The prevalence of HBP (High Blood Pressure) and pre-HBP in children and adolescents showed a downward trend between 1963 and the 1988-1994 survey. But the trend began to reverse through 2002. For example, the prevalence of high blood pressure in all children and adolescents decreased from 11.1 percent in the 1976-1980 (Black and white) and 4.7 percent in 1982-1984 survey (first national survey for Mexican-American youth) to 2.7 percent in the 1988-1994 survey (all children), but rose to 3.7 percent in the 1999-2002 survey (all children).Pre-HBP is a reliable predictor of early organ damage, thickening of the heart walls, and lesions in the aorta.
Just another reminder than the health care solution is in our pantries, cafeterias, and lunch boxes, not in political solutions to treat a nation that lives a lifestyle prone to sickness. We cannot simply treat the symptoms; we must treat the illnesses of apathy and convenience on the front end. Namely, how we eat, sleep, and exercise.
2 comments:
As I eat my buttered popcorn, drink my Dr. Pepper and prepare to devour my lunch Snickers, I wonder, what's his point?
Along these same lines, have you ever been to Sav-A-Lot or another discount grocery store? What kind of foods do they primarily stock?
All the flavored sodas you can shake a stick at (and the little barrels of kool-aid like drinks.)
All manner of cookies and snack cakes. Lots of chips, frozen pizzas, chuckwagon patties, popcorn chicken bites, etc, etc, etc.
What message are we sending with that? It's no wonder why the poorer kids tend to be the most obese. Apathy of their parents has a LOT to do with it, but our culture and society does nothing to discourage it.
And I will also say that physical education classes need to be more "school like." They don't need to be tri-weekly playtimes. They should be physical training periods with focuses on cardio-vascular fitness and nutritional education.
(I am eating buttered popcorn, but it's light and the rest of that was made-up)
All of the trash cereals are on the lower shelves. Ever wonder why? Eye level for munchkins.
Candy bars are at kiddo eye level at the checkout.
Historically, fast food commercials have been aimed at 7-yr-olds.
But, I guess rampant obesity, shorter life expectancy, and chronic illness is a small price to pay to preserve our "free" economy.
We raise our kids in this culture, then shout "personal responsibility" when they are 18 and head off to college with free access to all-you-can-eat buffets and scores of FF chains in their food court.
It's like telling Pavlov's dogs to just ignore the bell and stop salivating.
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