When did we become so stupid?

[AnnieO]

I just found this in the December Reader's Digest. It's from a small end of article blurb about complaints to travel agents.

No one told us there would be fish in the sea. The children were startled.

Yeah when husband and I saw this we both rolled. The world is dumbing down... So much for survival of the fittest.

 

[mstang67chic]

Bet she would have REALLY been startled if someone had told her that fish are where all of that fish poop comes from that she ingested whilst playing in the sea.

 

[GoingNorth]

Well, I know that growing up in a Kosher household, I was in my late teens before I even ate shellfish. I certainly ate peanuts.

I found this is interesting as observant Jews are much more likely to be allergic to shellfish than other ethnic groups (yes, Jews are both one of two ethnic groups, as well as being a religious group--it relates to marriage customs and the diaspora)

husband and I both grew up in the days of rooting around in the mud, making (and unintentionally eating) mud pies, going fishing and handling bait right before eating the picnic we'd brought with us, etc.

I'm not sure what the current allergists' take on all of this is. husband's medical team was made up of older doctors, some of whom had trained in Europe, and they very definitely attributed the increase in allergies and immuno-suppressive disorders to the overly sanitized environment modern kids are growing up with.

I had my last cold over two years ago, and threw it off within a couple of days. I do have hayfever and some other respiratory allergies, but not anything beyond sniffles and sneezing and itchy eyes.

husband had hayfever and was violently allergic to pine nuts of all things. He'd eaten them regularly as a child, and then hadn't had them for years and years. He got quite ill when he ate them again.

in my opinion, we have to not only give our kids as much freedom to be kids as we can, but we also have to give their immune systems as much freedom as possible to grow and develop.

 

[Suz]

While I agree that most of this is going overboard, I'm fatally allergic to bees and seriously allergic to shellfish.

I was at a JAFRA party many years ago and the face cream they produced had QUEEN BEE (royal honey) as one of the ingredients. I had no idea so I slathered it all over my face...well, the results of that---HIVES--- it was miserable...and I didn't even ingest it. You can imagine what it would be like if the dang bee had stung me!

I met someone recently whose daughter is so allergic to peanuts that he can't have a peanut butter sandwich and then kiss her on the cheek without her having a reaction.

Shellfish is like ptomaine poisoning. No thanks.

So, laugh all you want...I appreciate the food warnings.

Suz

 

[mstang67chic]

I'm not against the food warnings....they are needed at times. I just think the labels for obvious things are ridiculous. If someone who is allergic to peanuts needs an allergy warning ON peanuts....there's something wrong. Know what I mean?? LOL The same with the "how to open paper bag" label or the labels about not using your hair dryer in the shower.

 

[donna723]

I agree with the food warnings. They're a necessity. But I always wonder ... when I was a kid I didn't know one single child who was allergic to peanuts! None!

The rest, I think started when we got so lawsuit happy! The 'Warnings" are a CYA move for the manufacturers trying to cover every possible scenario. I've even seen warning labels on the 2 liter bottles of certain brands of carbonated soft drinks! It's warning you that the contents are under pressure and if the moon is in the right phase and if someone has put a curse on you, the cap could just possibly unscrew itself and fly across the room and hit you in the eye!

 

[KTMom91]

Good point, Donna. I don't remember anyone allergic to peanuts, either. Now, when I sub, I've seen huge signs posted at the entrance to classrooms that say PEANUT-FREE ZONE. Where does the kid who brought a PBJ put his lunchbox?

I agree with the warnings when an allergen is in something that it isn't necessarily expected to be in, but the ridiculous factor is increasing. Personally, I would like to know when malt flavorings or extracts, malted barley syrup, or malted milk powder are used. I'm still learning, through trial, error, asthma attacks, and facial swelling, what products have this item. Reading labels isn't always enough.

 

[muttmeister]

It seems to me we are getting more and more people with less and less common sense. Yes, I understand food warnings on labels for thing where you might not expect them: if you are allergic to peanuts you have every right to expect a warning on something fried in peaut oil where you might not know, but you are a moron if you need a warning on a bag of peanuts. If they sneak shellfish into your tuna salad, they need to tell you, but they certainly don't need a warning label on a bag of shrimp. If you can't figure it out, you shouldn't be walking around (and may reproducing) anyway. If you put a cup of hot coffee in your lap and then burn your whatsit when it spills, it serves you right. You are an idiot.

