Every Monday I have a habit of checking my weight at the food court of my office. The mood of the rest of my week depends on the results displayed. When it is high, I used to scold myself now and then, cut all oily food (for one day alone, of course :P) and check my food habits for some time. Then 2 days will pass by, having planned a big diet chart.
Exact opposite when my weight has got reduced. I will be on seventh heaven. Will call up all my colleagues and convey this great news and even start advising diet tips to all. Though I too feel all this comical, it has become a routine. But a great relief comes to me when I see a particular kid in my neighbourhood. Always seen with a packet of kurkure, she has the chubbiest cheeks I have seen of kids of her age and very obese. Whenever my weight goes up I search for her on my way home. Seeing her, I would heave a sigh of relief thinking am not that fat at least.
To my surprise, I found myself spotting some more kids of same chubby nature. It was not the exact chubby cheeks I recall from my nursery rhymes. It was some sort of ‘chips’ cheeks. I mention chips cheeks because of all the kids I have spotted, none of them I could recall without a chips packet at hand. Also, they don’t have any physical activity. (My assumption, of course). I can never hear any outdoor activity nearby when I used to be at home during weekend. All I can hear is screaming and fighting sound when the power goes off. They seem to be glued to their television sets or play station or video game sets. Maybe that explains their obesity.
Exact acronym for describing the kids when they enter the teen age. Now that I don’t fall under the teenage category, ( :-( hmm became old) I can happily share comments about them. They all seem to be perfect size zeros, as bollywood names them. When the high obese kids enter teenage it is an alarming surprise on how they lose weight all of a sudden when shedding just a kilo seems impossible for me.
I started a conversation with a college going girl at my bus stop. The things she shared really shocked me. She has just one idly in the morning and has curd or dal rice for lunch and skips dinner. No chocolates, no fat fried foods or no junk. And once her weight sets as per her choice, She has a pizza or some other food when she goes on outing with friends.
I really felt so bad. Still now, whenever I go to a supermarket to get my kitchen shopping done, my hand
automatically adds chocolate to my basket. I wonder how they resist the small small happiness they can get at their age. But really marvel at their self control.
A serious question. Is it not unhealthy? This entire affair. Spending childhood glued to a spot with
unhealthy food habits and suddenly leaving all those to seem perfect among the peers. Who is to be blamed here? Is it the kids or the parents?. Should they not encourage them to do a bit of physical activity now and then, than getting them latest gizmos and spoiling their health and eye sight.
And as a college going teen, they do require lots of strength to do their bit. Unhealthy stringent diet and the makeover they use, I guess the parents are to be blamed more.
Are we losing the strength of our pillars of society? It’s better to start strengthening it rather than see it
wading away. I think I have started a bit of advising in my blog. But can’t help it guys. I see this as our responsibility of us as beacons of light to the future generation. As great programmer , coders and debuggers , why can’t we concentrate on this thing too and get our future installed in a healthy way.
May be I haven't really looked around well but I think chubby cheek teens still outnumber size zero teens at least in Tamilnadu! :)
ReplyDelete