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It’s funny how trends change.

In the 1950’s, you could not watch a movie without seeing just about every character in it smoking a cigarette. In the 1960’s, most sales were done over a 3 martini lunch. Very few now. That’s pretty much frowned upon.

Most trend changes like these are precipitated by a group of adults who decide something is “bad” and decide to change it. But for the long run, for the change to stick, you have to get it in the heads of kids.

Case in point:

In my own family there are a couple of stories. I recall my brother and sister-in-law telling us one night about how their kids came home from school to announce smoking was “bad.” Their parents didn’t smoke (well, at least not by then anyway), but others in the family did. My parents both smoked for decades until my mother got mouth cancer and my father came down with emphysema. They quit immediately. All of us around them benefited from their quitting the “bad” behavior of smoking. Now, you rarely see any character smoke in a movie. If you do, it’s usually the “bad guy.”

A couple of years pass. The same kids are a bit older. They come home this time and announce to their parents that drinking alcohol is “bad.” Hm. They must have gotten another lesson in school. So how did my brother and his wife handle this one? They quit drinking around the kids. They might have a cocktail after the youngsters were in bed but they went years like this; until the kids were older and understood that there is a version of drinking that can be done responsibly. Even the beer companies now use “drink responsibly” in their advertising. And TV commercials selling booze are gone.

I’m trying to start a new trend (along with several medical professionals). I want to make sugar the next “bad” thing. I’d like to see the kids of this generation come home and tell their parents that sugar is bad. How do we do it? With video productions like this one. I’d love it if you would watch the 4 minute video (below). Then think about how you can pass it along.

Do you have children? Show it to them.

Do you have adult children who have their own kids? Give it to them to show to their kids, or better yet, invite the grandkids over and watch it all as a group and discuss it. Kids in 6th, 5th or even 4th grade ought to be able to follow along with this and absorb the lessons.

Are you on the PTA? Get the Board to watch this and see where it can be shown next.
Are you involved in the curriculum at school? Can you get a showing of it at your community school?
Are you part of the YMCA or other social club in town? Would it be appropriate to show there?
Do you own a company? Supervise any group? Or have meetings where this can be an interesting topic of conversation?

You get my drift. I’d like this to be shown EVERYWHERE possible and start the conversation. Change the trend. Sugar is bad.

Enjoy!

Cheers,