To be shocked at the level of obesity of British children?

There is a definite and widely acknowledged correlation though.

I don't believe one needs money to make good food. Cooking skills, yes, but I taught myself from books and the internet. My mum didnt teach me anything.

Most immigrants to the UK have NO money-none- and they manage to make great food while holding down physical jobs, though of course UPF has infiltrated in successsive generations.

That's great you can do that. Working full time (and working from home) must be a big help both for money and time.

I think ultra processed food has a massive impact. It is quick, cheap, convenient, very widely available and addictive.

I dont find this.
I dont have a car.
I cook with a £30 pressure cooker.
My food bill for 3 adults per week is less than £80.
I work full time though I can WFH 3 days a week
My parents had even less money and they managed too. As do most first gen immigrants.

It is hard though.
We all know it is more expensive to eat healthier foods than not. There is a massive correlation between wealth and health (particularly obesity) - ie. the more affluent, the less likely to be obese. There are many factors to this ie. you can afford and have access to fresh, healthy food as well as a fully fitted kitchen with all the appliances& gadgets you need, you are able to pay energy bills without worry, you have a car to get to supermarkets, perhaps have more head space and time to be able to cook from scratch etc etc.
You can only eat what you have access to.

I was a complete bookworm as a child and have only just needed reading glasses now aged 48. I probably had a good balance of being sporty and outdoors a lot too though. I didn't get square eyes either from watching a lot of TV.

Interestingly I automatically made a correlation as a child that people wearing glasses were clever. Perhaps it was a constantly reinforced stereotype on TV.

I don't think we will change food in schools unless it is a nationwide initiative. Now is the time to shout about it.
I believe talking to my son (former GB athlete) average height is declining but weight is increasing. This will happen through excess carbs. Protein increases bone mass, sugar does not.
I am fat (so no fat shaming here) but no longer obese. I was treated for illness with steriods. We have an increase in childhood asthma due to environmental factors and obviously it's treated with steroids. Has this contributed?
My DC are grown up but I do worry re the food in schools, it's a national disgrace. If anyone knows of a current campaign to change please sign post it. I'm happy to help.

Ps.
Yes studies have found myopia can be down to reading at a young age. ie focusing on objects / books near to the eyes.

Nearsightedness is a marker of intelligence due to myopia. Not everyone nearsighted is intelligence though there’s just a strong correlation.

Children can be born with myopia or it can develope and its usually noticeable ages 8-12. It’s down to the development of the eye in terms of length and width.

To be fair, I think the scientific community has been taken aback by the rapid rise in myopia, in large part because the rise is too rapid to be explained by genetics.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38297353/#:~:text=Conclusion%3A%20The%20environment%20exerts%20a,slow%20the%20progression%20of%20myopia.

This comment will probably get deleted... but bad parenting.

If they only eat junk food (bad parenting), you can at least limit the amount they have to balance it out. It's not hard.

Fantastic. Been reassuring DD that it was just bad luck and generics that her eyesight is deteriorating but apparently its not.

Ironically, if it gets a lot worse, she might have to give up her sport...

I was aware there was some environmental effect but no idea it was material. I’m surprised more isn’t made of it.

There's definitely an environmental factor in eyesight. I've been short sighted since childhood whereas my brother is absolutely fine. He spent his childhood outdoors playing sports and I sat in watching TV and reading books. There's also evidence that crooked teeth are amplified by eating too many soft foods as a child. There needs to be more awareness of this stuff (as I sit here with my glasses on and crooked teeth!)

I agree

Noticed a lot of ultra orthodox Jews wear glasses, they also spend hours studying the Torah and the Talmud from a young age.
Malnutrition does affect eyesight especially in poorer countries.

It's not just genetic but people will argue because they wear glasses and feel personally attacked

I hear about these kids but not one of DCs friends could be said to be overweight! Every single one of them takes part in a sport in school or out - ant least football for most but many play multiple sports.
And watching the children come out of the school near our house - same- the kids all look fine.

I agree. I think a big part of our obesity problem is that it's no longer seen as good or necessary to say 'no' - to your kids or yourself. There used to be a very strong focus on disciplining children and on self-discipline which has been lost over the last few decades, and while that's definitely a good thing in some ways, it also means that when your kids whine for a snack, or that when you'd rather eat three Kitkats instead of a plate of meat and two veg, there's no need to (self) discipline. You just indulge yourself, or your kids.
When I remember how my grandmother (born 1926) ate, it's not surprising she was slim her whole life. She never allowed herself more than one slice of cake or two biscuits a day, she didn't snack, she never over-ate. Not because she didn't enjoy her food, but because she was brought up not to over-indulge. I hardly see that attitude anywhere now, it's mostly seen as cool and relaxed to over-consume food, social media, alcohol etc.

most of it is down to spending too much time indoors, and therefore a lack of daylight and looking into the distance

Really? Most of it? I have never heard this and I’m extremely short sighted. I know there is some impact on eyesight if you’re not outdoors enough but always thought it was largely genetic.

They aren't short sighted because they're more intelligent. "Intelligent" children (ie children from families with a high level of education) spend more time doing near-sighted activities like reading, which means they have higher levels of short-sightedness. As the PP stated, there is a genetic link to short-sightedness but most of it is down to spending too much time indoors, and therefore a lack of daylight and looking into the distance.

Indeed.

Here is an interesting NYT article on the rise of myopia in children: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/well/live/nearsightedness-myopia-children.html

I’ve always wondered why parents give their children enough food in their packed lunch to feed 5 starving builders? I eat a sandwich for lunch, and a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack, and I’m an adult woman. Why does a six year old need far more than an adult?

I honestly believe that lots of kids eat too many snacks. Cut the snacks and they’d be far more likely to eat a healthy dinner at mealtimes because they’d be hungry. Parents should understand that it’s okay and perfectly normal to feel hungry before a meal. They’re not bad parents if they don’t keep topping their kids up on the hour.

"No I’ve never heard this.

In fact eyesight is often deemed to be an intelligence thing. Glasses wearers are usually meant to be more intelligent as a whole.

There are studies on it."

Isn't that because they're reading books all the time so the eyes get 'trained' to be short sighted? If they'd got lots of outdoor time as well then their vision may be better.

Yes, and it's very tiresome!

Yes, the World Economic Forum even flagged this as an issue of global concern recently. Myopia in children is on the rise.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4675264/

No I’ve never heard this.

In fact eyesight is often deemed to be an intelligence thing. Glasses wearers are usually meant to be more intelligent as a whole.

There are studies on it.