Dear Source:
"National TV Turnoff Week" will be celebrated this week April 24 to April 30 here in the Virgin Islands. Not only Carnival is celebrated here, the benefits of not turning on your TV for a week should be encouraged!
While waiting for a children's event to start, grab a book and read to your children about the importance of V.I. culture and history. They will love to see the mixture of new and old in their minds and right before their eyes! Go and join the friends of the libraries in your area. I know that you can join the Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries on line at www.fostpl.org today. There are many programs that you can join with the Friends. On average U.S. children spend more time in front of the TV than in school learning. We spend about 900 hours in school and over 1000 hours staring at a box at home. Is it any different here in the V.I.?
Get out and work out for Carnival instead of watching TV. Run or walk in the Carnival mile on Saturday morning held by the St. Thomas Association of Roadrunners. Just think, you can impress your friends and get a great seat before the parade begins. Not only that, but you are helping to support the American Red Cross! Watch what you eat and the proportions during the fair and village. Sometimes smaller is better; savor every bite this week. The obesity levels for our children between 6 and 11 have just about doubled in the last 20 years. This means that in adolescence our children have an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes because of your eating habits. Parents teach your children what to eat and what to avoid. There is also an increased risk of joint problems, heart disease, asthma and some forms of cancer with diabetes.
Can we afford to lose another cultural legend like Nick "Daddy" Friday to this disease? He will be sorely missed this year. It is reported that over 40 percent of Americans frequently watch TV during dinner. Can you change this statistic here as well? Turn off the video games and devices and play a game or puzzle with your children.
Make a change this week for you and your family. Happy Carnival everyone and turn off your TV!
Jason Budsan
St. Thomas
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