I have read many comments regarding health yfood choices for children.  Here is something I wrote regarding a conversation/experience with my 4-year old son.

www.joshneimark.com

Once again, I have been reminded of simple logic and understanding with regards to health. And, once again this reminder came from my son . . .

My wife and son arrived home the other day right around dinner time. My son asked if he could have a "lunchable" (pre-packaged and processed-but resembles miniature hot dogs, kind of). Let me preface the rest of this story by saying that we rarely allow him to eat these, but have battled his day to day exposure to our society, which in turn makes him want them and every other very colorfully packaged posion on the supermarket shelves.

My wife agreed to let him have one, since he did need to eat something . . . he responded by saying thanks and that he wanted to eat one everyday for dinner. My wife of course explained that he could only have them once and a while, since they weren't really healthy. Then the long pause came before his question . . . "why would people make food that wasn't healthy for your body?"

Why would they indeed?

So, again I stop and think about how smart my 4 and half year old is. No, actually I think about how dumb we adults are. For so many years of my adult life, I knew that I shouldn't eat the way I did, but continued to regardless. I understood years ago what "partially hydrogenated" or "high fructose corn syrup" really was. In fact, I was raised in a home that discouraged those things and focused on healthy eating and lifestyle. However, I still ended up out there on my own, buying the double stuffed oreos and supersizing my way right up to a 40-inch waist and high cholesterol.

As you well know, I talk a lot about change. So, how do we continue to elicit behavioral change in our society so that maybe, just maybe one day we are more inclined to make food healthier for our bodies? That initiative is well underway, with all the green movements and organic products that have become so trendy these days. But beyond the marketing tactics and clear business need for this in the today's marketplace, how do we change.

We keep doing what we are doing. And, we keep teaching the younger generation. Although there will always be "things" which are bad for us (both physically & mentally), I hope that what I teach my son, will become part of the foundation by which he educates his own children. Perhaps one day, when he is faced with a question like this from his kids, our world view will have changed a bit more. But, if he takes his current understanding into adulthood, then I will know that I have done my part.

Josh Neimark - Agent of Change