biggest issue facing youth in Canada

[Guest lots of thinking]

I'm not sure if this has been brought up yet :smokin

but here goes

I heard that this question was asked last year at UofM

 

"what do you think is the biggest issue facing youth in Canada today"

 

At first I was thinking along the lines of poverty and education, but then I totally changed my line of thinking and was thinking about techology and how it is changing the way kids are growing up today. I realize that this doesn't effect all the kids in the country but I think its a big one....

what do others think??????????????????

M

[Guest MayFlower1]

I would have to say obesity. Youth is much less active today...spend far greater amounts of time at the computer and watching television. Parents of youth are very often both working...no time to cook balanced meals.

 

My two cents.

 

Peter

[Guest macdaddyeh]

I would agree with Peter re. fat kids. As a vegetarian, I'm apalled in general with the disgusting propensity among children to eat filth and garbage (forget the candy at the store, I'm talking about what parents feed them or what fast food they buy for themselves from p/t work savings). Has anyone been to the US lately. Just cross the Canadian border at any point in Ontario and the cultural differences are instantly visible (particularly weight issues).

 

Now, Peter you also brought up another issue which works congruently with this one; parentless kids! Kids coming home to no parents or one parent or essentially raising themselves and their siblings is also of increasing concern!

[Guest MayFlower1]

Macdaddyeh,

 

You are so right. Interestingly, as a single dad of two girls, I know how difficult it is to manage time and consistently manage time to ensure I interact with the kids. At the end of a gruelling work day...after cooking breakfast. and cleaning up afterwards..getting the kids off to school...cooking supper...cleaning up after...helping with supper...cleaning the house...I just want to collapse! It would be SO much easier to go to the golden arches and purchase a few leather burgs...plop in a DVD for the kids and have them "self entertain"...but...I want my kids to grow up with a strong sense of family...have good nutritional habits (god knows they don't get that from school or their friends!)...so they can have the best odds of growing up healthy and happy. Who needs to be obese at the age of 11? Who needs the responsibility of taking care of a 7 year old at the age of 11 because your parent(s) are absent or are too busy or unwilling to do it? I think it's really unfair for kids growing up in that environment...we chose to have kids...we have a responsibility to be adults and take care of them. I love my kids and would sacrifice everything to ensure they have a long, happy and healthy life.

 

Great point, by the way.

 

Peter

[Guest macdaddyeh]

Good for you Pete! Parenting is tough business. Ironically, I sometimes wish no more than to be a stay at home dad and take care of my wee one (maybe home school one day even!) But alas, someone must pay the bills and work for remuneration! Kids need not get in the way, they are part of the plan (Hey maybe you can use them as your guinea pigs when you're a med student to check pulse and blood pressure, ENT etc:lol )...Just kidding (well partially anyway).

 

Hang in there; you can, you will, you must! It will be a grievous error if you don't get into Ottawa this year BTW!

 

Finally, consistent with this post, I watched the news at 0800 and it says dogs in Britain are gaining weight as fast as their fat male/female owners!:lol True!

[Guest MayFlower1]

macdaddyeh,

 

Finally, consistent with this post, I watched the news at 0800 and it says dogs in Britain are gaining weight as fast as their fat male/female owners! True!

 

This does not surprise me in the least. The old saying that "dogs look like their owners" is, in my opinion extremely true...they saying should probably be reworded to read: "Dog has been created in his master's image" (ooops...I hope that's not too blasphemous!)

 

Peter

 

By the way...CONGRATS on your interview!

[Guest shutterbug]

I think it (obesity) mainly has more to do with diet rather than computers or technology which 'promote' inactivity - after all North America is the not the only place with cars, computers, TVs, etc. And, obesity is increasing across the entire population - even in relatively phyisically active occupations (e.g. David Wells).

 

In general, there has been a huge shift towards convienence and processed foods. These are often loaded with refined sugars, fat, and/or salt. The vast majority of food ads and R&D monies are for theses types of foods since it is more profitable. Did you know that a can of Vanilla Coke (355ml) has 50 grams of sugar...that's 200 calories from sugar alone (!) and it would take a 3 km walk just to burn that off. So, if you buy a 24 pack you are essentially buying 1.2 kg of sugar and coloured water. Try explaining that to a 6 year old.

 

Personally, I enjoy cooking and I would rather spend a couple of hours in the kitchen than in front of the TV. Of course this isn't for everyone.

 

Part of the problem is that the general population is not seeing (i.e. appreciating) the connection between their behaviour and the health consequences. Unfortunately, what may be needed is a major 'health catastrophe' along the lines of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. That is, millions of people suffering and dying from diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Aside from promotion and education what else can you do as a physician aside treating the developing deieases. Continued support and promotion? How can you compete with MacDonalds or Pizza Pizza.

