Letter to the Editor

This is my letter and the analysis follows. I hope everything posts ok, im a little computer illiterate. ;-) February 5, 2008 You Tell Us Parenting 135 West 50th Street New York, NY 10020 RE: "My Kids Were Fat" Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the exceptional article “My Kids Were Fat” published in September 2007 issue of Parenting magazine. This article sheds light on childhood obesity, an issue shrouded in mystery that has seen a steady increase in numbers recently. Although I am not yet a parent, in my studies as a nursing student, I have become aware of the dangers children can face in latter years if they are not taught proper nutritional practices from an early age. It is essential for parents to equip their children with the tools necessary to live happy well-adjusted lives and nutrition is no exception. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity related complications kills almost as many people every year as tobacco, would you encourage your children to smoke. Thank you, Nordia Matthews Phoenix, AZ And the analysis .... Bomp, bomp, bompppppp!!!!!!! Nordia Matthews Professor Jolly Eng 102 Sec1580 February 6, 2008 Analysis When I originally received this assignment, I was a bit unsure of exactly how to proceed. I started researching various publications and opted for an article out of a parenting magazine. I reviewed several issues of the magazine and noticed that most of the letters published were from parents in response to advise provided. I also noticed that both negative and positive responses were printed and the letters were of varying length. This presented a particularly difficult situation of establishing my credential without any personal experience as a parent to validate my position. I also had many important points I wanted to elaborate on but the length constraints of the letter prevented me from doing so. Initially I wanted to let the reader know the exact article to which I was referring, in order to establish a point of reference. I felt this was also an important place to state my position on the article and used words like “exceptional” to convey the depth of my feeling. I thought that many of the articles in the magazine provided farfetched suggestions and unrealistic ideals for modern parents to follow, but the obesity article was a definite exception. I wanted to imply this difference without wasting valuable space detailing my feelings about the other articles published. Once I had selected the publication, I knew that my inability to relate as a parent would make it more difficult to convey my information and opinions without alienating the majority of the readers. However, the magazine seemed inclined to print a variety of articles so I felt that addressed the right way, my parental status may be advantageous to getting my letter printed. I had to establish my position without appearing condescending or judgmental, which would be hard to accomplish without personal stories to back it up. I chose instead to address the medical aspect of the issue and used my position as a nursing student to help provide credibility. I made a point stating that problems that can result from improper nutritional habits in hopes of awakening the protective nature of most parents. I wanted to stress the lifelong effects of proper nutrition without focusing on anything particularly alienating, I used words like “happy” and “well-adjusted” to portray the potential results of proper nutritional practices. Another point I wanted to stress the lack of awareness on this issue. I knew that diction was probably my most powerful weapon because I would not have the opportunity to provide elaborate details or supporting facts. I opted for the pathetic appeal to try to provide people with a more accurate understanding of how serious this issue has become. In closing, I compared the statistics of obesity-based deaths, a relatively unknown or disregarded condition, with the more familiar statistics of tobacco related deaths. This helped to further establish my authority on the subject as well as give parents some concrete relations. It also helped to express the severity of the issue by connecting cigarette smoking with improper nutritional habits. I found it very challenging to express my position definitively due to the extreme constraints on length. Most of the letters printed were under a hundred words and I constantly revised in an attempt to convey as much passion and information as possible in the least amount of words. I also had to ensure that the tone of the letter was not offensive to potential readers who may be facing this battle in real life, especially writing from the perspective of some one who is not a parent. I hope, after reading the letter parents will want to learn more about teaching their children healthy eating habits and ways to combat childhood obesity.