22% of 4-5 year olds are overweight? How?!

[changing221]

Can someone explain to me how we are living in a society of overweight 4 year olds? I'm not trying to be goady or holier than thou, I'm genuinely interested.

What is the cause of these fat 4-5 year olds??
Where is it all going wrong for these children who are now likely to be overweight or obese well in to adulthood.

FWIW I have a 4 year old. We have McDonald's takeaway regularly, sweet treats (danish, cinnamon bun, chocolate, biscuits, cake) daily. Lots of cheese and yogurt, healthy fats, jacket potatoes etc. And she's still on the 25th percentile and a string bean.

@KrispyKale

The playgrounds maddened me too. And the hectoring at people to restrict outdoor exercise. And the home secretary warning against anyone minglin' with neighbours they came across on the walk.🤨

And how long it took for initiatives like parkrun/ junior parkrun get going again.

We tried to get our youth group going again which was viable for a 6 week window from September to mid-October 2020 before it got dark too soon and too bone-chillingly cold to carry out our regular programme. November saw us banned from meeting again, and replaced walks and campfire activities with more bloody zoom. The summer of 2020 was squandered for children. In September, the rule of 6 made it illegal for 2 families of 4 to meet even in parks where it was perfectly safe.

I broke the law early this year for DS to play supervised in a park with his friend. They were on the young side to meet 1:1 for exercise, and years older than the exemption applied to u5s. It took a long time to weigh up who would be ameanable to an illicit meet-up.

It should never be illegal for children to play with a peer.

You used to see mums walking with small children holding pram - they had to walk quickly to keep up. Now you see families on social walks or wandering around town but it’s very different to proper walking. Children would have routinely walked miles a day.
So 4 year old would walk mile to play school or nursery. Mum would pick up at midday. 4 year old walks a mile home. Then sibling needed picking up from school at 3.30 so another 2 mile round trip. Then mum walks to butchers. 4 year old is already on 5 miles of fast walking without play. Now 4 year old is driven everywhere does 30 minutes activity class and has snack after.

This actually annoys me quite a lot. It's true, of course, but as I said in my earlier post, if I was a SAHM, my children wouldn't have got overweight. But I'm not a SAHM. In fact, I'm the main breadwinner. And my DH, who is wonderful in many ways, nonetheless did not grow up understanding or being taught that this sort of thing needs to happen for children because there was no expectation that he would be the one doing it. Plus, on food, as he was the one preparing it mostly, but doesn't cook or think about food and has all kinds of food issues (it's family wide - it's a problem), he couldn't get his head around NOT giving the DC treats or that maybe pasta/pesto 4 days a week with a sausage and a few carrots a couple of days isn't good enough. I'm not excusing him - we fought and argued and discussed this issue endlessly. But it's given me an insight into all those other families who either don't know or just can't even begin to imagine what things should look like.

The reality is that our lifestyles have changed. Things that were "normal" are not necessarily standard any more. And it turns out that many of those things were done because there was no other way, but often, without realising that there were also benefits. So, being able to drive the kids around reduces whining, frees up time for work, etc, but the reality that all that endless walking was actually really good for children gets lost in enjoyment of the convenience and benefits.

@JustLyra

Michael Gove’s one hour comment, that so many believed was the rules/law, is one of the most damaging mistakes made by the government imo.

The fact that people believed it and lived by it was what did the damage, rather than the existance or not of the rule.

It was such a contentious issue that online running groups had to ban runners refering to the length/ time of their runs because it provoked so many rows!

*God knows what those people would have made of the pair of them rinsing me for cash anywhere that sold Japanese food. Or their love of yellow (Turmeric) rice, prawns, ham, cod and smoked Haddock all cooked together.

The little one was a bugger at the supermarket counters as well - she could tell the difference between standard and sockeye salmon, which she called 'Bear Salmon', meaning the Salmon you saw films of bears catching and eating*

This is the most Mumsnet thing I have ever read here.

Endless walking is actually really good for anyone able to do it and I try to remember this.😂

I suppose as well, in the main, the parents of toddlers now are those who grew up post-1990 when driving everywhere and out-of-town supermarkets had become the norm in the UK.

My kids eat lots of crap (asd so very picky) but are skinny as rakes because we walk everywhere.
We walk for hours at weekends,walk to and from school so they burn the calories off.
Too many kids stuck indoors on games consoles and no exercise sadly.

@WheelieBinPrincess

If as adults your gym was outside would you go as much in the winter?

I think not. So it’s hardly surprising not to see many children on the playground when it’s wet and hold for goodness sake.