[Guest lots of thinking]

Hey guys-

thanks for the comments. I agree that obesity is probably one of the major issues and thats where I was going with the whole technology issue (because along with kids not eating well balanced diets, I think that the inactivity does have a lot to do with technology).

 

Shutterbug- I'm not sure that comparing it to the AIDS epidemic in Africa would be very useful- although there are still many myths in Africa about how HIV is spread, there are still people having unsafe sex.

 

I'm not sure what the answer to getting kids to be more active and eat healthily (is that a word??)is?

M

[Guest MayFlower1]

lots of thinking,

 

I'm not sure what the answer to getting kids to be more active and eat healthily (is that a word??)is?

M

 

I'm not sure what the answer is, but what has worked with my children is to very closely link "hunger satiation" with "good food". I ensure the kids are a bit hunry before we eat and they only get dessert if, and when, they are finished their supper, or at least the bulk of it. If they have room left over then they are more than welcome to have dessert or some junk food. Our meals are always balanced in approximation to recommendations by Health Canada's food guide as well...we only very rarely do the pizza suppers, etc. This very consistent approach has caused them to eat well by habit..."when I'm hungry I eat good stuff..."

 

Another thing that has helped is to minimize the amount of junk/sugary stuff they eat. Constant exposure to anything (sugar, drugs, etc) causes habituation and lack of an ability to thoroughly enjoy things. If kids are always eating junk and sugar...they seek out more to get "the rush". If they only get it once in a while...it truly retains its "scoobieness". Prior to losing a bunch of weight..."good food" didn't taste that "good"...everything had to be drenched in butter...sugar...whatever...once I cut the fat, sugar, etc., out of my diet, the natural sweetness was way more apparent..."good food" actually started to taste "good."

 

The same has worked for television...I limit TV/DVD/Video Games to 1 hour a day for each kid...the rest of the time they have to read, play imaginative games...get outside and run around...whatever. Having to do things other than sit on the couch has also allowed them to experience other types of play...many which they have discovered they get extreme pleasure out of.

 

I believe that if you get these habits engrained in their patterns of behaviour early they will be much less likely to be obese...couch potatoe kids.

 

Peter

[Guest IRNBRUD]

While I agree that inactivity and poor eating habits are definitely problems facing youth, I think that the major issue is being missed here.

1 in 6 or 15% of children in Canada live in poverty. More than 56% of lone parent mothers live in poverty.

Perhaps it isn't that the kids are lazy or their mothers don't cook or take an interest in ensuring that they are getting enough exercise and stimulation. Perhaps it is more the fact that she is away from home working her 3 part-time jobs and all she can affort to feed her kids is KD and Hot Dogs.

We should remember that not every parent has the luxury of gourmet food and lieu time to spend with their children.

 

Great topic by the way.

IB

[Guest macdaddyeh]

Well stated points thus far. Definitely, poverty is a severe issue that must be confronted. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

Peter, I still don't agree however with the Canada Food Guide; as a vegetarian, I think it is flawed!

[Guest MayFlower1]

Sorry macdaddyeh,

 

I should have been more specific...what I like about the Canada food guide is the idea that health is related to balance...regardless of whether you eat the particular foods suggested in the food guide or whether you are vegetarian...I believe the same holds true...moderation and balance are necessary for health...these crash diets...high protein diets...no carb diets, etc., are really just promoting more unbalance...in a different direction.

 

Just my humble opinion.

 

Peter

[Guest MayFlower1]

IRNBRUD,

 

Wow...I can't believe I didn't think of poverty. It's so easy to take the most important things for granted when the contrary is so far out of our personal realm of experience. I have come from a well off family...have always had great jobs since I have graduated from school and have always had an abunance of money/time/resources at my disposal. It makes me feel really spoiled, unfeeling and out of touch when something like this is brought to my attention...thank you so much for doing so...things like this make me appreciate what I have...the opportunities that have been given to me and make me want to strive that much harder to use my fortunate circumstance to help those who are less fortunate.

 

Thank-you.

 

Peter

[Guest IRNBRUD]

Hey Peter!

Having followed your posts for a long time (and I mean a really long time!!) I would **never** describe you as "spoiled, unfeeling and out of touch" !!

It is easy to see problems from within one's own frame of reference. I guess the purpose of this forum is to bring these experiences and ideas together for discussion and ultimately learning.

Your thoughts and ideas are always sensitive and thought provoking. Looking forward to hearing more!

 

Sincerely,

IB

[Guest MayFlower1]

Thanks IRNBRUD,

 

It just makes me sad sometimes to think of how unfortunate some people are with respect to things I've NEVER had to think about in my entire life...in that context, I feel quite spoiled.

 

Peter