By: Blakely Greenwell

Parents start influencing their children from the moment they leave the womb. From the color they paint the nursery, to the warnings of choosing a trustworthy group of friends. It is pretty safe to say that parents impact their offsprings’ choices in life­, and most of the time these choices are meant to protect them from making the same mistakes they did.

One would think that if a parental figure would literally jump in front of a speeding bus to save their baby, they would also have the motivation to keep their child at a healthy weight. Part of protecting your child should include setting a pathway for a long, healthy life. Part of this journey does not include spending everyday in the McDonalds drive-thru if the child is already struggling with their weight at five years old.

Sure, the blame could be placed on the ever-growing fast food chains, or the lack of time parents have between jobs, but when it comes down to it, no one is forcing people to feed their kids fast food everyday.

The smile on the five-year-old’s face when the get their fifth “Whopper” this week, will soon fade when they are 16 and battling obesity and diabetes.

If parents are willing to risk everything they have to make sure their child is happy and successful in life, why would they jeopardize their health? A five-year-old cannot make healthy choices for themselves, but the parent can give him or her a head start by keeping them active and not gorging them with enough greasy food to kill a horse.

Saying no to one happy meal will not kill the kid, no matter how pitiful they look, but a life of obesity just might.