Letters to The Editor

JEFFREY HERMAN, San Clemente

The city’s population is about 60,000. That means each councilmember currently represents the entire city’s population. But by changing to a district-based election, each councilmember would then represent just 12,000 residents instead of 60,000.

Given this fact, there is no sensible argument for not having district elections.

The ideal candidate representing a district would:

Reside in the district he/she represents (this should mandatory).

Hold weekly town hall meetings, choosing a different location within the district each week; issues brought forth

BY GINA COUSINEAU

and adults, is to improve eating and exercise habits for the entire family. So, I’ll ask the question now: are you willing to make change for the sake of your children’s lives?

Childhood obesity can lead to the same serious health problems that we typically see in adults, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol, and the ensuing diseases attached to these aliments.

It can also lead to depression and self-esteem issues that only add insult to injury, but with modest changes, we can alter the trajectory of not only our kids’ lives, but ours as well.

Let’s look at the risk factors, and then if concerned, have a conversation with your child’s pediatrician: by residents along with actions taken would be posted on that councilmember’s website.

Diet Quality: Do you see less wholesome foods filling out the bulk of your family’s food choices? How much sugar, sodium, and fat-laden foods are consumed in a typical day?

Lack of Exercise: Is regular movement/play part of your kid’s day? Sedentary behaviors are the norm today, courtesy of the internet.

Family Factors: This is where we must look at ourselves, especially if we struggle with overweight/obesity. Do we tend to choose high-calorie, highly palatable foods, and avoid exercise?

Conduct weekly street-by-street inspections of his/her district looking for deficiencies of city-owned property; results of each week’s inspection would be posted on that councilmember’s website.

Provide residents within the district with a phone number or email address.

Be responsive to complaints from residents within the district 24/7.

If a candidate does not agree to these minimal requirements, then that person is not serious about being a representative of that district and should not be voted into office.

The hubris and character insults by Mr. Wehle were rich.

His comments align with the human-caused climate change propaganda spreading throughout our world.

Psychological Factors: Food is often used to cope with stress and boredom. This emotional attachment to food starts very early in life.

Socioeconomic Factors: Depending on where you live, resources might be limited when we look to food choices and exercise opportunities.

Medications: Certain medications can cause weight gain, so be sure to speak to your child’s provider prior to starting new medications.

So, now what? Leading by example is the best way to make change. There is nothing wrong with occasional treats and splurges, but it might be worthwhile to log the food your family is eating for a few days to really evaluate food choices.

Planned family activities, like walking the dog, bike rides, and hikes, will benefit the entire family both physically and psychologically.

Contact us at info@mamagslifestyle. com for our free healthy eating plates and resource list to help you improve the quality of your family’s life.

Gina Cousineau, aka Mama G, is your local nutrition expert, chef, and fitness professional, with her BS in Nutrition and MS in functional and integrative nutrition. She uses a food-as-medicine approach for weight loss to health gain, and everything in between. Follow her on social media @ mamagslifestyle, and check out her website mamagslifestyle.com to learn more about her programs and freebies offered throughout the year. SC variety of opinions from our community, the DP Times provides Guest Opinion opportunities in which selected columnists’ opinions are shared. The opinions expressed in these columns are entirely those of the columnist alone and do not reflect those of the DP Times or Picket Fence Media. If you would like to respond to this column, please email us at editorial@danapointtimes.com.

Notwithstanding, being good stewards of our environment is imperative in sustaining a good quality of life. His indignity with religion and “right wing” thought demonstrates an intolerance to legitimate points of view and shows a “my way or the highway” mentality pervasive in parts of our society.

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San Clemente Times, Vol. 18, Issue 29. The SC Times (sanclementetimes.com ) is published weekly by Picket Fence Media, publishers of the Dana Point Times (danapointtimes.com) and The Capistrano Dispatch (thecapistranodispatch.com).

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