Apr. 12, 2001 (Scripps Howard News Service) - Growing up on an island with steep, narrow roads kept me outside, active and hungry all the time. Today, island kids don't play in the mud flats anymore or climb the cliffs or swim the lagoons or even build rafts and head out to the other islands.
Nearly everywhere, children's exploration has suddenly gone inside and become a virtual activity on the computer. Instead of exploring, they watch movies and get rickets.
Rickets? According to an article on children's health, virtual activities are a main reason for obesity in children, a new increase of Type 2 diabetes and a resurgence of rickets, a softening of the bones as a result of a lack of vitamin D.
Children simply don't experience enough sunlight, fresh air and activities that increase their heart rates. We used to compensate with vitamin D milk, but kids drink soda. Whether in child care or at home, children spend too many hours indoors. It's ruining their health.
Twenty-five years ago I told my kids, "Don't fall in the river; we eat at 6." That meant go outside and explore the world and get home by dinnertime so we can review your day.
As a young mother, I found out quickly that children who run hard all day are hungry, resilient to illness and sleep like rocks. Exercise promotes hunger, and hunger promotes healthy eating.
Healthy eating used to be a pleasure, an adventure to children who were always hungry. But suddenly, eating is a big bore and often requires a fight. Picky kids terrorize parents and providers. Picky comes from inactivity and an abundance of junk.
As a child, I ate anything because I was hungry. Our treats were a remarkable pleasure. Cake was for birthdays; once a week we had cookies. Ice cream was a special occasion. We had candy at Easter. Soda was a party treat, and potato chips belonged to somebody else.
Today, junk treats are expected in surplus supply. Children even expect a dessert on their lunch tray. Sirens and whistles, please. Are we apologizing to children about eating nutritious food?
Here's a lunch I recently found on a school bus: a candy bar, a fruit strip and a bag of chips.
Wake up, adults in charge. Lunch should be the center of the noon break. It's not punishment time; it's adventure time. But no lunch will work if a child isn't hungry. And how can children be hungry if they haven't moved since they got up eating junk?
A childıs natural fill-up time is early in the day. By 4 p.m., most children have eaten most of their daily calories. Therefore, parents should demand that child-care centers and schools offer the best quality calories possible. Just as at home, it encourages good eating habits.
At the same time, especially in formative years, children in child care, home or school should be able to meet their physical needs outdoors for several hours every day just to stimulate an appetite.
Families don't need to be on an island to make the break with virtual exercise; they just need to watch their children run. Many children can't; it's too hard. Watching children run says a lot about environment.