A lot of it is because people are allowed to sue over ridiculous things. NOt only do they sue; they win. I have no problem with people sueing when they are actually injured through no fault of their own but frivolous lawsuits are clogging up our court system and companies settle for large sums because it is cheaper than fighting for what is right.
As for the allergy thing, I know it was in the news a couple of years ago that they did a study and it showed that children raised with pets were far less likely to have allergies than those raised without pets. I taught school for 35 years and I can tell you, the kids whose mothers tried to raise them in a germ-free environment were sick everytime something was anywhere in the area. Those that played in the dirt, made mud pies, picked up snakes and mice, and were generally "dirty" were almost never ill. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that, while cleanliness may be next to godliness, you can have too much of a good thing!

 

[Star*]

Re: When did we become so stupid?

I had two answers. Both made the most sense as it pertained to my life.

1.) Immediately after "I do." (1st marriage)
2.) Immediately after "I will." (followed by difficult child conception)

Quite frankly? After surviving both, #1 & #2, it's quite possible that I need that notice on a package of nuts and the hairdryer.

 

[GoingNorth]

Growing up I only new two people with a severe peanut allergy. One was a kid that I babysat (he had a set of syringes and medications). The other was a VP in the department I worked for. He was about my age, maybe a little older, and oddly, his allergy kicked in as an adult.

He had no idea he'd become allergic to peanuts until he ate a few on an airline flight and reacted so quickly that it was lucky there was a doctor on the flight who could stabilize him while the flight was diverted.

Currently, the "ptomaine" type reaction is considered to be a "dietary intolerance" as opposed to being an actual allergy.

It's like me saying I am allergic to beans and dairy because I get a horrible intestinal reaction to them ( and for anyone around me, too).

It's not an allergy; I am lacking the enzymes needed to digest components of those foods. I was very happy when the OTC enzymes became available.

husband's reaction to pine nuts would've been considered an "intolerance" except that he also broke out in hives and sometimes started wheezing as well.

Thing is, in our generation kids quite often started eating off our parents' plates as soon as we were able.

In fact, I think that in addition to that minimizing future allergies, it might've avoided a lot of "picky eating". (Not talking Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) here--I have Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), but rather kids who refuse to eat anything but chicken nuggets and Kraft Mac n' Cheese)

 

[Hound dog]

Food warnings are necessary when a product may contain such food but the consumer has no way of knowing it does. That's what they were intended for. And people with those allergies need those warnings.

The others are ridiculous and make me fear for all our forcing kindergardeners to learn to read/write/and do math and having 2nd graders doing algebra.........that our population is getting dumber and dumber. Some of this may be due to lawsuits......but some is also due to the simple fact people are getting more and more stupid everyday.

I don't recall any kids with peanut allergy either growing up.......or even when my kids were growing up.....until just the past few years. Milk allergies are also on the rise as well as asthma, ect. All allergies are on the rise.

Nichole was deathly allergic to bees or anything that stung from the age of 1. pediatrician doctor never gave me an epipen for her. He wanted to try to have her grow out of it if possible. So if she got stung I was to give her benedryl and watch her.......if more was needed then run her to the ER. We had several close calls. But by junior high we'd reached the point where it was watch her reactions to the sting and only give benedryl as needed, no more ER visits. Most of the time she doesn't need the benedryl.

All of my kids were severely allergic to milk as infants. At 9 mos (with all 3) they were very gradually introduced to milk and milk products. By 18 mos all of them showed no more sign of the allergy. easy child is going thru this now with Brandon.....she's just begun the gradual introduction process.

The gradual introduction process doesn't work with many allergy patients, but with many others it does. Makes you wonder. Nichole has a variety of other allergies but was never "protected" from them. I just gave medications when symptoms warrented it, otherwise let her body handle it on it's own.

An allergy is just an overactive immune response. For some that response can be deadly.

But I do think in our ultra clean homes and such our children have become over protected. Most kids rarely even go outside to play.......How can your body learn to respond to things it's never been exposed to?

But putting instructions for a plastic bag and a warning for other such items is ridiculous. Survival of the fittest.

 

[AnnieO]

There is a difference between being clean and being obsessive.

