Protecting the Next Generation

There are a lot of things threatening the next generation of children. Those who come after us have to deal with our destruction of the environment, the insolvency of Social Security, threats of nuclear attack and cybercrime. Children now play video games instead of soccer. School shootings make the news. They are surrounded by ads flaunting fast food instead of farmers markets, electronic gadgets instead of books. There are a lot of challenges, and of course many of these things may be less relevant for future generations. But by our values, standards, and wishes, there are a lot of things we do that may hurt them down the road.

I think one of the biggest differences we can make is to combat obesity early. During my month of pediatric anesthesia, I noticed a lot of overweight and obese children. Weight is a topic we all tiptoe around, and if approached poorly, it can cause psychological trauma and emotional scars. We need to uncouple our societal link between beauty and weight. That's not why this is important. Parents, doctors, teachers, and families need to focus on healthy eating and exercise because being overweight can be deadly. After seeing pediatric patients undergoing evaluation for weight-loss surgery or five year olds that have the same weight as a normal ten year old, I've started to raise the topic with parents. No one wants to hear it, and especially not before surgery, but if no one tells a parent or child that they need to stop eating fast food, playing video games, and drinking soda, then the problem will just get worse. As Americans get fatter, they get more heart disease, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other comorbidities. Quality and length of life suffer. This needs to be nipped in the bud. A teenager who is a little overweight can still be encouraged to ride a bike and eat fewer chips. But if he doesn't, he'll turn into the morbidly obese man who becomes short of breath with a single flight of stairs, who has no motivation or ability to shed his pounds. Our children are our future. We need to help them before they become like us.