Part 2 – Diets and Media

As of late I've been reading media and watching social media in particular. Of course I've been looking up various recipes and diet items. My previous entry was touching on Fad and crash diets and GMOs. I continue with this and note that Holistic eating – such as outlined here– can be both beneficial and not. Some of it is good tips, like portion size and not eating a lot of preservatives and so on but when it comes to the freshly grown vs GMO, I have to disagree. This is highly promoted in media among other things and I am constantly being bombarded by ads of supplements and how to do things “naturally”. Some of which has is foundation in science but as Bill states, a lot of things have not been tested and this is why for the most part don't work let alone for example, he used an antacid example that a holistic or “natural” one is actually watered down and I have seen this. Most of the things that claim to be natural actually aren't or those that are saying less fat or less sugar actually have more in it that's bad for you like aspartame.

Here is another that I could dispute and though there is no actual scientific proof, it has been known to work or is an “alternative”, Reiki. One of Bill's panel members did state that some of these ancient practices could be possible it's just that we haven't explored yet. Reiki is using vibrations to heal the body and spirit. It's also like yoga where it has been known to massage and relax the body and has become quite popular too though more scientifically proven to help the body physically.

Now I move on to a huge social media lady. I've looked up the Human Barbie. I've talked about her before in the past and how she is still living I'm not sure when she says that she can survive on air and water entirely and is from a different planet. Putting her spiritual beliefs aside as I am not one to judge of course, but how is this possible when our physical human bodies need to be sustained by food? I'm not sure how this is at all possible. What I have an issue with also is that there are others following her or doing their own thing to become a human barbie that clearly have self image issues. It's one thing to do it on yourself too and then encouraging and imposing your beliefs on your children!! When they are the most influenced! The most vulnerable! I realize that barbie and dolls in general and magazines say things should be one way with beauty but putting a doll in a child's hands is not what is encouraging this! It's the verbage, the pushing of eating habits and saying that this is the real deal and how you should be that is the problem. I grew up with barbie and dolls and knew that was not real. Real women and real people do not look like that. I was told and influenced by my mother who told me I had to eat healthy and that I had to cut down on fat or I'd be fat and so on and I know other girls whose mother's wanted them to be models or judged their own children because the media , even way back then, said that we had to be a certain way. Magazines were a big influence when I was young and now it's TV, magazines, music, social media is a huge one! Social media is the worst with the selfie generation. They are judging each other with the amount of likes you have and that makes you popular now. We have polls and encourage the who's “hot or not”. I have a problem with this. This is what makes little girls and boys have issues with their bodies and body shame in all kinds of ways. It's become even more cruel and has driven to a raise in suicide. I will touch that again later as I've talked about it in the past.

As I said do what you want, if she wants to look like a barbie, ok, though it's not realistic to think that getting that way didn't take surgery and make up to do it and that she was born that way. She wasn't. Anyone who thinks that's realistic or supposed to be the natural way, I personally don't agree. I may not like the fat belly I have or the acne I have but there are other parts of me that I do like and wouldn't change or can't change. Which is something that Bill also touched on and the panel disputed is how much of what you look like is genetics vs how much of it is actually you working on it? The one lady was a personal trainer and the other a psychologist and doctor. As per the doctor, she said about 80% I think it was, is genetics. There are some things we can alter or try to maintain like weight or muscle tone but we can't change things like our bone structure or how tall we are.

Now the next thing I'd like to talk about is stationary lifestyle, gaming and how this affects the mind and affects our youth. I've talked about it before in the past as I've seen the influence of games like Grand Theft Auto on a young one of 4 years old. I strongly believe that when you're anywhere younger than a 18 year old for those games that you are being influenced by negative behavior without parental supervision. Now Bill Nye touched on this also but he didn't quite touch on the influence of it on children that age but more so the older and how they've done studies that show that these are good for your health and that you can do things better and that they are using gaming tech to teach surgeons etc. Which is all well and good and I agree totally that there are benefits that way. One of the disputes though was that socially speaking it can cause problems. Did you know also that it's mostly women that game? I didn't know this! That and that it seems to be the mid teens and up for men that have the socially awkward issues. My problem with any shows, books, or gaming is not that of it's nature entirely. All of it can be educational and I think with the right kind of stimuli and tech it can be used properly such as the case of my nephew who needed speech therapy and has some learning issues or learns in a different way I should say. To shove a phone in a baby's hand though or to use it as a babysitter and not monitor the content, that's the problem and they start from a young age to develop issues socially, causing more introverts, more violence, loneliness and social awkwardness, the list goes on. The brain does not develop properly that way and it is also encouraging that what is seen is the real thing. Without guidance in the real world how are we to know? As parents, as adults it is our duty to show that this is not the real way. That no, you can't fly, no you can't really dig a hole to China, no you can't and shouldn't steal cars and kill people because that's wrong!!! Without being told this we think that this is reality and cause danger to ourselves and can go to jail!

Lastly about parenting and vaccines and illness. Vaccines do not cause autism!! How do I know? Because I've been vaccinated! I have had all my vaccines and am not autistic, same as my siblings! I can only encourage that those who are parents please get vaccinated. Not only because of what Bill Nye has said in his episode about it, but also my niece. My niece you see had cancer. Perhaps she couldn't get all of her vaccines but all it took was one child while she was in remission to come to school with a flu to get her sick and she took a turn for the worse. She passed away from leukemia when she was only 4 years old, not even five months after her 4^th birthday. Some might say well why didn't she stay home? She could have but why did that child who was sick stay home? Why did the parents take it upon themselves to still send them despite the letter that went out that if your child is sick to keep them home and if they are not vaccinated then get them vaccinated. Why let them come to the school sick spreading it to many others not just my niece. This still makes me angry. To have parents say that oh well it's going to cause problems and they're healthy cause they eat this or that well that's not true!! Anyone can get ill. Something that Bill touched on as an example is polio where India is still recovering from it but there are other parts of the world that still have it! I did not know this at all as we , I , in my lifetime here in North America has not seen the devastation that these diseases cause. It's a scary thing when you see it! This is why we are a first world country in that way is that we have conquered most of these type of huge diseases (though we have others to deal with), that wipe out populations! ( I will be touching on population and encouragement of women's health in the next post).

I can't stress how much one should read and research before making a decision and be informed. Speak to your doctors. One thing that was mentioned was from a mother who didn't get her children vaccinated who then later regretted it. She mentioned the media and how that influenced her initial decisions and then speaking to doctor's she felt that they really weren't listening. So I have something for all you folk to take away. Doctor's and friends and family, don't disregard anyone's concerns! They are legit! And yeah if someone says well I read this or that, then argue it if you know otherwise yes but be respectful. Don't roll your eyes and say well.. this is this way. No say it in a way that is supportive and empathetic please and thank you. As I've said in my previous post, that nurse, had she been a bit more supportive I wouldn't have felt the way I did after. My dad and a few other of my friends probably would have been diagnosed sooner and had help sooner if the doctor had only been supportive and had friends or family listened. Next, please I beg you to take it seriously when you or your child are ill! Don't , I repeat, DO NOT! Come to work or send them to school for this very reason that another could get ill and be ten times worse and could possibly lead to death! There is a reason for this!!!