Children's changing health

When my children were younger (they're 16, 19 and three weeks short of 21 now), there was some concern among some parents about keeping the kids active. Computers weren't all the rage quite yet and movies were only available in VHS (or beta!), so TV was really the major competition for exercise.

I did notice, very early, that there weren't kids playing outside in the same numbers as when I was a child. When we brought our kids to a local park, there may be a few other children playing, but very often, ours were the only ones there. This was the same park I played at as a child and was always full of kids - alone - all day long.

I know that things are different now, particularly with most families having both parents working, but we have to look at what this is doing to our children. For many, the only physical activity they get is in organized sports (if parents can afford it) or gym class at school (if they have it).

I've seen playgrounds at schools where children are banned from playing any of the active games that we played, for fear of injury. One friend even told me that tag was banned at her cousin's school because too many children were getting hurt running and tripping on the concrete. You see, many schools don't have grass either.

Add to that, many of the kids who would have walked to school in "the old days" are now driven by parents, the lack of time on weekends to go outside and play because of all the stuff that needs to be caught up, is there any wonder we're looking at record numbers of obesity, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes in *children*?

It's just going to get worse. The more we try to protect our kids, the worse we are making it for them. Here are a couple of the most recent stories in the news: Inactive kids face 6-fold risk of heart disease by teen years, study finds and Keep on running.

We worry too much about our kids - seriously. I know a few people I knew thought I was nuts to let my kids do some of the stuff they did. My oldest used to go outside with his friend, on their bikes, and go dirt bike riding near the river and across some farm land behind our house (we live in a suburb that borders some farms). They'd be gone for hours. My daughter didn't get into the same sort of thing, but she did dance competitively for quite a while and played organized sports. My youngest son did some of the stuff his older brother did, but he got more involved with wilderness and camping stuff - and he's involved in a weekly floor hockey program.

We have to go back to letting kids be kids. There has got to be a better way to balance our need to protect them with their needs to be free to do things that will help them grow up strong and healthy.

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Alternative therapies

For some people, conventional Western medicine just doesn't cut it for their problems. Either it doesn't work, it doesn't work well enough, or they feel that there has to be something better out there.

I believe that we can use both conventional therapies and alternative therapies together to get the best of both worlds. I have used acupuncture and love it. I've undergone chiropractics and don't love it. I'm willing to try other forms of alternative therapies too. But - I'm lucky. Our insurance covers at least part of it, which makes it fairly affordable. But what of those who can't afford it? Must they do without?

In Canada, the province of British Columbia is addressing the issue: BC acupuncture coverage begins April 1.


I think that's great news. At least it gives more people the option. And, if acupuncture does help what ails them, it could lessen the drain on the conventional medical system. I look at it as a "if we don't try, we'll never know" program.

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Diabetes and foot care

Most people understand that diabetes has something to do with the blood sugar in the body and that this causes problems, but many people don’t understand exactly what some of these problems can be.

When I worked on a medical unit, I frequently had patients who were newly diagnosed with diabetes. This meant that a lot of patient teaching was needed about the disease, lifestyle changes, and how to prevent complications. Of all the patient teaching I ever did, nothing brought about more disbelief and questioning than foot care. So much so that frequently, the part about foot care would to in one ear and out the other. The article 63 percent of diabetics risk serious foot problems by wearing the wrong-sized shoes tells me that I wasn’t that far off with thinking that way.

Why is foot care so important for people with diabetes?

Your body is only meant to have a certain amount of blood glucose (sugar). Too low causes problems as does too high. The higher sugar eventually causes damage to the blood vessels and nerves throughout the body. Because your feet are the furthest away from the heart, they are most easily affected by poor circulation.

If your nerves are affected, you can have a constant type of nerve pain or you can start losing feeling in certain parts of the body, like your feet. If your circulation and nerves are working properly and you get a blister or cut, you feel it and usually can try to take measures to keep this from worsening, as well as trying to heal the wound. But, if your circulation is compromised, you may not feel the wound starting. Once the wound has started, because the circulation is poor, it is harder for it to heal and can easily become infected. It then becomes a vicious cycle.

People with diabetes who develop wounds in their feet can end up having to have their foot amputated if the wounds can’t be controlled. Of course, this results in more health issues. Great care needs to be taken to be sure the wound heals properly and doesn’t cause other problems. Ambulation (moving about) becomes affected as a wheelchair may now be needed. This results in social isolation and there are other physical issues that result from being in a wheelchair.

So, how does someone with diabetes protect the feet? Here are some simple rules:
- make sure your shoes fit properly and do not cause wounds
- wear socks with your shoes
- avoid high heels that can put too much pressure on the bottom of the feet
- shop for shoes at the end of the day when your feet are usually a bit swollen
- don’t walk around barefoot
- wear socks inside out to prevent the seam from rubbing against the toes
- check your feet every day while cleaning them
- don’t rub your feet clean – pat gently
- ensure your feet are completely dry before putting on socks
- if you want to apply a cream to cracked heels, be sure it is absorbed well
- do not self treat any corns, warts, or calluses; see your doctor or foot care nurse
- when cutting nails, be sure to cut straight across, not curved down at the sides
- keep your feet protected in the winter, keeping them warm
- notify your doctor or foot care nurse of any blisters, cuts, wounds, or other problems with the skin on your feet or toes

This is a situation where prevention is truly the most important weapon. Take care of those feet because you don’t know how much you depend on them until you can’t use them!


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