Give ‘em a Healthy Start
|
|
Loyal readers of Clearly New Mexico know that discussions of the broken American health care system are nothing new to this blog. (See this, this and this.)
Usually, we give the insurance industry no quarter in our forum, and with good reason. They are not in the business of health care. They are in the business of managing coverage and making a profit.
The insurance industry aside, there is an incredibly pressing topic that should be as much a part of the health care reform debate as figuring out a way to cover the uninsured. I am referring to the American epidemic of childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity has become a pervasive concern, due in large part to the soaring rates of obese children, particularly in the past twenty years. Add to this the analysis suggesting life expectancy rates will likely decrease in coming decades, and there is more than enough cause for concern.
So, what can be done to reverse the trend?
Much to the chagrin of the President Bush, talking about "personal responsibility" and hoping for the best will not reverse the trend.
Full funding for physical education programs (which the Bush administration recently cut), eradicating junk food vending machines from schools and giving kids a chance to spend more time engaging in outdoor activities are viable solutions. Giving low-income parents and guardians more opportunities to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables would also begin to address the problem.
But, an even simpler solution exists. Namely, we should ensure that each week, every child in schools across New Mexico has at lease two pieces of fresh produce in their lunch. This is not a novel idea (see here and here.) For roughly 70 cents per New Mexican, per year, we can make this first, easy step toward combating childhood obesity a reality in our state.
Isn't that a bargain price to help ensure our kids get a healthy start by building good eating habits?
Usually, we give the insurance industry no quarter in our forum, and with good reason. They are not in the business of health care. They are in the business of managing coverage and making a profit.
The insurance industry aside, there is an incredibly pressing topic that should be as much a part of the health care reform debate as figuring out a way to cover the uninsured. I am referring to the American epidemic of childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity has become a pervasive concern, due in large part to the soaring rates of obese children, particularly in the past twenty years. Add to this the analysis suggesting life expectancy rates will likely decrease in coming decades, and there is more than enough cause for concern.
So, what can be done to reverse the trend?
Much to the chagrin of the President Bush, talking about "personal responsibility" and hoping for the best will not reverse the trend.
Full funding for physical education programs (which the Bush administration recently cut), eradicating junk food vending machines from schools and giving kids a chance to spend more time engaging in outdoor activities are viable solutions. Giving low-income parents and guardians more opportunities to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables would also begin to address the problem.
But, an even simpler solution exists. Namely, we should ensure that each week, every child in schools across New Mexico has at lease two pieces of fresh produce in their lunch. This is not a novel idea (see here and here.) For roughly 70 cents per New Mexican, per year, we can make this first, easy step toward combating childhood obesity a reality in our state.
Isn't that a bargain price to help ensure our kids get a healthy start by building good eating habits?
