socially responsible acts for helping obesity

Suzanne posted a comment yesterday in response to my rant about Halloween candy. She said there was a Fairfax dentist who was "buying" back Halloween candy from kids, and then the kids could use that money to buy toys or something else of value to them (hopefully not equity stocks or REITS from their new york brokers).

I loved that act...the dentist had a plan to do his part to lessen the risk of the high-sugar candy on the children's teeth, but at the same time, was lessening their caloric intake.

What can we all do to be socially responsible as this relates to helping the nations largest health concern, obesity? At the Thanksgiving table, we should ensure there are tempting, NOT high-caloric choices that allow any overweight children and adults to still partake of the bountiful buffet of food, but it is not all mashed potatoes and apple pie. Christmas and New Years, do NOT give to overweight relatives and friends gifts of high-caloric candies, cookies, cakes, etc. as a show of love and caring. You can think of creative gifts that will not make them less healthy and increase their chances of an earlier death. Actively discuss your or your loved-ones's weight problems and bring the entire family in to discuss what actions may be taken to help reduce the risk of great harm to the affected person(s).

If we all thought of socially-responsible acts to help the problem of the obesity epidemic, perhaps it would not be an epidemic anymore!