2014 was a great year for longevity experts in Canada. The numbers were glowing[ref]http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/life-expectancy-in-canada-hits-80-for-men-84-for-women-1.2644355[/ref]. We are among the top in the world for longevity in both men and women. . . .
Unfortunately, science can be misconstrued to produce the result we’re looking for.
[ctt tweet=”Canadians are among the top in the world for longevity in both men and women.” coverup=”KidtS”]
That’s not new. Remember big tobacco companies telling people that smoking was actually good for your health? They even produced some “science” to back it up. I don’t think you could convince anyone that smoking was good for their health today.
So back to our 2014 life expectancy prediction by the World Health Organization. The key word here is prediction.
Several years ago our own Canadian Parliament commissioned a study on children’s health that found we were at risk for declining life expectancy if we don’t aggressively tackle obesity and inactivity in our children. This was a prediction.
Scary, but again, just a prediction.
The encouraging thing from the Canadian study is that it rejuvenated some passion to get our kids active. Even simple things like the new ad campaign from participACTION has people really thinking about their kids “screen time”.
The problem with the World Health Organization is that they are looking a global trends, unlike the Canadian study that had a better pulse on our country’s reality.
[ctt tweet=”The Canadian study had a better pulse on our country’s reality.” coverup=”4ICfS”]
Some predictions carry more weight than others (no pun intended).
What other predictions should we pay attention to?
Did you know there are more that 1000 studies on how poor posture effects longevity and mortality? (National Library of Medicine, PubMed) 1052 in fact.
That is a lot of science.
Yes, I absolutely agree that our kids need to be physically active; and if I could get away with it, I would get rid of 90% of the “screens” and “devices” on the planet.
I think the world would keep on turning just fine.
But think of the posture of our kids when they are on their screens? When they are carrying their backpacks? When they are reading and studying? When they are standing talking to their friends?
Those 1000+ studies tell us what we already know. Poor posture leads to poor health. That’s a prediction that has been proven, not just supposed.
[ctt tweet=”1000+ PubMed studies tell us poor posture leads to poor health.” coverup=”t6dGB”]
Everybody knows this is the truth, not just a scary prediction.
You don’t need your PhD in physical medicine to know that. Ask anyone you know, “Are people with poor posture healthy or sick?”
They may not be sick today, but just give it time.
What can we do about it?
That’s why it is so important to have our kids checked by a chiropractor that focuses on postural correction. As much as our culture focuses on getting out of pain. . . the real key to success in health is performance. Optimal human performance is only possible with great posture.
The reason posture is so critical to longevity is because poor posture is a sign that the nerve system is getting hit.
Here’s some science that we should listen to.
In 2011, a Japan study showed that poor neck posture caused a chronic release of stress hormones within the brain. After a chiropractic correction to the neck, the amount of circulating stress hormone went down.[ref]Ogura, Takeshi and Manabu Tashiro, Mehedi,Shoichi Watanuki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kazuhiko Yanai. Cerebral Metabolic Changes in Men After Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Neck Pain. Alternative Therapies. 2011, November/December; 17 (6): 12-17.[/ref]
The authors concluded that chiropractic treatments have a positive influence on the central nervous system, resulting in pain reduction.
[ctt tweet=”Chiropractic treatments have a positive influence on the central nervous system.” coverup=”QqfA_”]
But more importantly, for our children, it also showed that chiropractic care can enhance the body’s stress response, boosting immunity and helping to improve overall health.
Ask any mom you know if today’s kids have to “deal with stress’.
I think you all know the answer to that one too.
So yes, get your kids active. Turn off the TV, iPad and smart phone. But don’t ignore their posture. And it’s just not the “normal” kids that are at risk. The high level athlete will often run an even greater risk of postural problems because of the repetition and time spent perfecting their sport.
Where do we start?
If we really want to erase the negative predictions of our kids future health, we need to get back to practical and effective strategies that deal with the big problems like posture.
Yes, we need to tackle obesity and inactivity BUT “skinny” kids with bad posture are at risk too.
If we’re really going to raise this generation to be stronger, smarter, and healthier than us, we need to look at all the things that are blocking them from reaching their potential.
Exercise, nutrition, relationships, and neurology (posture) are the simple keys to prioritize in our children’s lives.
Interestingly enough it’s what makes our adult lives successful too:)
Imagine that.
If you are having trouble finding a chiropractor in your area that specializes in postural correction then connect with us. Leave a comment below or contact us at our office (250-870-9136) and we’ll try our best to connect you with a chiropractor in your area that does corrective work.
