With the media coverage of the Swine Flu illness that has been seen in addition to the normal seasonal flu, and found to be present in the deaths of several children in this country and around the world, I found it necessary to further educate myself on the condition of the people who were found to be most susceptible to the sickness; to the point of death.
After searching around for statistics on the internet to see what was available, I was able to find a medical research paper on the flu, its victims, and their conditions prior to becoming sick with the swine flu. Majority of the children had been suffering with very serious conditions that clearly weakened their immune system and obviously effected their ability to fight the bug. I was surprised to see that one of the conditions listed on the sheet as pre-existing, and an obvious factor in the body's ability to effectively fight off the illness, was obesity. OBESITY! A completely preventable "disease"! And this got me thinking, "God, we must do a better job at raising our children in the way they should go; taking care of their bodies, and treating them with the same love and respect that You show us in your design and creation!" But, I praise our Lord who has given us a path to follow to help rear our children and protect them with the knowledge of healthy living that they may be girded with the best chance for physical success. Thank you Lord that there are some areas we can "control" with the wisdom and knowledge that You have provided for us to use in our lives.
Although this topic is pressing at this time, because of it being the season for sickness, the information is valuable all throughout the year. First of all, we as parents, are the teachers our children will learn from the most, whether or not they are in school out of the house. We have been sanctioned, by God, to teach them "the way they should go", (Proverbs 22:6); not teachers, not principles, not bus drivers, pastors, youth leaders, etc. Us! Deuteronomy 6:7 says, "Impress [God's commands] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." So, to me, this looks like let your lifestyle be a teaching tool. This is not a subtle request; it is a mandate, one about which I am sure God is very serious. So, when we are regularly taking our children to McDonald's for fried foods, Burger King for a milk shake, or indulging them with their pleas for "more" candy, dessert, etc. or allowing excess tv watching and not enough active play time, whether indoors or out, we are preparing them for an adulthood of the same habits. I know there is not a parent alive that wants to prepare their child for weight struggles, but this kind of habitual and regularly malnourished food and lack of health activity will lead to just such an adult existence. I'm not talking about the "once-in-a-whilers" either, because even complete refraining from things such as fast food or a fun movie-going experience can have backwards effects on the mind of a child, especially if the "why" of refraining is not explained as the intellect of a child increases. Complete denial of these things is not the answer either.
The goal is to find the healthy balance. "Do not swerve to the left or to the right; keep your foot from evil," Proverbs 4:27. We must learn to develop nutritious meals that we enjoy as a family, so that we can teach our children the benefits and the enjoyment that can be gained in eating the wonderfully delicious foods God Himself created! We can also enjoy the occasional treat to the candy store, or ice cream shop, knowing that it is a treat, and not something that should be put into our bodies on a routine basis. What is the point of a decadent chocolate cheesecake if you cannot enjoy it since you eat it all the time? It is awesome to teach our children how to enjoy the things that we can enjoy once in a while; what a valuable lesson that is in life.
In addition to nutrition, we can all, both adults and children alike, benefit from adding activity into our lives. I must admit, I definitely understand the difficulty of this as a family in today's indoor and high-tech lifestyles, but a return to traditional enjoyment can still benefit us today. Family bike rides, walks, trips to the playground, games of tag, and other fun activities are a lively way to increase the pulse and get loads of laughs. We do not just need to teach our children that activity means doing 1000 sit-ups or climbing a Stairmaster for an hour. I do not know many children that would jump for joy at the thought of sharing in such an activity (nor do I know many adults who would....) Other great ways to increase activity, and build up the family togetherness, is through a common labor project outdoors, such as gardening, painting, building something, etc. I envy the farmers of the field, who so easily have a valuable teaching tool at their disposal each and every day.
But, it is not too late to increase the knowledge and wisdom of our children, so that they too can grow to be health conscious and life loving adults when their childhood is behind them. I most definitely believe that we all as mothers will look on with much joy knowing that the lifestyles that we worked so hard to develop within ourselves did not ring back empty, but nurtured fertile soil which sprouted into trees bearing fruit. What a great day when it will be said, "May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice!" Proverbs 23:25. Now, that is a reason to eat-in.
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