Short-Changed
June 30th, 2006 | by Loretta |To my disappointment, AM NY this morning was filled to the brim, and arguably overflowing, with articles about firework sites, theater performances and how the devil has a taste for Prada. Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the paper and there they were—the last few pages filled with sports articles.
Where were the health articles?
While I recognize the excitement for the nation’s holiday (despite the reality that some Americans often under appreciate the civil rights we have,) I can’t help but feel my morning is incomplete. Sure, the holiday is about fireworks, Independence, two primary colors and no color at all, but couldn’t they at least have talked about fried chicken, bacteria in coleslaw or the benefits of eating corn on the cob even when it has been grilled? Or maybe the importance of pre-applying sunscreen before heading out, drinking enough water, or other basic, common healthy habits that people constantly forget? Knowledge about good health should never have to take a holiday, especially in a country that says it is overweight and facing an epidemic.
Have we become say-ers and not doers? Perhaps it is this kind of sentiment that has been influencing me to go into public health and nutrition, rather than pursuing a career where I would get to wear a lab coat embroidered with my name, comma, MD. (Um…or DO/MS.)