For instance... I am allergic to cats. However, I've had them all my life, so unless I actually get dander IN my eyes, I'm fine. Now my oldest cat - Weasel - sleeps on my pillow - or on me! So her dander doesn't bother me. It's Possum's that is the worst.

Dogs - their saliva causes me to get hives, wherever they lick. But I have Bubbles now - and he can lick me - no problems. I get used to it quickly. The next-door neighbor's dog? SERIOUS hives. My father in law's dog? No problems.

Jett is also allergic to cats. However, when we got 50% parenting and now full legal/residential, his allergies have almost totally vanished. The only time they show up is when he has spent more than 5 days with BM. And since she recently got a cat - we will see on that one!

Now bee stings? OH, BAD NEWS. Onyxx and Jett have both been stung recently (last couple of years) - they, and husband, are fine. Me? Well... I'm deathly afraid, because the one time I remember being stung, it required a trip to the ER. doctor won't give me an epipen though, because it's been quite literally a couple of decades since. I don't run from them, though. Just sort of pray they won't sting.

Hay fever though is a bad thing in our house. Onyxx seems to be the only non-sufferer - so we keep several kinds of antihistamines on hand. I carry benadryl in the car with me (in case of sting, LOL - I have friends that live in the back of beyond).

 

[mstang67chic]

Mutt....AMEN SISTER!!!!! I swear sometimes you'd think this country was inhabited soley by people in need of constant supervision. If you're stupid enough to thaw out the frozen gas line on your car with a blowtorch, then you deserve the resulting explosion. Idiot.

Step....you do TOO run! I saw you!!!!!!

 

[Kathy813]

How about the warning to remove the silver wrapper before inserting a suppository?

 

[Suz]

How about the warning to remove the silver wrapper before inserting a suppository?

O.M.G.



Suz

 

[AnnieO]

Stang, I do not RUN, I move away.

I do not run, even when chased.

 

[susiestar]

I think we need to remember that this is yet another pendulum that society swings. We went from no warnings to some to way too many. this pendulum effect means that before too much longer we will start swinging the other way.

I appreciate some of the warnings. Back in the early 70s I knew I was allergic to MSG. I had the hardest time finding if it was in my food. In the 80's more foods were labelled and now most items in the grocery will tell you. Restaurants are the tricky thing.

When it came into the height of it's popularity MSG was used as a fruit preserver. It kept lettuce from browning for days. A restaurant I worked with had a big (2 gallon size) bin of it up on a top shelf. It was labelled to use on lettuce. Had a scoop in it. Some newbie ran across it and got it out to ask about it. Another newbie went to chop lettuce, saw it and put 2 huge scoops in the bin of lettuce. I was about 20 feet away when he dumped it in - per the instructions on the bin. I got immediately sick - had to grap a trash can as I ran to the restroom. Several other people did also. We were getting ready for the dinner rush and lost 3 of the 4 cooks needed for a slow day.

That bin had been up there, untouched, for at least five years. It was put there because no one knew how to dispose of it properly.

It explained why some salad bars used to give me migraines, including the one in my dorm at college.

Now even chinese restaurants say No "ADDED" MSG. Many of the foods and sauces they buy have MSG. They cannot control it. Just saying no added msg brings in business. I can eat at ONE chinese restaurant I know. They make everything fresh. No premade eggrolls, or dumplings or chicken. I give up on all other chinese restaurants. It jsut isn't worth the headache.

MSG labels I Like. I think, as bad as peanut allergies are, that those labels are needed. I think letting your child play with a plastic bag means you are too stupid to survive. The warning on the bag is only useful if a person actually reads and understands it.

I remember in high school I went to a rival college for a convention. A friend bought some fruit rollups at a store there. We had a good laugh because the plastic on the rollup had directions to remove it before eating. The rollup another friend brought from home had no rollup. We joked that it was because people at that university were dumb.

Sooner or later the pendulum will swing.

As for allergies to pets, everytime my bro came home he had to readjust to my cats. They made him miserable the first few days. Then he was fine.

Many of the things kids now react to, sadly, happen because they are in daycare. Daycares don't have mudpuddles, or they teach kids to stay out of them. Instead of a sandbox there is a raised sand and water table.

I like the Mrs. frizzle way of the world. Get Messy. Make Mistakes. Learn something!!