Every day, scientific research is giving more support to the idea that what we put in our mouths matters. If we put in too much fat and cholesterol, we risk early demise from heart disease. If we put in too much fat and possibly animal protein, we risk certain types of cancer. If we put in lots of sugar, we can, among other things, expect our teeth to rot and our gums to recede. If we put in too much salt, we may find our blood pressure sky rocketing. If we put in too many calories, we face obesity with its attendant dangers.
As school board members and parents we have a responsibility for the health and welfare of our children. Childhood and adolescence are the best times to develop good health and prevent disease. Heart disease, cancer, and stroke are the main causes of death in adults. Some major causes are poor diets, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. .
According to the American Heart Association study on cholesterol in kids, 1,500 children between the ages of 11 and 12 were subject to physical education once a week, eating fast food and were overweight. The children were running cholesterol levels of 250/498. Keep in mind below 180 is normal. .
Our children have become increasingly overweight due to fast food instead of a well balanced meal. Children sit in front of the television, play video games, and are on the computer instead of being outside riding bikes etc. Our culture has become accustomed to these bad habits. Parents are weighing convenience over health. All of our children are the outcome; we are only contributing to these diseases.
In order to maintain the health and welfare of our children we need to have some sort of physical activity a minimum of 3 days a week 30-45 minutes. For some children, this may be the only exercise their getting. It is a known fact that regular exercise is the only thing that raises the good cholesterol or HDL (High-Density Lipoproteins).
