Something wicked this way comes
By Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Updated Fri October 30, 2009
Well, once again it's Halloween and I am trying to decide whether to give out candy (good candy, like Reese's or M&Ms as opposed to say, Bit o' Honey). Maybe a less, shall we say, sugar-chocked item would suffice?
It's not just because, as a person with Type 1 diabetes, I rarely eat the stuff any more and prefer to avoid the temptation (and calories). It's also because I see your kids out there and, well, they don't look like they need it. They're getting bigger everyday. And, before you parents of "husky" kids scream defensively "He's just big-boned!" let me just assure you, it's your fat kid that always gets greedy, groveling and grasping for two or three candy bars (Get those pudgy fingers away from me).
Coincidence? Not!
Do I sound like the Wicked Witch? Believe me, it's not the first time comparisons have been made. But let's face it: People who don't take care of themselves wind up costing the health care system money. Lots of it. The younger they start, the more they cost. The fatter they are, the more they cost. The greater the co-morbidities, the more they cost. This is where I would normally insert rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes, but we've all see the statistics.
With all the focus on health care reform, the topic of personal responsibility comes up again and again, and rightly so.
Taken all together, stickers and pretzels are starting to look like a better alternative all of a sudden.
Theresa Flaherty
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