Woe to Our Culture of Sugar Laden Rewards...

Okay, first I want to say that this is not about fashion, this is about health. 

Not to say I don't like fashion, I do... but if it comes between buying new clothes that hide my thunder and make me feel fancy or an hour-long car trip to a health food store to stock up on miso paste and bentonite, I'm choosing the latter.

I believe all people have their charms and beauty comes in all sizes and shapes.  I'm not perfect, either.  Without my wonderbra and makeup I look (to myself) like a 10 year old boy.  I have giant feet.  I have been thin with some cellulite since grade school.

That being said, I walk into my daughter's extracurricular activity last night and there is a box of hard candy on the table next to the teacher. 

I like this teacher, she's great with the kids, I admire her skill-- but she can't be more than 25, and is obese and balding.  She is not an I-can-wrestle-you-down, thick person.  She is not a picture of health.  I asked what it is for, and she said it's for her reward system. 

Now, I am a tall person, but I don't think of myself as a naturally imposing person.  I'm sillier than most, and most people regard me as being younger than my age-- but I think she could see the fire in my eyes (I tried to temper it with a smile) as I explained through my teeth that I pulled my child out of school because of tooth issues, and she is NOT to have any candy.  She explained that the kids would have to wait for the candy, that it wouldn't be every day-- to which I explained that I don't want my child associating candy with reward, either.

I said I would bring in some dollar store prizes for the kids like pencils and erasers, she said that would be okay... and then turned an obese parent and made some snarky comment about not wanting to send some kids into diabetic shock.

Statistics for 2011 in my area say that about 25% of people are obese in my area, but looking around at the other parents in that group, it's more like 70%.  By obese, I mean likely can't see your own feet when you look down. 

Americans have more obesity and chronic health issues than all other first world nation.  Why is it that people in schools and children's activities think it's okay to give ANY sugar??  It's an anti-nutrient, and it's setting them up for a life of sickness.  If parents want to pass on bad habits to children, that's their business, but it shouldn't be in their view in school or activities... it should be at the family's discretion as to whether or not sugar is offered; at home.

When I was a child, we got stickers in school, and star stickers if we were really good... that's why the phrase in exists, "well, don't you get a gold star".  Why does sugar have such a significant presence now?  I thought there was too much sugar in my daughter's class when she was in school up North, but it's 100 times more pronounced here in the Southeast.

Childhood obesity and diabetes are already big problems. Wouldn't it be nice if we, as a society, only supported old-school healthy nutrition, and made a conscious effort to teach the coming generations better habits-- instead of loading them with sugar, then marveling at all the chronic health issues and behavior issues they have-- like it's some great mystery. 

Wouldn't it be nice if we, as a nation, did the sensible thing and just removed sugar from the equation?  It sure would be nice, but I would settle for other people to just stop offering sugar to my kids!!