The Growth Curve

I recently read a post about babies and how they grow. It seems that smaller, leaner babies grow up faster in later years and end up healthier for it.

So, maybe the obesity in America is not from over-indulgent parents as it is from the AMA's mis-conception that fat babies are health babies. After WWII, and the years of rationing, our nation became a juggernaut of manufacturing and agriculture. Suddenly the technology that was developed during the war was applied to the fields of grain, and we had more food that we could consume or give away. We became the best fed nation in the world, and our children shared in that wealth.

When my children were growing up, it was good news to know that they were at the top of the growth curve. Yes, as an over-achiever, I was proud that my kids were better than 90% of the rest of the pack! Now, I am told that it may not be a good thing to be better than the rest, that the other children may end up bigger and/or better than my offspring.

In the end, it doesn't really matter. I have learned that making everything competitive only leads to more aggravation and a wasting of energy. That is real growth in my mind.