Obese Kids are at Risk but Not Just for the Reason You Think

I can't go shopping without running into them. They, in this case, are parents with obese kids. It's usually mom who is pushing the cart, often filled with junk foods, while the kids trail behind munching on chips or a candy bar. I can only shake my head and try to hold my tongue. Don't they see the same statistics that I do. Obese kids are more at risk for health problems. Obesity leads to heart and blood pressure problem, not to mention the risk of diabetes.

Now there is another reason to address the issue of childhood obesity. Chubby kids are bullied more. Researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed incidents of bullying involving 821 kids ages 8 - 11. Over-weight kids were bullied more than their normal weight peers. About one third of the children in our country are obese but over two-thirds of those who were bullied had weight issues.

Obese kids also experience more depression, anxiety and lonliness that do their peers. This issue becomes more grave when kids enter into the teen years. Middle school kids can be especially cruel when it comes to the treatment of peers who are overweight.

The time to address childhood obesity is now. Obese kids are not only at risk when it comes to physical health but emotional health as well.

Lack of Eye Contact is My #1 Concern About Today's Teens

Back in March of this year I had the opportunity to be part of a panel discussion. The occasion was the Fiftieth Anniversary of Director of Christian Education (DCE) ministry in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. I spent the first twenty-five years of my ministry as a parish DCE focusing on youth ministry, which I guess qualifies me as a pioneer in the eyes of my peers.

One of the first questions to the panel was; What is the biggest change in ministry since my early years? I must admit that I had often considered that as I watch today's youth ministry professionals sort through the wealth of resources available. I was handed a Concordia Publishing House catalog on my day of graduation. The expectation was all I needed could be found there. Our church body had a team of four professional in St. Louis who produced resources that were supposedly up to date and doctrinally pure. Of the two major publishers today, Youth Specialties was just getting started and Group Publishing was just a dream in Thom Schultz's mind. The only media was 16 mm films that came on big reels and had to be ordered via mail, usually at a hefty price.

I have recently had to re-think my answer. I still believe the abundance of resources available today is the greatest change but probably the biggest challange comes from the way today's teens communicate.

I have recieved a lot of feedback from a comment I posted on my Facebook page last week. I referenced the latest findings that report the average teenagers sends fifty or more text messages each day. I had the opportunity to spend last Friday at Dallas Lutheran School and many of my former colleagues wanted to share their comments and opinions on the topic. All found the trend disturbing. One noted that she had observed two high school students in the hallway standing six feet apart but still using their cell phones to communicate.

I must admit that I do find texting convenient. "Meeting Still on?" "B there in 10 min." But I also recognize the value of face to face conversation. There are so many more ways to communiate than just written words. I value eye contact. I want to observe body language. Even the tone of voice and cadence can tell me so much.

If you share my concern, I would encourage you to talk it through with your teenager. Maybe you need to establish some ground rules in terms of texting within your family. There is still a need for one-on-one discussion within the home.

Parents Never Stop Teaching

I recently returned from spending a few days in Michigan with my mom. She celebrated her 89th birthday while I was there. Mom has an apartment in a retirement community. She does pretty well for her age but has reached the point where she does depend a lot on others. Much of the responsibility falls on my brother who lives fifteen minutes from her but when I am there I find myself in the position of parenting my mom. She did have her "to do" list and we spent one whole day running errands. I discovered one evening that mom is still capable of teaching me a few things when it comes to faith.

My dad has been dead over five years but I know she still misses him. She confessed one time that she still cries at night when she gets in bed. But mom is a person who lives with the hope of eternal life. I was reminded of that on my first night there. I was relaxing in bed with a book when I heard her singing loud and clear in the next room. "Abide with me, fast falls the even-tide. The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide." I put my book aside and listened. How could such a quiverring voice convey such strength and conviction. Suddenly I was the one with tears in my eyes. "Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes. Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee. In life, in death, O Lord abide with me."

Suddenly I was the child again and my mother was singing me a lullaby. Her message was loud and clear. She is a person of faith in Jesus Christ. She lives in the hope of a joyful reunion in heaven. What a legacy she is passing on!

We will always be parents to our kids. Our role and influence might change, but our duty, as conveyors of the faith, is unchanging. How will you communicate today the hope that you personally have in Jesus? How will your child see Jesus and the hope he brings, in your life?