In view of all that’s happening in this country – record federal and state deficits, soaring unemployment, political dysfunction and scandals, terrorism threats, and so on and so on – increasingly more people might wish they could pull a Rip Wan Winkle and wake up once all these worries had gone away. But that only happens in fairy tales and folklore. In real life we have to tackle problems head on and deal with them.
I don’t know if this works for everyone, but my Van Winkle escape – albeit far shorter than old Rip’s – is when I get to spend a few hours or days outdoors. Whatever the activity may be, there’s definitely a sense of escapism when I’m exposed to the natural world and not the manmade high-tech one. But I’ve also noticed an alarming trend in this age of high-tech that could negatively affect this country for years to come – the growing number of overweight, couch-potato adults and youths I see these days.
Researchers estimate that more than 229,000 American children currently have diabetes; and of those children, fully one-third are obese. Childhood obesity can also carry with it some heavy health risks that often last well into adulthood – heart disease, high blood pressure and depression, to name a few.
A recent study, published in the February ‘09 issue of Diabetes Care, found that approximately 3.2 youths for every 1,000 American children under the age of 18 currently have diabetes. And one-third of those children are indeed obese. The study found that children ages 6 to 11 and ages 12 to 17 who were obese were more than twice as likely to have diabetes than children of the same age who were of normal weight. Diabetes in youths this young was almost unheard of a couple generations ago
Studies show that white children account for most of the new cases of diabetes in youths, but the disease is found in all ethnic groups, and rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the rise. Type 1 clearly affects white children most and type 2 is most common in American Indians. However, in African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics, they have almost half and half, type 1 and type 2.
Researchers didn’t have to look far for the reasons behind this sudden and alarming trend. This isn’t something that could be blamed on global warming, climate change or pollution, it’s simply due to a society that has seen its daily dietary and physical exercise patterns drastically change in but a couple generations. And while some of the change may be attributed to our demographic switch from predominately rural to urban and suburban lifestyles, perhaps a bigger role has been the very technology that was meant to make our lives easier.
Many of our parents and grandparents grew up in a low-tech environment, minus the Internet, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. Television sets were pretty much a rarity until the 1950s, and most tasks around the home involved manual tools and appliances rather than power ones. Fast food was about nonexistent, and many kids walked back and forth to school daily. After-school hours and weekends usually meant chores and outdoor playtime for most kids. Lawns had to be mowed with push mowers and, in winter, driveways and sidewalks were shoveled and not cleared by snowblowers or plowing contractors. Kids ate what their mom put in front of them … or else!
How times have changed, some would argue for the better, but the trade-offs are appearing to show some serious down sides. Children are learning faster and at earlier ages, thanks to computers and television, but their fascination with all these electronic wonders has meant spending less time outside and more inside while adopting a more sedentary lifestyle and mindset. Thanks to fast food, microwavable prepackaging, high sugar beverages and salt-laden snacks, many also have developed very poor dietary habits.
This whole change in attitude often surfaces when youths would rather stay indoors and use their computers, ipods , or text message with their friends than be outside playing games. Put this all together and our society as a whole is headed for a health care crisis, if indeed we aren’t already there. It’ll be made even worse if our country’s economic climate doesn’t improve, and these youths become adults with major health problems and little income. As health insurance and health costs continue to climb, and the fiscal overload on government subsidized health care such as Medicade drains future funding, everyone will be hard pressed economically to shoulder the heavy burden these create.
People may wonder why I’m such a fan and advocate of outdoor activities, not just those I’ve done all my life – hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, etc. – but any that get people outside, exercising and building healthy bodies and sound appetites. If more of us, both adults and youths, were to regularly do some of these, we’d probably see an eventual reversal in what is threatening to become an epidemic if current lifestyles continue.

DEC Reconsiders Selling Licenses at the State Fair
The DEC has reconsidered and will be selling licenses at the State Fair this year although with a reduced staff. Better than not offering any license sales whatsoever, which was the original plan. Maybe the vocal outcry by many members of the outdoor media opened a few bureaucratic and political eyes.