Guest Editorial: Eating right starts at home

Editor's note: When this column was submitted to us, I'd been toying with the idea of writing an editorial on this topic. Megan McKillop, a high school student, makes a much better case for watching our diet than I can, I believe, so I gave my spot to her today. Being overweight myself and way, way on the wrong side of 19, I wish I had this advice several decades ago.

- Robin Layton

By Megan McKillop

Special to the Courier

Obesity plays a huge role in our society today. One-fifth of Americans between ages of 6 and 19 are overweight. People with obesity are more likely to die at a younger age, with this rate going up soon our own children would die 10 years younger than us. Obesity can cause a magnificent amount of health issues including: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. Said being, should we let or country die down from this, or fight for something better?

Learning to eat in a healthy way starts at a young age. Therefore, kids should be taught about healthy foods and how to cook with them. This can start in school, kids should be able to take a class that teaches them how to cook healthy, not easy fast junk food. Most kids come home to an empty house, their parents are usually working or some are not ever around. So teaching children how to cook healthy can also help them at home. They won't have to wait on their parents to cook and just eat junk food.

Parents should be strict with their children's choice of food. Making sure they are eating right and being active. This may become a drag as the child gets older, therefore, the parents should start giving them a little leeway. Everyone needs their freedom and a choice of what they want. Yet its the parents job to show the child what's right, so when the child goes off they can stay with the correct choice. Giving your child junk food all the time is not being a good parent, they are just killing their own child slowly

If you're growing up around a good healthy environment, then kids at school or other cafeteria places wouldn't turn down something healthy, that's what there use to. To make a better choice with less obesity, it all starts out at the homes of the children. There should be a "junk tax", most families say they can't afford healthy food, therefore, they buy junk food. Junk food is like a treat so it should be held at a higher price than healthy food. There are so little steps to take just to start having a healthy, long lasting country.

Megan McKillop is a psychology student at Bagdad High School, class of 2017.