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A few months ago, I wrote about my concern
that normal teen-aged rebellion is now being considered
a mental illness to be treated with drugs that would
make youth more compliant. In a recent news release,
the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that
children as young as eight start routinely being given
cholesterol-lowering drugs, and that babies as young
as one year old be switched over to lowfat milk. By
the way, they also note this: “The academy has
long recommended against reduced-fat milk for children
up to age 2 because saturated fats are needed for brain
development.” However, these wise pediatricians
have apparently decided that brain development is far
less important than weight issues.
These
recommendations come “from recent research showing
that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for
children.”
Kudos
to the American Academy of Pediatrics—by all means,
let us grow up a nation of skinny teens and adults whose
brains stay at a childlike level so they’ll happily
accept whatever expensive drug therapy next devised
by the ever-hungry-for-profits pharmaceutical companies.
By all means, let us routinely give “generally
safe” drugs to our children while having no idea
what the long-term impact of such drugs would be. Great
idea! Why worry about proper food and good exercise
when we can just give a pill instead?
Yes,
I’m being sarcastic.
And
yes, childhood obesity is a problem and seems to be
getting worse. And yes, we are a nation of overweight
people who live with the consequences of those extra
pounds. My son, who currently lives in France and has
spent much of the past five years in South American
and Australia, was here in the States for a visit recently.
His comment to me, “Wow, Americans really are
big aren’t they?” The years away give him
a different set of eyes.
Here,
as always, I am reminded again of the wisdom contained
in the Bible. Wisdom that reminds us that gluttony and
greed—the need for more and more, well past the
satisfying of necessary and important needs—sets
us up for unhappiness and failure. When unrestrained
gluttony and greed are mixed with laziness and the desire
for a quick fix, i.e. an easy to swallow pill rather
than the hard work of changed habits, then we’ve
left behind the wisdom of God’s word to us. We’ve
exchanged wisdom for foolishness, and we all pay the
price.
Right
now, it looks like the ones getting most hurt are our
children. It’s time to stop this craziness. |
