Over the past few years there has been a continuing buzz in the media surrounding the alarming increase in the rate of childhood obesity. As a mother of two growing young children, this is a health issue that is of great concern to me. Some people may feel that it is the parents responsibility to make sure children are not overweight. I believe that childhood obesity requires collective actions from all members of a childs community, including school officials, teachers, daycare providers, etc. As a young mother, I must admit there are times when I choose convenient or less expensive meals over healthy ones, but I try to balance that out with an active lifestyle.
I recently spoke with two young women whose health concerns were very different from my own. The first young lady, a 25 year old college graduate stated, "Being a single female I am terrified to date anyone new because of the increased spread of HIV". She expressed how she is at the age where she is ready to meet someone and start a family but the rate of the disease is so overwhelming it limits her choices for companionship. The second female, a 41 year old high school counselor was concerned about teen pregnancy. She advised, in her line of work she encounters young people who are sexually active on a daily basis. She stated, "it seems as if teen pregnancy has become the thing to do these days". There are so many young girls having unprotected sex and not considering the longterm consequences of their actions. She went on to express how it breaks her heart to know that some young girls strive to become teen moms instead of educated young women.
There are so many health issues that touch different individuals in different ways. I believe we all share similar concerns when it comes to health practices amongst our youth.
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