'C' is for cookie - and calorie count, too?

I thought this article was pretty amusing but sad. It turns out that Sesame Street is now jumping on the band wagon and has begun promoting healthy eating and living habits. Though I'm all for a healthy lifestyle, it's a sad day when the Cookie Monster has to start singing about how cookies are "sometimes" foods and carrot sticks are "everyday" foods. He's the Cookie Monster! The word cookie is embedded in his name so regardless of what he's eating, they can't change what he stands for - cookies!

It's not the cookies that get me worried, it's that kids these days seem to be more and more beyond a parent's control that television shows have reverted to teaching children what is good and bad. I understand that parents are busier these days - pressure adds up from all ends of life and certain things get put on the back burner. But teaching children about healthy living habits seems pretty fundamental to me. I'm not criticizing any parents out there and not being a parent myself, I don't have a right to. But things like diabetes, ADHD, child obesity, and other preventable illnesses have become accepted in our society these days as being inevitable, where really the root of the problem can be stopped before it starts.

Kids will always like junk food over broccoli. That's just an innate feature they come with. My sister will always choose Cheetos over an apple when given the choice, and at the tender age of 6, she really doesn't have her mind on healthy eating. But, we've found that if she sees us eating an apple, carrots etc, or we've explained that oranges are as much of a treat as a lollipop, she seems to cave and go with the healthier choice. Whats better is that when we're eating better, she is quick to imitate.

The "secrets" from the article I thought were hilarious - but I didnt figure out it was made up until I read the one about American Idol (I really thought that Queer Eye... thing was true!). But what if this all comes true?? To be honest I don't think it's that far off. Ever since those two ladies in the US sued McDonald's and other fast food places for being the cause of their obesity, I believe pretty much anything. But what I didn't want to believe was that the Cookie Monster was no longer going to eat cookies. One day Cookie Monster...one day you'll have all the cookies you want...