Did you know that being different makes you special? Some people have light skin, some have dark skin, some have brown hair, some have blonde hair, some are tall and skinny, some are short and fat. What a boring world we would live in if we were all exactly the same!

All over the world kids have different ways of doing things. They have different hobbies, play different games, celebrate different holidays. I bet even your friends do things differently than you do. Some sleep more, some play more, some are great at math and some are best at sports.

Do you have a favorite food? Maybe it is chocolate, maybe fruit, maybe even macaroni! We all need to eat, and there will always be foods that we like best, and food we don't like at all! Some people are fat, some are skinny. We all need some fat on our body to give it shape and to keep us warm. We all need different amounts of fat depending on what we like to do. Fat is like fuel. The more energy we use, the more we need. Athletes and dancers need more than artists and writers who do not move around as much.

Sometimes we aren't happy with the way we look. Some people want to be skinny, some people want to be fatter. Skinny people might eat lots of food, fat people may eat very little, but still they stay just the same. This is because different people have a different meatbolism. Metabolism depends on how a person changes food to fat, and how the body stores the fat. People with a high metabolism turn the fat into energy at a much higher rate, the food is used up quickly. Others have a slow metabolism and use it slowly, storing the fat in their body. This is just the type of body that they have.

A fat person might think that by not eating they will become skinny. But the rate of metabolism doesn't depend on the amount of food eaten. By not eating that person can become very ill. What can make a difference is exercise and activity, and by eating food with less fat. Foods like ice cream and cake have many calories. We measure the amount of energy each food will become by calories. When you eat foods with lots of calories you need to exercise more. If you don't use up the fuel that the food creates then it will stay in your body as fat. If you never exercise and keep storing up the fuel, then you become fatter and fatter. The best thing to do is develop a habit of eating healthy foods and enjoy an activity which will help use up the energy. No matter what your size is, it wouldn't be very healthy to eat donuts all day while you sit around and watch television! Even a very skinny person must eat healthy food and remember to exercise.

Some kids can't eat certain foods. It isn't because they don't like the taste, or are just fussy eaters. Sometimes people have allergies to certain foods, these foods will make them break out in a rash or become ill. Other kids have diseases like diabetes and their bodies cannot process certain foods. Some families may have certain beliefs in which they do not eat certain foods. This is all a part of being different.

The most important thing to remember, no matter what your size, is that you are different and that makes you special. Sometimes other people might be mean to you because you look different. Maybe they haven't learned that we are all different. Maybe they are not happy with the way they look or act, and are actually angry at themselves and not you. And maybe they want to learn how to be special, just like you. It's not what you look like on the outside that's important, it's how you feed your inside that will keep you healthy and happy.

More to Explore

10 Tips to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity For You - Things you can do right now to stay healthy.

The Food Guide Pyramid - A guide for daily food choices.

Food Keeps Us Well - Did you know your body needs food to grow and be healthy?

Rate Your Plate - How do you measure up?

Kid's Fun Recipes - Great recipe's from Dole's Five A Day.

Tossed Salad Cafe - Come play with your food!

Nutrition Cafe - Where nutrition is fun!

How many ways can you think of that makes you special? I bet it's a lot when you really think about it! I'd like to hear all about it.

Gayle Olson
Your guide for Science and Nature for Kids

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