Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and have dinner like a beggar.

Eating habits seem to have undergone a sea change.  The timings of meals are no longer adhered to; the type of food consumed is also changing. Even when there is a family member willing to cook, youngsters prefer eat outs and do not bother about calories.

I have seen many youngsters who skip breakfast and have late lunch.  Why?  Because they do not have the time.  They do not seem to realize the importance of breakfast and eating on time.  Their youth seems to carry them forward, but they will pay for it later. They are not willing to accept this reality, because future is a long way off concept for them.

There are a lot of young men and women who live alone or with roommates in the city. They are here for higher education or for jobs. They are forever rushing to and fro and have no time for a proper meal. 

The discipline of getting up a little early and having breakfast is not there.  It could be because of late nights, either due to work, commuting or due to entertainment.  Whatever the reason, the healthy habit of breakfast is missing. They grab a bite in the office or college canteen, it need not be healthy or nutritious.  Or they do without the breakfast altogether. 

Breakfast is supposed to break the fast that happens after the dinner is digested. The body needs fuel to function at optimum.  If it is denied this fuel, the after effects will be definitely felt later.

For the digestive process to work smoothly, food has to be ingested at regular intervals.  This food has to be nutritious, healthy and packed with all good things needed for cell growth and for the smooth functioning of the various systems we have.

When the youth do not have time for meals, what do they do when hungry?  They snack and this leads to health hazards, because the snacks are not the healthy kind.  It adds to the calorie count, hinders efficient digestion, and this leads to problems.

Another habit I have noticed is that the youth seldom drink water. They prefer guzzling down aerated drinks.  They feel only cold aerated drinks will quench their thirst.  This is a myth. Water is the only liquid that quenches thirst. An average person needs at least 8 glasses of water a day. Water is helpful in maintaining good digestion and also helps in flushing out toxic waste. 

Youth is the time for eating.  This is the time to build on those muscles and physique. But they must also exercise to burn the extra calories.  Ask a young woman or a guy to walk and they will be affronted. For them it is take either a bike or an auto. And for those who can afford, a car.  It is as if they have forgotten that their legs can carry them around and that these legs can bear their weight without any problems. 

So this combination of skipping meals, eating late, eating unhealthy food, less water intake and no exercise is making the youth of today a future patient. The effects of this lifestyle will definitely catch up with them later. Especially when young women go into childbearing mode.  Their pregnancy will not be healthy, as also their babies.

With all these wrong-eating habits if they also pick up habits like smoking and alcohol, then even God cannot help them.  Maybe this is the price our youth is paying for being a part of this fast paced world.  One can only feel sorry for them and hope they wake up before it is too late.

(4 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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