I don't know if it is just me looking in the wrong places or it is reality staring at my face. Obesity seems to be growing in this country despite all the diets and slim bodies we see on screen that promote them, constantly. There are more obese than fit people in places like shopping centers, airports or restaurants. And when I share my feeling of hopelessness or dismay, and the sorry state of some of these helpless people, I sometimes forget that the weight/health issue is most often than not related to socio-economic status.
People in poorer neighborhoods are possibly the largest in size. There definitely is a corelation between where they live, education, income levels and also access to healthy foods. The low income groups just go for the fast, cheap, and unhealthy all the way. Is there a way to break out of this state? I think this is where education should step in. But more importantly, this is where parents should play a part and make a difference. If parents are not educated, then what? Children should have the sense to follow good role models. If that fails, there are many other things they can do. Get involved in sports for instance. Move, be more active. It may stimulate their brains to do well in school too. It could get them to reason that it is better to cook and not buy food all the time. This in turn could result in the next right step.
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