Delusional & Deluged
A recent study in the United States of America, focused primarily on the country’s teens, talks about them opting for weight loss surgery. The best years of their lives to be spent on trying to lose weight the wrong way. Sadly some Pediatric experts second this practice.
I saw this report on television and couldn’t help but think about stuff that i used to be worried about when i was a teen. I wasn’t a slim trim teenager, i was petite, yet it never bothered me. Only in my twenties did i really look up to doing something about my weight. My father is a surgeon, he never mentioned something like weight loss surgery to me!!
This is my second year in the states and i cannot help but notice the impact of print media and television on the teenage generation here. It is absolutely alright to have fashionable clothes, gadgets, accessories etc. What is wrong, is to hold on to them in and lose sight of practicality in life. Put into simpler words, become a wannabe rockstar, a reality tv star and the like.
Increase or decrease in weight is directly proportional to our eating habits. We cannot blame kids if they have uneven eating patterns, the blame goes to the parents and the guardians. A solid foundation begins at home. Given the current state of adulterated food, the importance of fresh home made (not freshly microwaved) becomes all the more important. It is easier to grab a McChicken, than cooking the same at home,but then it has consequences.
Just when we thought that we had it all figured out, the lifestyle and the busy work schedules set in. It is one thing to be a full time parent and one thing to be juggling work and home. It is no cake-walk to have squeeze in all this into a single day’s work. But like i said earlier, a solid foundation begins at home. If children till the ages of 5 are introduced to habits that require physical activities,like to sports, some form of classical dancing could help a good deal. Reading, craft work, some musical instrument could help in keeping their minds at work;which in turn helps them associate with in adulthood and come out of their shell or a mental release.
Teen-ages are times to make freinds, work hard in academics, first crushesand frame a life.What it isn’t, is a time to be thinking about weight loss surgery!! Why not work out at the gym, run or walk. Sadly teenages are also the times of peer pressure and bullying.. Which leads to depression and low self-esteem. Hence eating disorders and staying indoors which leads to increase in body weight. Family history or genetic reasons are also major contributors.But there is a solution to every problem, like good habits picked up during childhood.
Keeping current scenarios in mind,I would suggest communication. It is the key. It is always better to talk about your grievances with our parents, teachers and guardians about issues that affect us.Nobody else would understand better. I cannot comment on the lifestyle and communication habits of the people across the US, yet i hope that that they are way better than anywhere else in the world.
Another parameter which i think is a contributor is The charming persona factor.Everybody wants to look attractive, and looking good is synonymous to being successful in life.Iood paradigm that if you are a good looking person, you will grab a good life partner, a great job and rest will be history. This is what prevails inside teenage heads. They look up to the cheer leader or a star quarterback as the future stars, but not to their academic records and human qualities. The art of foresight i would call it, which some individuals develop young, while some like me, are still struggling with. The sooner we understand that the bully in the locker rooms and the popular girl in the classroom could be forgotten once the real world hits in, the better.
Not everything can be based on the external facade or can it?For example, i found the malls In the US uninviting by the looks of its facade There were no display windows, nothing but parked cars and a mammoth building with a mouse hole like door.It was only when i got inside that i understood why retalil is as big as it is here. I was devastated when i saw a teen on the same television report at the hospital ,waiting for her turn for weight loss surgery....her reason for opting for this major surgery,”I want to fit into my prom dress.. and yes it is important..!!” Rest is for us to ponder and learn from.
I saw this report on television and couldn’t help but think about stuff that i used to be worried about when i was a teen. I wasn’t a slim trim teenager, i was petite, yet it never bothered me. Only in my twenties did i really look up to doing something about my weight. My father is a surgeon, he never mentioned something like weight loss surgery to me!!
Just when we thought that we had it all figured out, the lifestyle and the busy work schedules set in. It is one thing to be a full time parent and one thing to be juggling work and home. It is no cake-walk to have squeeze in all this into a single day’s work. But like i said earlier, a solid foundation begins at home. If children till the ages of 5 are introduced to habits that require physical activities,like to sports, some form of classical dancing could help a good deal. Reading, craft work, some musical instrument could help in keeping their minds at work;which in turn helps them associate with in adulthood and come out of their shell or a mental release.
Teen-ages are times to make freinds, work hard in academics, first crushesand frame a life.What it isn’t, is a time to be thinking about weight loss surgery!! Why not work out at the gym, run or walk. Sadly teenages are also the times of peer pressure and bullying.. Which leads to depression and low self-esteem. Hence eating disorders and staying indoors which leads to increase in body weight. Family history or genetic reasons are also major contributors.But there is a solution to every problem, like good habits picked up during childhood.
Keeping current scenarios in mind,I would suggest communication. It is the key. It is always better to talk about your grievances with our parents, teachers and guardians about issues that affect us.Nobody else would understand better. I cannot comment on the lifestyle and communication habits of the people across the US, yet i hope that that they are way better than anywhere else in the world.
Another parameter which i think is a contributor is The charming persona factor.Everybody wants to look attractive, and looking good is synonymous to being successful in life.Iood paradigm that if you are a good looking person, you will grab a good life partner, a great job and rest will be history. This is what prevails inside teenage heads. They look up to the cheer leader or a star quarterback as the future stars, but not to their academic records and human qualities. The art of foresight i would call it, which some individuals develop young, while some like me, are still struggling with. The sooner we understand that the bully in the locker rooms and the popular girl in the classroom could be forgotten once the real world hits in, the better.
Not everything can be based on the external facade or can it?For example, i found the malls In the US uninviting by the looks of its facade There were no display windows, nothing but parked cars and a mammoth building with a mouse hole like door.It was only when i got inside that i understood why retalil is as big as it is here. I was devastated when i saw a teen on the same television report at the hospital ,waiting for her turn for weight loss surgery....her reason for opting for this major surgery,”I want to fit into my prom dress.. and yes it is important..!!” Rest is for us to ponder and learn from.
good one
ReplyDeleteThanks Rashi!
ReplyDelete