I recall that Al’s store on 2nd and Edwards would not sell us penny candy on Sundays because he knew we’d be spending the money our parents gave us for Sunday School.
Now that school is open, have any of you been in a store at 7:30am to witness the amount of candy, chips and Hugs that kids are buying on their way to school? There should be a law that prohibits selling that stuff to youngsters before noon. But, if we can’t stop those same stores from selling Blunts, you know we’ll never stop candy sales.
September Is First-Ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in PA
Tom Joseph
HARRISBURG, Pa. - According to the Childhood Obesity Action Network, nationwide it's estimated that more than 23 million children and teens fall into the obese category. All the more reason for the first-ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness month, kicking off this week.
Dr. Michael Harkness, a pediatrician at Paoli Hospital outside Philadelphia, says, in many cases, the reasons behind the problem aren't hard to figure out: Not enough kids get enough exercise and too many eat too much junk food.
"It's all a matter of calories in and calories burned. The more calories in and the less calories burned, the more trouble we have."
Harkness says the lessons kids get about nutrition are often by example.
"So if the kids see the parents, you know, not going to fast food, choosing salads, being active, making exercise a big part of their life, it's a lot easier for the kids to also learn that as well."
U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is introducing federal legislation that would ban sugary snacks from school grounds at all hours. He also wants to stop junk food from getting onto school grounds for fundraising purposes.
"I don't mind an occasional bake sale myself, but what we're seeing is people selling Oreos to raise money. I don't want unhealthy foods competing with healthy school breakfasts and healthy school lunches."
Parents need to make the determination on whether their child needs professional help for a weight problem based on a few different factors, Harkness advises. If efforts at home to control a child's weight aren't working or if there is a family history of obesity, he suggests mapping out a game plan with a pediatrician as the best course of action.
Dr. Michael Harkness, a pediatrician at Paoli Hospital outside Philadelphia, says, in many cases, the reasons behind the problem aren't hard to figure out: Not enough kids get enough exercise and too many eat too much junk food.
"It's all a matter of calories in and calories burned. The more calories in and the less calories burned, the more trouble we have."
Harkness says the lessons kids get about nutrition are often by example.
"So if the kids see the parents, you know, not going to fast food, choosing salads, being active, making exercise a big part of their life, it's a lot easier for the kids to also learn that as well."
U.S. Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., is introducing federal legislation that would ban sugary snacks from school grounds at all hours. He also wants to stop junk food from getting onto school grounds for fundraising purposes.
"I don't mind an occasional bake sale myself, but what we're seeing is people selling Oreos to raise money. I don't want unhealthy foods competing with healthy school breakfasts and healthy school lunches."
Parents need to make the determination on whether their child needs professional help for a weight problem based on a few different factors, Harkness advises. If efforts at home to control a child's weight aren't working or if there is a family history of obesity, he suggests mapping out a game plan with a pediatrician as the best course of action.
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