It has always been my impression that prosperity is a good thing – that if you are prosperous enough, you are able to leave something of value to your decendants. And, for the most part this is a good thing. I also assume that prosperity means “wealth in material goods”.
Prosperity is subjective – whatever one considers being prosperous is what prosperous means, but it is usually thought of in the context of “more”. During the Olympics our attention was called to the prosperity that the Chinese people now experience, siting the beautiful new cities, the people teaming into shops and restaurants, – signs of a new, prosporous China everywhere. This is something that we should all rejoice in – a country that had suffered from overpopulaton and undernutrition, now geared to population control and because of better financial conditions no longer considered one of the worlds “starving people”.
China instituted a new policy of “one child per family” in the 70’s, down from 5.8 children – which will, stabilize and eventually reduce the tremenous overpopulation of the country – and, in turn will mean more prosperity for more people. This is where China has developed a problem. Because of the increase in prosperity, and the “Westernization” of their commercial arena, the Chinese people are now experiencing a problem that they have never had before – that of overweight and obesity in their people, especially their children. Fast food restaurants have exploded in China and today China is second only to the United States in reporting the percentage of overweight and obese people.
There was a segment on the Today Show recently regarding how China now has a severe problem wih obese children, especially the boys. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, chief medical editor of the allDay Today’s family blog has written an article on this subject, an excerpt which is quoted below, and for those of you who missed the TV segment, there is a link to it, if you want further information
“China is now the fattest country in the world, second only to the United States. One out of five Chinese children over the age of 7 is overweight, and nearly 10 percent are obese. How did a country that struggled with starvation just half a century ago now find itself dealing with an obesity epidemic? There are a few issues here. WATCH VIDEO
First, China has embraced fast food. KFC is the outlet of choice, with McDonald’s working feverishly to catch up. It is a status symbol of sorts to say that you have thrown a birthday party for your child at McDonald’s. It is a sign of affluence; that you have some extra money and are able to splurge. But that ability to splurge brings with it a hefty calorie count. And instead of sharing food, which is the Chinese norm, when a child eats at a fast food restaurant the pressure is to finish all the food, even if full………”
If it helps any, this will show you that you are not alone if you are battling overweight – but that should not be a salve to your ego – it should be create an impetus to do something about it. We have been aware for a much longer period of time what too much food will do to our bodies – we are not a starving nation, experiencing an abundance of food for the first time – we have been on this merry-go-round for years and years and should know better. There is nothing wrong with fast foods – they are convenient, they are relatively inexpensive and they provide an important function in our daily lives – but that doesn’t mean that we should experience the convenience and affordable “fast food” three times a day, seven days a week, or even once a day, seven days a week. A little common sense and some will power will do wonders for your body weight, and also for your ego – because you can puff up with pride in yourself that you were able to wean yourself off of the fast food circuit and back to a more sensible and healthy eating program. And, if you can’t seem to say no to those enticingly convenient fast foods, because of the negative publicity most of them are getting for the amount of fat and calories their food is filled with, they are offering more acceptable foods such as “wraps” and salads and many other alternatives to the “quarter-pounder and fries” or the KFC $.99 meal – give them a try. Many of them are really very good, and so much better for you. Don’t let your prosperity leave a legacy of self-induced overweight to posterity.
Think Thin Thoughts!
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