Reap what you eat

Lately FCC is scrutinizing the ads that are aired on television with the sole purpose of finding out how the ads related to marketing junk foods affects obesity amongst youngsters. As a result of this, there are debates amongst many of us who say that if the parents are strict about what they buy then the kids don’t get obese and that FCC should mainly focus on teens because they have the capability of going to the store and buying things for themselves. Kids who are dependent on parents and guardians to buy things for them will have no choice but to listen to what they say or decide in terms of what is to be bought and that would be the solution to obesity problem. But what happens to the parents when the kids behave badly in the stores or throw temper tantrums in aisles of the stores to get what they want?

I have seen many kids (including Yash) at stores who want to buy candies or toys that they had seen on an ad on T.V. Toys are a different issue but candies, sweets, junk food are what cause the obesity problem. When kids misbehave on aisles for the want of candies or sweets or junk food, ignore them or try to divert their attention to something else or put the things in the cart for the time being and when they are not paying attention, take it out of the cart. During checkout or later on at home when they ask for it, you say that it must have fallen out of the cart and since you are at home by then, you can give a good lecture on their behavior at the store. At least, that is what I do. I am sure kids will become smart about this incident after a couple of times and they will come up with their own ideas. We as a parent should also be in par with them and come up with our own inventions. As they grow, they will understand and start behaving as well.

But this blog was not to talk about obesity or parent’s reaction to children’s tantrums. The result of junk food and sweets are just not obesity but also tooth decay. Recent studies have shown that tooth decay is on the rise amongst kids. Kids very rarely do a good job on brushing their teeth and keeping it clean. Nowadays product like AGENT COOL BLUE™ Plaque-Detecting Rinse helps kids in showing were the plague deposits are. It still comes down to the kids brushing it properly and keeping it clean. There are different types of brushes and devices that are motorized, designed to reach the unreachable niche of teeth. Even with all that is available the problem just seems to increase. I can only relate this increase to kids eating sweets and drinking juices and sodas, whereas they should be eating natural fruits and vegetables and drinking plenty of water.

If good nutrition is not followed, it not only affects their body but also their teeth. So we have kids who are obese and rotting teeth. Parents need a lot of patience to inculcate good habits in their kids, like brushing teeth as often as required. I try to follow it and also force this on Yash. I would rather do this, rather then having to take him to dentist and spend my earnings on fixing his teeth. Don’t forget “What you sow is what you reap” or in other words what you eat is what you are!