Yes, rickets, the bone disease that was ever so popular in the unenlightened 19th century is now making its triumphant return in the 21st to the coddled children of America.
Studies are being launched to see just how pervasive these increased incidents of softening bones and increased bone fractures are in children. The three causes: kids not drinking enough milk, not getting enough sun, and not enough exercise.
Is anyone surprised about this?
Parents keep their kids out of the sun because of all the fears that that UV rays will cause skin cancer. More and more schools are doing away with recess because of fears over lawsuits or having to deal with behavior that they can’t control. Good old fashioned running around and playing is replaced with carefully controlled play dates. Little kids are constantly chugging down fruit juices rather than milk. Half the peak bone mass happens during adolescence, a time when today’s teens aren’t exercising or drinking milk or going outside, but instead sitting cloistered in front of computers or vegging out listening to iTunes and drinking soda.
This isn’t a rant over how kids today are no good. It’s how parenting and schooling that skids between sloppiness and overprotectiveness is once again not getting the job done.
PAD
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