What is wrong with parents that they can't take better care of their health?

Question

This is something a teenager might ask or be inclined to ask. What answers would be best for teenagers like this?

Answer 1

Unfortunately older people become victim of habit.

I have a near-teen daughter, and she lives with her father and step-mom part of the time, and with me and her step-dad part of the time. My spouse and I are very health conscious, my beloved is a personal trainer. We both eat healthfully and work out, we do not smoke and drink only in moderation. At her other household, however... Her father, step-mom and grandmother are all obese and her dad smokes. I feel it shows a tremendous lack of responsibility to take such lax care of themselves -- basically assuring my daughter a future *without* them, and they are poor examples to her.

The best answer to a teen is that sometimes people do not see the ramifications of their actions while they are engaged in them. I advise my daughter to live the healthiest life she can, do what *she* knows is right, and hope it inspires the other members of that household to do the same.

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Answer 2

Right. When we become parents we put everything else ahead of ourselves - we need to earn money for the kids, we need to have time for the kids, we need to have time for our spouses, we need to have time for our own parents and siblings and friends. You always think - I will take care of myself later, but the time never seems to come (and if it does it doesn't seem to last very long). Put on top of that the damage that stress does to a person and you have a recipe for disaster.

Another thing about adults, it is very hard to really understand that group because they are always on the move. Children can be studied in schools, elderly can be studied in homes or retirement communities - but adults are not ever really in one place long enough for a proper study for understanding the habits of folks 24-50 (parenting years) to better instruct us how to take good care of ourselves. We are surrounded by pharma ads and vitamin ads and look young mysteries that we don't have time to ask a doctor about.

I think the only way to address this issue is to teach it better in our communities - not the 1 hour a week health class, but by a Real Life set of courses that teach people how to take care of themselves, the importance of relaxing and how to destress. While we are at it, let's have some parenting classes too. Parenting is a bewildering world of service to others and a need to be great at it, with no training at all in most cases. If we as parents can't lead by example, maybe we can teach it in our schools and help the kids teach us the better way.

Peace!

Answer 3

When you busy taking care of family needs... health comes in second

Answer 4

they use denial to deal with these issues because they don't want to face the facts.