O.K. Lets face it, we, as American parents aren't doing such a great job with our children. The majority of us aren't paying enough attention to our children. We can't, because we're too busy paying the bills.

I read in my local newspaper that we really aren't paying enough attention to what our youth are eating. As a result, our kids are eating what tastes good to them. They are becoming very overweight and developing type 2 diabetes because of it.

So, who do we blame for it? Do we blame big business with there clever little ads making it simply irresible to keep from trying their extremely fattening products? No. Their capitalists. Its in their nature to convince you to buy their products. They have to pay their employees who have families. No, we can't blame the capitalists, we only have ourselves to blame. We are not paying enough attention to what our children are eating.

Twice as many youngsters and teens are taking medication typically used to prevent type 2 diabetes than just four years ago. According to a study released late Tuesday(April 4, 2006) by Express Scrips Inc. of Maryland Heights, one of the nation's largest pharmacy benefit managers.

The release of the study coincided with government research that found more U.S. kids are overweight, which is a major cause of type 2 diabetes.

"This study is the first of its kind nationally to reveal the long-suspected national increase in prevalence of children with or at risk for diabetes", said Emily Cox, Express Scrips senior director of research and one of the study's lead authors.

"The findings could have big implications for the nation's health system, largely because type 2 diabetes is often accompanied by serious and expensive medical complications." said Mary Jo Feildstein, a columnist of the St. LOUIS POST-Dispatch. Ms. Feldstein also wrote in her story some interesting facts about this often deadly disease that I would like to share with you. She wrote:

IMPACT OF DIABETES

* Two to four times more likely to be diagnosed with a heart disease.

* Twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction,

* Ten times more likely to need an amputation

* Frequent complications include blindness, high blood pressure and difficulty with pregnancy

And nobody wants see this happen to our children. Our hospitals are already full of sick little boys and girls. If all that we have to do is pay a little more attention to what our children are eating, isn't it worth it to keep the numbers of the next study down? Please let's do our part. I will, how about you?

Well, that's it. And as always, I hope you find this article both informative and entertaining. May GOD bless you always, and in always.