by Emily Blake

Created on: February 20, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

It used to be that when I thought of children, parks full of smiling faces would come to mind. I saw kids who ran and played and when it was time to come home yelled, "Just ten more minutes!" I remember being made to eat (or spend long times at the dinner table staring at) unidentified green things that my parents called vegetables. The food on my dinner plate would dwindle down to just a pile of spinach or peas and I'd spread them out across my plate, so that it would look like I ate at least a bite or two. Childhood was all about playing hard and coming home to a plate full of homecooked food. Nowadays, the picture of childhood has morphed into something I can't even identify with anymore.

So, what do I see now? I see Playstation 87 and McDonalds Happy Meals. I see empty parks with empty swings. Kids who are more familiar with controllers then with a teeter totter. Is this really the world we live in now? Our children lack social skills because they are glued to the television and they don't fit into childrens' sizes because they are on a steady diet of grease. When I look around at kids I can't help but feel this sinking feeling in my stomach. Here is our youth, the future of the world and it looks like they could outweigh most of their parents.
Obesity used to be a rarity in children. There was the one or two "fat" kids in school, everyone would make fun of, and they were this miniscule minority. Just try and look around at kids now and not see a reversal. Little girl bellies poke out from the tops of inappropriate low-rise jeans and little boys have the making of linemen by the time they are old enough to sit, without phone book, at the kitchen table. Our children are sick. They are being poisoned by this lifestyle of inactivity and over feeding. Their bodies are at risk right along with their self esteem.
I know one little girl in particular that I feel for very much. She is my step daughter. About 4 days of the month, her activity and diet are in my hands and I feel helpless. What can I do to make a change when all I get is 4 days of the month? At home she gets a regular meal plan of pizza, McDonalds, and ice cream. The idea of having these foods all the time might sound like a dream to children. But the reality leads to an outcome that kids cannot comprehend. The cause and effect in their minds isn't developed, which is why parents need to be there to regulate "garbage food" intake. My heart breaks when these big wide eyes look up at me and say, "I

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