatting, playing with our baby and people watching. Observing the crowd, I quickly registered a troubling theme — more than half the kids present were seriously overweight.
As if reading my thoughts, my wife leaned over and whispered, “Are you noticing how many chubby kids there are?”
Everywhere you looked, there were kids between five and 12 years old sporting bouncing bellies and chubby cheeks — and I’m not talking about the kind of excess you can reasonably blame on baby fat.
Feeling a mix of pity and anger, I watched one particularly overweight kid try to wiggle himself into a terribly undersized inner tube as thinner kids pushed past him on their way down the stream. No more than eight years old, the boy struggled in vain for several minutes before eventually giving up and letting the riderless tube float away.
“That poor guy is in for a tough life,” I said quietly, wondering how such a young kid could possibly become so large.
We watched as the boy trudged back to a nearby picnic table, where his parents — also badly overweight — were feasting on a big pile of fried chicken.
Mystery solved.
Now I am not a nutrition expert by any stretch and I’m sure my own eating habits could stand to improve. However, I do understand a few basic concepts — like the fact that poor eating and a sedentary lifestyle will result in serious health problems, no matter how old you are.
As kids, my siblings and I were granted treats every now and then — candy, ice cream, pop, chocolate bars — all those high-sugar goodies that little kids constantly crave. But my parents never allowed any of those things in excess.
I have memories of us weeding the garden for hours on the promise we’d get to share a can of pop or a Mr. Freezie when the job was done. The treats were always placed somewhere high up and we were forbidden from taking anything without permission.
These days, too many kids are given free rein of the junk-food shelf and the results are plain to see.
Canada’s Childhood Obesity Foundation estimates that child obesity rates have tripled in the last 25 years and about 26 per cent of Canadian kids between two and 17 years old are overweight.
Looking around Red Deer, I would’ve guessed that percentage to be far higher.
It’s a harsh reality but being overweight closes a lot of doors for young people. When was the last time you saw a flabby astronaut or a morbidly obese police officer?
And let’s not overlook all the social stigmas that come along with childhood obesity. Fat kids get judged, bullied and teased — it’s a cruel but real fact of life.
More important are the physical consequences that accompany unhealthy eating and obesity like Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, respiratory problems and a shortened life expectancy.
All that fat is weighing heavy on our health-care system. Direct and indirect costs associated with obesity are estimated at nearly $4.5 billion per year.
It’s heartbreaking to see small children fall victim to obesity because of the negligence and ignorance of their parents.
Healthier options are always available for those willing to take a little initiative and educate themselves. Take some time, do a little Internet research and make sure your kids get in a some physical activity on a daily basis.
Moms and dads, if you can’t find the discipline or willpower to live healthier for your own sake, I beg of you, do it for your children.
Leo Pare is the Advocate’s online editor.