Our View

Our View

Grant looks to trim childhood obesity

It never ceases to amaze that over the decades just how much of our tax dollars have been spent by politicians and government agencies on why we’re so fat as a society and what can be done about child obesity.

We can remember in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy created this Youth Fitness Program. One of the goals of Kennedy’s administration was to increase the level of physical fitness all Americans and his government funding of various programs.

It is a fact that Kennedy and his early promotion of physical fitness was the spark that got the whole fitness movement going in the United States.

Over the decades since millions upon millions of tax dollars through grants and other sources have been spent on combating obesity.

Take for example a whopping $9.4 million grant to support research on childhood obesity at the research institute at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. We’re told the money will be used to create the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention, which will support research projects by four “junior investigators” from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and other universities and organizations on topics such as environmental factors of steps taken during pregnancy that can affect a child’s chances of becoming obese.

Now then, let us ask the simple question. Just exactly how much are these so-called “junior investigators” going to learn that hasn’t already been discovered over the decades?

Don’t get us wrong, addressing obesity issues is certainly a priority concern, particularly viewed from the aspect of health, diseases caused by obesity and other health related issues, but how is $9.4 million and these four “junior investigators” going to mysteriously discover this elusive solution to a problem in this country that many “experienced professionals”” have dedicated their entire careers on for decades?

Anyone who is health conscious can certainly understand that it doesn’t require millions of dollars over the next five years to understand the basic root of the obesity problem in the United States today.

All the government programs in the world can’t solve the main issue of adults being more responsible and less dependent upon their government to take care of their every need.

To be perfectly blunt, a major contributor to this obesity issue is pure and simple laziness, a total lack of self pride and no self confidence. Obesity is a serious issue among low-income families where it has been proven the lack of parental leadership, oversight and ignorance. We have an alarming percentage of obese children who have developed a multitude of bad habits to include, but certainly not limited to, plain and simple laziness, dependence upon unhealthy fast-food, lack of self control and little or absolutely no interest in any sporting activity, outdoor events or exercise programs.

We have a society of young people who thrive on unhealthy food, no physical activity and poor self esteem. The results are evident in such areas as obesity, poor academic achievement, dependence upon unhealthy diets and much more.

So then, this brings us back to this latest research program on childhood obesity at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. It is being touted as a “major, major step” toward reducing the state’s childhood obesity rate, a vision we believe is being blown out of proportion.

While everyone should be concerned over this issue that impacts children as well as adults, the fact of the matter is that this $9.4 million research study won’t be of any value until the people it is targeting take serious personal responsibility for themselves and their children. Government policies, programs, grants and studies can’t and won’t eliminate this problem, they only expose what we already know for a fact.

BIBLE VERSE

Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

5:19

Ecclesiastes