I am heartened to see that not only Subway is offering healthier menu options, but now other fast food chains have climbed on the bandwagon AND....parents and kids are taking note. In general there seems to have been a shift in food choices: colas, chicken nuggets/strips, French fries and hot dog sales are down, while soup, grilled chicken sandwiches, yogurt, carrots, milk and fruit purchases are up. Interestingly enough, so are the sales of orange and grapefruit soda. Do you really think they are healthier??? Think again. You can now get smaller burgers and apples that look like French fries, reduced sodium chicken tenders, calcium fortified apple juice and fat-free chocolate milk at Burger King. Mcdonalds offers yogurt and apples and Wendy's kids meals now have mandarin oranges. It's a start, but obviously parents need to help their kids to find and embrace these healthier choices and portion sizes. It does seem that fast food corporations are getting the message that we need to offer these food shifts. The choice is up to us.
Though there are raging epidemics of obesity and diabetes among kids, on a larger evaluation scale, parents seem to be "doing right" healthwise, by their kids. Specifically we are choosing to breastfeed way more than moms did in the late 80's; SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) statistics are down when compared to this time in 2004; we are still doing well when it comes to kid vaccinations, especially against chicken pox; more pregnant women are taking folic acid, and significantly less married-pregnant women are smoking when compared to statistics in 2005. We still need to work on lifestyle related issues and conditions like obesity/diabetes.
Albert Lea, a town of 18,000 has accepted the challenge and help from Vitality Project, a new organization that involves the AARP and a National Geographic explorer/documentary producer. The goal? To use his latest documentary findings - habits of communities that embrace health and enjoy longevity - and implement them in a US city. In this case, Albert Lea, MN, is the first recipient of the Vitality Project organizers, who arrived one month ago, to help implement healthier habits. There is already a virtual schoolbus, groups of kids who walk to school with seniors and their parents, better food offerings at truck stops (smaller portion, healthier choices), a shift in the community to eating more produce, empasizing physical activity and social activities, and a community generally coming together to find purpose and meaning in their lives. City officials are encouraged to fund more bike paths, garden plots and farmer's markets; citizens are encouraged to form walking and biking clubs; school and business cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants are asked to revamp their food choices; motivational seminars round out the new regimen. The big question? Once the Vitality Project organizers leave, can the town sustain the changes.
Finally, the champion of healthy eating, MeMe Roth has stuck her controversial and big mouth into the school scene again, and the subject is cupcakes and birthday celebrations at school. Let's face it - if you add up all the "celebratory foods" your kids are exposed to - it's way (or weigh) too much!! Do the math - 30 kids in school means 30 "parties - then you go to the "outside school" parties, then the holiday school and outside holiday school parties and graduation and anniversary and "summer has come" and "I got 100 on my test" and "it's a special weekend" and "I fell down" and "my friend made fun of me" celebrations (with treats)....face it parents - the kids are getting way too many "happy/sad/celebratory "treats, and frankly, you are defining celebration (and emotional therapy) as only possible if treats are present. So why not compromise with one celebration a month in school to cover all the birthdays in that month (it will also help parents to pool the costs in these trying times)? And why not start celebrating and treating highs and lows with something other than food (some of the time)? As for MeMe, me-thinks she needs to continue her battle with a bit more grace and a bit less attitude. Let's get the job done withsome reasonable and elegant discussion. I'll throw in brownies made with....prune puree.
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