Our
View: American gluttony detrimental
for all
America’s gluttony is no secret. Over half the population has been deemed
obese. According to the New York Times, the number of obese people living in
America has tripled since 1992, but within the last few years our bad eating
habits and lack of exercise has begun to affect the smallest and most helpless
creatures: children and animals.
Despite the fact that being overweight is extremely dangerous, often resulting
in numerous deadly diseases, many people are imposing their bad food choices
on to their children and, consequentially, many children are suffering from diseases
that could have easily been prevented.
Although children can be very persuasive and charming when it comes time to decide
what is for dinner, ultimately it is the responsibility of the adult to ensure
that their children are provided with nutritious foods that are low in sugar,
sodium, cholesterol and all the other elements that are detrimental to a child’s
health. Giving children excessive amounts of candy, ice cream and fast food can
be deadly and the repercussions can set them up for a lifetime of problems.
Children are not the only ones suffering from overindulgence. Even our domestic
pets are gaining weight at an exponential rate. A common misconception among
many pet owners is allowing your pet an occasional treat from your plate won’t
cause your furry friend serious harm, but feeding your pet from the table rewards
them for behaving badly and will only encourage them to continue to pester you
during meal time.
Animals suffer many of the same complications from obesity that humans do, including
strain on the joints, heart disease, general discomfort and an inability to move.
Although your fat cat or plump pooch may sit and stare while you eat your dinner,
do not be deceived.
Feeding your animals human food will not only result in long term health problems,
but can result in immediate life threatening complications. Most domestic animals
cannot process certain types of human foods properly and can have serious health
problems from it.
Understandably, most parents and pet owners only allow these treats because they
wish to see their companions happy, but overall health and well-being far surpasses
any ephemeral pleasure gained from food. The taste of food only lasts a couple
seconds, but the effects can be harmful for much longer period of time.
Part of being a loving caregiver is withholding harmful substances from those
you love. The easiest way to prevent whining, pleading and other forms of protest
from children is to never introduce them to these foods and disallow fatty foods
in the house.
If love is what you wish to show, be affectionate in other ways. Play with your
pets and your children or take them to the park for a walk. These solutions may
take more time, but they are also much more meaningful.
Obesity is a horrible and unpleasant disease. If restricting your children/pets
from the momentary pleasures of food means that you may be preventing them from
serious suffering down the line, the choice is obvious.
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