Generation XXL

Roughly every decade, the old farts come up with spiffy new terminology for the teen and pre-teen age bracket. The 60's were the Dazed and Confused. The 80's kids were the party crazed. The nineties had generation X. And now, we have a new generation that is yet to be named. Actually, I'm sure that it has, but I'm giving it a new name. Generation XXL.

You know what I'm talking about. You've seen it on the news for the past few years, and the problem continues to grow. Now, it is just plain getting out of hand. Kids are inactive and their diets are out of control.

Not only are they eating complete and total junk, but their portions are outrageous. Despite the sub par efforts of some educators, ask any kid what a calorie is, and they have no idea. It is no surprise then, that these same kids have no idea what a serving is, or how many the daily reccomended servings for a given food would be. And you can just forget about counting calories. These kids were never taught to look at the back of a label, only the flashy front that says "two for one" or "33% more." That one gets 'em every time. Less is more, and most children today are being taught that bigger is better.

So who needs servings when the television is telling you how much to eat. How much should you eat? According to commercials, the emphatic answer is MORE MORE MORE!!!! Would you like to supersize that? Curly fries? The answer with most of us just seems to be yes.

Couple this with the entertainment buzz, and you have a ticking time bomb with the fuze lit. Children to day seem to be born not with silver spoons in their mouths, but rather: playstation controllers in their hands. A television in each room. And, no idea about being active. Old habits die hard, even when you're an impressionable youngster. The more they become accustomed to this lifestyle, the harder it is to become acclimated to an active lifestyle. Suddenly, becoming a child is not about playing outside, it's about being glued to a joystick.

Report after report comes out each year concerning childhood obesity, and I fear that parents are taking each one with a grain of salt. Many go out of their way to sign their kids up for wacky things such as tae-kwon-do, but it's not all about handing a check over to the next big thing. Old fashioned playing in the back yard is just fine. In fact, I think all parents should practically FORCE their kids to be active. I hear so many claiming "I want my kids to be active, if only I knew how to make them do it." Here's a radical concept: TAKE CONTROL!!!! I'm only 25 years old, so pardon the expression, but "back in my day" my parents would turn the tube off and give me no other option. It's too easy to succumb to the temptations of the tube. As barney fife used to say "nip it. nip it in the bud!"

So parents, take a good look at your lifestyle. Read up. And ask yourself honestly. What kind of life do you want for your kids? Better yet...would you like to see them happy and active? Or lethargic and catatonic. The choice is yours, America.

Just a little push in the right direction. I must be running off now...