We are, of course, cutting it a little close on the movie time, because Emily has to apply full makeup before she can possibly appear at the mall...but we got there, no problem, and started making our way through the throngs of people to the theater downstairs. Of course, we immediately get behind a group of people doing what I call The Oklahoma Shuffle.
This is a large group, both in number and in size, that spans the entire length of the mall corridor and shuffles along at a snail's pace, oblivious. There may or may not be a Fat Person on a Scooter in this group...and there is frequently a guy in a wife-beater among them, as well as a number of children who seem to be generally unsupervised, in spite of their relatively close proximity to their parents.
When not wandering aimlessly, you may find this group at a table in the food court with a super-sized Value Meal. Or, like the family in front of me in line at the movie concession...who ordered two pepperoni pizzas, an order of nachos, 3 hot dogs, a large popcorn, and 3 DIET COKES. Meanwhile, I'm missing half the f***ing movie waiting to order the medium popcorn that the girls and I share, an iced tea, and two bottled waters. (Occasionally, I add a bag of Skittles for us to split.)
It would be one thing if they were only feeding themselves this junk, or if it really WAS an occasional treat...but we live in a state where 25% of the children are overweight or obese, along with one in three adults. I'm not perfect...I've struggled from time to time with the scale, and I'm sure I will again. I really believe that healthy comes in a variety of sizes...the girl in size 12 or 14 jeans may actually be in better shape than the girl in a 2. But I've yet to meet anyone in a 26W that was the picture of health...I haven't met a kid or adult who couldn't remember the last time an actual fresh fruit or vegetable passed their lips who was in awesome shape. I've never come across someone whose diet consists primarily of convenience foods (all processed, all the time!) that didn't struggle with weight and/or health issues. And yet, these are all too often the people I hear complaining about their issues....their weight...their joint problems...their kid's ADHD...their diabetes...and my favorite, how much all of those meds cost them every month.
If I didn't come into contact with them every day...if I didn't write a healthy family column for a parenting magazine...maybe it wouldn't annoy me so much. I do a good job of remaining politically correct for my jobs. But why is it so hard for people to use a little common sense when they feed their children? Include all the food groups, in reasonable proportions...put a little color on their plates...give them fresh fruits and vegetables, and do it EVERY day...and maybe set a good example. It's your JOB. Don't obsess, no one has to be perfect...but make dessert an actual TREAT, not a regular occurrence. Don't take no for an answer. Don't let them become those people who think every single thing they eat has to be something they LOVE, or who go to a friend's house for dinner and don't eat anything, because it isn't frozen pizza or macaroni and cheese. And for the love of God, do NOT turn around and feel sorry for my kids because they make an effort to eat something green every time they sit down, even if it's just to make me happy. Because you know what? Eventually, they'll do it on their own...don't feel bad for them because they don't gey dessert every day, or because there aren't hot dogs and lunchables in our fridge. I promise you, they're okay. They OCCASIONALLY get junk food, too. It just really IS occasional.
I joke about stereotypes, but I understand them. Sometimes, they're honest. I was the 185-lb 12-year-old who was never told "no" and had no idea how to eat healthy. That was back when it was a whole lot less common to be overweight at such a young age, and people genuinely WEREN'T as educated about healthy eating. It was a fairly shitty existence, though. I watched my parents yo-yo from one fad diet to the next, and I existed on large portions and processed food. I've never again weighed as much as I did then, and I knew I wanted different for my kids, so I've done my best. They're healthy, they're smart, and they're well-behaved. Do me a favor, and don't see them as deprived. And maybe speed up, or at least get out of the way so we can get to our movie on time? Thanks...
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