http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health/research/01behavior.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=health
Recent research conducted by professors of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago has distinctly illustrated that sleeping patterns in children might actually share a potential relationship to blood glucose levels. Of the 308 children they tested, those who received the least amount of sleep were prone to showing abnormally high blood glucose levels four times as likely as those who received the most amount of sleep. Irregular blood glucose levels can be a possible sign of metabolic challenges occurring throughout the body, and with diabetes mellitus evolving into one of the most significant non-communicable diseases of people today, it is important that society looks at areas such as sleep studies as a healthy habit, and as a possible way of disease prevention.
Lack of sleep can cause memory problems, depression, and a weakening of the immune system, all of which can open doors to communicable diseases such as influenza, which can easily invade a weak immune system. Children should be encouraged to get a good night’s sleep every night, which is equivalent to about nine hours. Especially in adolescents and young adults, diabetes type 1 and type 2 are starting to develop at an alarming rate, and if irregular blood glucose levels can be traced to sleep patterns, then sleep deprivation must be taught to children at an early age as an unhealthy habit.
This article deals with children in the sense that they are our future and part of the global mission of public health is to educate and inform children of healthy habits so that they may develop them and carry them out throughout the rest of their lives. There is no such thing as a time too early to begin teaching young children how to live a healthy lifestyle that promotes mental, physical, and social well-being.
When children understand early on how to promote health, prevent disease, and identify health issues along with treatment, they are more likely to carry out these practices as they grow, as well as becoming more interested in their ways of living and the ways of living held by others. Public Health is rapidly moving to educate children so that the next generation can better understand what it means to be truly healthy and how to keep yourself and others healthy as well. As said before, they are the next generation, they are our future and if we can teach them now what is good, it can be hypothesized that they will incorporate these behaviors into their lives and continue developing them down the road.
One of the things that stood out to me in this article was the emphasis on how important it is to begin teaching children good behaviors at an early age. The process of having an educational campaign, changing behaviors, and ultimately treating the effects of years of bad health in adults can all be prevented if steps are properly taken to educate children when they have no established bad patterns yet.
ReplyDeleteA question that the article raised in my mind was whether the blood glucose levels were really linked directly to sleeping, or if the lack of sleep was merely an indication of another underlying health problem in the children. A parent who isn't making sure that their child gets adequate sleep may also be feeding them too much sugar, etc.
The fight to educate children is one that can be carried out effectively in schools, but that ultimately can have the most impact when started through the home. Everyone goes through a health class that teaches them about the food pyramid, but what you are really going to learn is based on what your own family sits down to eat every night. In this sense, I think it's just as important to educate parents, so that they can be the ones starting children on a good diet from an early age.
Education is a central theme in many potential solutions to public health issues. I think that this article does a great job at stressing that issue. I believe, especially here in America where unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise have become habit, it is important to think prevention. What better way to do so than to focus on childhood education.
ReplyDeleteIn pre-school and throughout grade school we are taught the important concepts of math, science, writing, reading, etc. but what most if not all schools fail to regularly teach, is the importance of healthy lifestyle choices like this. Of course, there is the occasional health course or mention of the importance of exercise in a physical education class, but I guarantee if we look back on our grade school days, these lessons were mostly non-existent. I think that it would be taking a giant step in the right direction if we were to make this kind of education a mandatory part of the curriculum starting from when the child enters school. Just like math, science and the other core subjects, these children can then build upon their knowledge year to year and hopefully lead themselves to develop healthy lifestyles in the future.
As mentioned in the first comment on this post, I think that it is also a responsibility of the parents to enforce these healthy habits on their children from a young age. Whether that be setting a reasonable bed time, or monitoring their food intake, health lifestyle habits are developed by example. I realize however, that this solution is already known. Instead, the issue is how to put the solution to work. How do we educate and monitor parenting?
I whole-heartedly agree with the article/previous comments, especially about promoting a healthy lifestyle at an early age. I am also a strong supporter of the idea that it is the parents' responsibility to teach their children how to live healthy lives. However, I agree with the second post that it would be a challenge to tell parents what to teach their kids. Nowadays, many childrens' programs on TV are advertising and promoting at least 1 hour a day of outdoor activity, but do they really expect a 5 year-old to take the initiative to exercise every day rather than watch TV and play video games? I believe that a child's health rests largely on his/her parents. One possible way to educate parents about how to promote a healthy lifestyle could take place before the child is even born! What if every OB/GYN made it essential to remind/teach parents about how to promote an active, healthy lifestyle for their children? I believe that forward-thinking educational programs is the key and could help lead to a healthier generation of younger Americans.
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