I've been having this ongoing conversation with my brother-in-law about personal responsibility. I was reminded of a quick trip I took earlier this month to Anaheim to attend the Natural Products Expo West show. On my van ride from the airport to my crappy hotel, the driver, a non-native born who had just become an American citizen was in such good spirits, made a comment about how much he loves this country and how fortunate we are to have 24 hour McDonald's. However, the down side of that, he said, was that these restaurants are making our kids fat.
Tired after my cross country flight, I piped up with McDonald's isn't making our kids fat. Parents are making their kids fat by allowing them to eat greasy goodness far more than the kids' limited amount of exercise allows for. In my sleepy stupor, the truth was out.
Along the same lines I watched an episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution TV show. While I applaud his efforts to bring nutrition back to school breakfasts and lunches in the U.S. I think he's missing the boat. Why is a celebre-chef, from England no less, taking up the cause to transform our kids' school eating Habitats?
Since when is it too hard to turn the TV off at night, put our kids to bed and get them up in the morning to a bowl of cereal? I'm not even talking bacon and eggs!
So to the current and future parents (like myself) I say, let's exert a little personal responsibility for our charges.
