Hi friends --
What a week! I've missed blogging, and there are so many things I've wanted to chat about -- like the "O" words. (Not Oprah.)
They are two of the scariest words in the English language: "overweight"... and its cousin "obese."
This week a Harvard University researcher reported that girls who are overweight or obese when they turn 18 are 66% more likely to die early as adults. And since the government adjusted weight charts downward several years ago, many more of us are finding ourselves slipping into those dreaded categories.
The major causes of death were heart disease and cancer. But there's even a higher rate of suicide among those of us who are tipping the scales.
For me, it's personal. Just this week our family doctor warned us we need to exercise more. The federal government recommends an hour a day just to MAINTAIN a healthy weight. Clearly that goes hand in hand with a healthy diet.
"V" blogged about feeling judged as a parent, and I must admit, I've been on both sides of that coin. While I try to shove as many fruits and veggies down my kids throats as possible, I sometimes heed the call of the Happy Meal. In fact, my two-year-old son can't pass a Chick fil A without screaming "nuggets!"
What's ironic:
In doing the teen obesity story, the delightful (and slim) young lady I interviewed said her doctor told her to avoid snacking on sodium-laden Lunchables. So after interviewing her, going across town to interview a doctor, then rushing back to meet an early deadline -- guess what I ended up grabbing for a late lunch? (It was ham and swiss).
I want to eat better. I want to exercise more. But too often desire loses out to convenience.
I need to go back and re-read "Guilt Be Gone."
Then maybe I'll eat a salad and go jogging. :)
"T"
About Me
- Tracie Potts
- I'm your typical minivan-driving, PTA wife and mom of three covering news on Capitol Hill. I've been a broadcast journalist for 18 years, most of it for NBC. I'm very involved in church -Holiness is very important to me. I like staying busy and I love communicating with people - virtually and in person.
1 comment:
This story is a good reminder of the importance of making sure our kids eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. But it's also a reminder that we, as parents, need to set a good example...which can be difficult to do at times.
"T" mentioned not eating the healthiest lunch on the day she covered this story -- and because it's been such a hectic week -- I too have not had the most nutritious meals. In fact, I'm living proof that last week's study about women picking up unhealthy habits when they work late is true! With no time to make and bring lunch, I've been hitting the food court across the street and the candy jar at work...and feeling all the worst for it at the end of day. Not to mention the fact that I'm setting myself back from my goal of reaching my pre-pregnancy weight by the time the baby turns one at the end of September.
So "T" brings up a good point here -- as she does in "Guilt be Gone" -- that we need to take care of OURSELVES. (For me that means thinking twice about what I put in my mouth!) In doing so we'll be better parents...because we'll be setting a better example for our little ones.
News Mom "V"
Post a Comment