Spread Of Poor Habits: A Personal Analysis

Growing up, every day that my mother would pick my brother and me up from school, we would fantasize about the possibility that on that day, when we got home, I would walk to the pantry and he to the fridge and upon collective opening of those doors, would find a plethora of snacks and candies that would fill our bellies, leaving us sugar-riddled and satisfied. Yet, upon reaching our respective destinations, those doors would swing open and our hearts would sink upon finding only various jars and bowls of nuts and seeds, dried fruits and chopped veggies; the exact opposite of what two hunger-stricken teenagers were looking to eat. That is, until my mom would somehow create the most delicious meals for us out of what we once thought were completely …show more content…
Families feeding their children poorly, who grow to feed their next generation the same; never allowing themselves to learn the truths about how they are fueling themselves. This systematic transfer of poor habits has become a nationwide epidemic of sickness and the mistreatment of our ever-important bodies. Noticing these trends has inspired my passion for contributing to addressing these ongoing problems. Professionally, it is my dream to help children who are suffering from health problems attributed to what they are consuming, or a lack of activity and nutrition in their lives. My hope is to help bring them back to a better, healthier place. So many ailments caused in adolescents by poor eating habits are brushed aside by families in lieu of easier, yet more detrimental, habits. For example, I have invested much of my time in researching childhood type II diabetes. This is such a rampant yet preventable disease, that can be overcome with progressive small changes and support. In many cases issues in one child in a family will also be present in the parents and other children. So, working with families as a whole to change their habits and make a better future for their children and their children’s children is where I would truly like to invest my …show more content…
Each year, this school invites a group of foreign exchange students to move into their on-campus residence hall to study English and get accustomed to American culture before heading to their own new respective high schools. As a volunteer for the program, I was part of a team responsible for making sure the girls were nourished to sustain themselves throughout the day. In addition, I was able to speak with them and teach them about the importance of fueling our bodies with whole, beneficial foods. As part of the program we allowed the girls to help us prepare their meals from beginning to end, while teaching them the importance of sustainability. Weekly, the girls and I would take a trip out to our campus gardens to harvest a variety of other produce to be used in their upcoming meals. I was inspired to see these young women begin to truly appreciate their food from source to plate, and felt so honored to be a part of that process. I have continued to work with the school, now as a residential advisor in the foreign-exchange dorm, and have been allowed to continue teaching the students about proper nutrition. Spending time with these girls has allowed me to learn about diets from their various home countries. This has widened my own understanding of nutrition around the world. I seek to collect observations of