teen obesity in 'our' local town..i think

Its lunchtime and the high school students are out for their 35 minute lunch break, where do they go? The local hot spots for lunch serve pizza that’s dripping of grease or fattening hamburgers and fries that are just the same as eating the pizza. Many kids start an early habit of grabbing a snack on the go and it only progresses as we get older.

A random survey done by Memorial high school students concluded that almost half of the students eat fast food more than six times a week due to schedules and preferences. More than a handful of teens claim to have never sat down as a family and eaten a home cooked meal due to the schedule conflicts, forcing them to eat something on the go. Is the easily accessible fast food and other negative eating habits becoming a common dinner time meal?

In the Memorial High school cafeteria a variety of healthy and unhealthy foods are served during school. The vending machines make it easy to get a snack on the go; anything from a chocolate bar to a salad makes the decision your own. The choice lies in the students’ hand. Scarcely anymore people have been choosing the salad. Olivia Schoen, senior at MHS, says she always chooses the healthier item. Olivia stated, “Teen obesity is a frightening and an unavoidable truth. The statistics are shocking and something needs to be done.” Many students are very unhappy with the meal selections we have to choose from in St. Marys and do nothing about it. The school has taken out the soda machines and replaced them with fruit flavored water, only one pop machine remains in the Memorial hallways.

Teens have been reading magazines and watching television only to see the skinny models and rail thin actresses that people adore so much. Does this effect what kids choose to eat in St. Marys? Steph Watt, a Senior at MHS, said, “I usually look at what’s good for me and what’s bad for me, but I don’t really care. I think people will agree with me on saying that a salad doesn’t always sound that appetizing.” Watt’s family tries to set at the dinner table and eat a decent meal together at least a couple nights a week. After conversing with other students on the topic there are many families that know they have bad eating habits and attempt making a healthy home cooked meal almost each night. When speaking to Chet Knous,1992 graduate of MHS, he told me that they never ate out like kids do now. He shared a story of going out for pizza only on special occasions with his 2 other siblings. They would share 1 bottle of soda amongst each other. When he was young eating out or ordering pizza was a family celebrating some good news or weekend entertainment. At the present time kids grab pop all day long just to quench their thirst and eating out is not a special occasion, but a daily habit.

How do we fight the ongoing problems of child obesity or kid’s that are on a diet that never ends? I feel that the pressure of todays fast pace world and everyone wanting things now have changed the family sit down meals and the rapid growing fast food chains are on the rise. Whether it is your need to look beautiful or you just don’t have the time to sit down with your family to eat a healthy meal whatever the case may be, in these times not only will child obesity, diabetes, dangerous dieting, and other health concerns will be on the rise. We need to be aware of the problem right here in our own small town that not only affect us, but youth everywhere.