Letters to the Editor
Dr. Jen
Published Letters: 4
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Scent of Sierra Spring
[Read the article: Life, death and spring]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Gary, your writing about the ranch is so evokative that I can nearly smell the yellow pines and the brush burning in the meadow. Thank you for a great article.
It was a special treat to be transported back to the Sierra foothills -- I have many wonderful memories of visiting my uncle (a prominent real estate broker) in Arnold since the 80's. I moved to Upstate New York 9 years ago to become a professor, but my heart aches for the California wilderness every day. Your description of the barn, orchard, flowers, trees, and animals reached right inside me and soothed some of the homesickness.
I always look for your articles about the Sierras -- keep them coming. Now I'm going to go straight to the webpage to renew my premium Salon subscription.
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no blame
[Read the article: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of fat kids]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There is so much acrimony flying around over who made children fat. Don't blame Spielberg and Lucas for making mega bucks over fast food tie-ins -- they aren't forcing kids or parents to eat at Burger King. Don't blame parents at work who leave kids alone in the afternoon to watch TV and eat Cheetos. Don't blame the schools for cutting back on PE while serving Pizza Hut in the cafeteria. Don't blame children for eating what tastes good but makes them obese.
We are living in a country of cheap calories. The food industry is intent on increasing our consumption, so food is pervasive in our society, made to taste delicious without nutrients, and is subsidized by government. No wonder we're using every bit of willpower to resist eating too much.
Jennycox's comments rang true. Being a fat kid is agony, even after the weight is lost. My heart aches for my own 11 yo daughter, who at 5'8" and 175 pounds is the largest child at her middle school. Her obesity is a mystery to us all, including her pediatrician. We watched her grow 5 inches and gain 30 pounds per year since kindergarten, while eating a diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, leans meats and fish, and no fast food or soda. She walks to school and plays outdoors year round (not easy in Upstate New York). Our garage is full of bicycles, skis, sleds, pogo sticks, scooters, basketballs, and other fun activities. No one else in our family is obese, not even the dog and cat. We buy unprocessed food, prepared it at home, and eat breakfast and dinner together as a family every day. Why is my daughter fat?! There's no one to blame.
There is no way to know how or why an individual becomes obese, other than more calories were eaten than expended. Have empathy for the obese while we try to understand the causes of this epidemic.
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Good advice, Leda422
[Read the article: Indiana Jones and the kingdom of fat kids]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I agree with Leda422. I often suspect that kids eat junk when they're out of the house, using what little cash they can find. My daughter has left evidence of seriptitious candy wrappers, ice cream sticks, and other hidden food. Although I never pushed her onto a diet, she is crafty at trading healthy snacks for bad stuff like oreos. When I discuss this with teachers and administrators at her school, they act helpless. Candy and pizza are the rewards for good behavior in class, and every birthday is celebrated with supermarket cupcakes. Ugh! School is junkfood nirvana for kids who overeat.
I'm considered a "strict" parent, but I can't control everything that goes into her mouth. We give our kids (2 daughters, 11 and 13 yo) a lot of freedom to explore outdoors, and independence in other areas of their life. It's not up to me to supervise every morsel of food they consume. Kids should learn to manage their own apetites.
As for obesity being contagious, I have read about some strains of adenovirus causing increased body mass in mice. In humans, obese people are more likely to have antibodies to these same strains of adenovirus than people of normal weight. To read the original research article, click on my signature below (International Journal of Obesity (2005) 29, 281–286).
Can we all reserve judgment on obese people, especially children, until we understand the root causes of this epidemic?
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melew1 and Kay_Ess said it for me
[Read the article: I'm so angry, it's time to change]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The comments from Cary, melew1 and Kay_Ess were right on target. Even when anger is justified, it needs to be fuel for powerful action, not poison for the psyche.
LW, your anger at the corruption of the U.S. is shared by many. For me, the anger stems from a deep sense of shame for our unprovoked invasion of Iraq, use of torture and assassination, and twice electing criminally ignorant (Bush) or viciously clever (Cheney) leaders. Because of their thirst for world dominance and petroleum, thousands of Iraqis and Americans have suffered and died.
Like the LW, I have taken Prozac for years to suppress the dispair that grows out of helplessness to repair the damage that has been done to our country. I recently weaned off the meds, just to feel again, and the agony is acute. A return to meds is likely so I can keep up with my responsibilities as a parent, wife, and worker.
In my field, research and teaching in biomedical science, malaise and anxiety are rampant -- grants have evaporated and science is under fire from fundamentalists and anti-intellectuals. Many of my colleagues are retiring early to escape the downward spiral. At mid-career, I have enough ideas for experiments to keep my lab occupied for about 25 more years. Yet I often doubt whether the research enterprise will be supported by this country.
How do we cope in these times? I always vote and urge others to do the same (my trust in Democrats is almost, but not entirely, gone). Love your children and pets, spend time in nature, be gentle with yourself, help others, eat well, listen to your friends, and know you are not alone.
There are smart people out there who try to do the right thing. Let's put them in office, then some of our collective anger might fade away.