12 Sentence Story

When I was little I loved jumping around on the furniture, jumping around at gymnastics, and jumping around while playing outside on the trampoline. I loved being active; sitting down to watch TV wasn't an option. One day I was in the living room and I started a game, much to my mother's dismay, of jumping to and from furniture around the room. I hopped onto the table, over the couch, near the TV, and on the arm chair. I loved this game until things took a turn for the worse. Of course. My mother always had to be right when she told me not to jump on the couch, not to cut my own hair, not to let go of her hand in the mall. It seemed like she was always right and I was always wrong. Crashing head first into the coffee table after finishing a front flip, completely shocked I was when my head hit the glass. How bad was the damage? I was bawling, and bleeding, and embarrassed, and had a big gash in my head. My mother always had to be right, her advice never failing, the comfort she provided, the lesson taught-what a great mom to have.

Living Life Too Large?

Reading this article I found on the LA Times website really opened my eyes to what a major problem our country has with childhood obesity. The habits we develop as children stick with us and shape the rest of our lives. Obese people between the ages of 12 and 21 are "seven times more likely than normal-weight or overweight peers to develop severe obesity by the time they reach their late 20s to early 30s." What does such a startling study prove? It proves we need to make a plan, make a change, and make it a priority to help these kids.

Obesity leads to "cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and musculoskeletal pain." Early obesity may also lead to changes in your metabolism and hormones in your brain that oppose weight loss. Being healthy and fit should be a goal promoted by teachers, by parents, by role models, by everyone and everywhere young people eat, learn, or spend time. While some efforts have been made, there is so much more that can be done. Communities need to let students know how important their health is and offer facilities that offer fun and exercise. Schools always need to offer and promote healthier alternatives to a hamburger and french fries. This is such a huge problem that needs to be tackled head-on because the facts are there; we just need to make a bigger effort.