But the kids still need the same amount of exercise. So either you take them to indoor activities (more expensive) or you suck it up and go outside. The bottom line is that it's up to parents to make the effort.

I'm also struck by the number of people on here who say that their kids just like drawing and baking rather than being active. Yes, they're nice and beneficial activities but even quieter kids need to be made to run and jump and climb. Find ways to make it fun for them, sure. But being active shouldn't be optional.

If as adults your gym was outside would you go as much in the winter?

I have never set foot in a gym in my life. Not my scene at all. I get all my exercise, year round, out of doors. I probably do get less in winter but I make a point of forcing myself out rather than 'hibernating'.

*@MarmitesMyMate**
Many factors

But a friend of mine who is obese herself and her dh. Feed their 4yo dc awful food.. 'because what's the point in cooking different healthier stuff for dc'

Breakfast 2 white toast Nutella , 1 choc chip brioche and a scotch pancake

Lunch 2 slice white bread sandwich. Choc fingers mini bag. Crisps. Penguin bar. Haribo and a pack of choc animals.

Dinner. Nuggets, chips. Pizza chips. Macdonalds. Fishcake chips. Hotdogs, kfc, kebab shop Daily!
Pudding. Cake and Ice cream. Choc bar

Snacks.
Kinder bars.
Crisps.
Breasticks.
Cakes*

The poor dc is massively overweight. Wears age 12 clothes turned 4 in June
School nurse called to talk about it and the dm said well what do u expect were obese and there was a lockdown

@MarmitesMyMate that is really sad to read and it's actually a form of child abuse and neglect... those parents should be ashamed of themselves and if their DD is in school I'm surprised that social services haven't been contacted by now... they will though when she goes to school as that situation cannot continue.. the little girl is seriously obese and will develop diabetes, heart disease etc if she's already wearing age 12 clothes when she's only 4 years old! Even if they're totally uneducated they must already know this....

The fact that people believed it and lived by it was what did the damage, rather than the existance or not of the rule.

It was such a contentious issue that online running groups had to ban runners refering to the length/ time of their runs because it provoked so many rows!

It would have been very easy for it to be clarified very clearly.

The fact that Dominic Raab’s clarification was even messier makes me sure they wanted the one hour rule, but didn’t want to come out and say it

Triffid1 Not a criticism. I drove my DD to primary as I had to be in office for 9am.
Just an observation. People underestimate the benefits of just walking. With children we think they are active if they do a 30 minute class but it’s nothing like exercise a child in past would have got in daily life.
I think being conscious of it and trying to walk when can helps. But it is a vicious circle if they don’t do it daily they don’t build up speed and stamina do if you need to be there you take car.
I lost 5 stone in 8 months and my exercise was walking. People are incredulous. I was walking minimum 10,000 usually 15,000 daily but often late at night. You can’t drag small children on power walks at 9pm.

DH's XW is morbidly obese, SD and her DH are both overweight. DH and I both slim and active.

I've noticed that when we are out for the day with SD and her family,they are eating constantly, snacks and lattes. DSGC also has constant access to food, mostly crisps and snacks. I've never seen them with a piece of fruit.

SD was overweight all through school and I can see DSGC going the same way.

I live next to a park for age 8 plus. The equipment was taped up by parish council. There was so much uncertainty - I recall a Facebook community discussion as gym were using equipment as they could train outside but kids couldn’t play. The kids haven’t returned to park as they did before, they have found other things to do. If no one’s there parents won’t let children go to a deserted park and what’s the point if no one there to play with.

In our area the council built over the school fields. The parks are littered with dog poo and broken glass. It's a real struggle to access any open area without crossing VERY busy roads.

Just found out the council are selling one of the very few open spaces in the area for building on. They have also introduced payments to park at some of the very few open air facilities.

They have however built two leisure centres that no one can afford to use....

Might be that...

School fields is an old issue over many governments and it's a big one.

@Gingerkittykat

*God knows what those people would have made of the pair of them rinsing me for cash anywhere that sold Japanese food. Or their love of yellow (Turmeric) rice, prawns, ham, cod and smoked Haddock all cooked together.

The little one was a bugger at the supermarket counters as well - she could tell the difference between standard and sockeye salmon, which she called 'Bear Salmon', meaning the Salmon you saw films of bears catching and eating*

This is the most Mumsnet thing I have ever read here.

Mumsnet would be horrified if they heard me open my mouth or saw me, though. I'm 100% pure trash - grew up in a filthy house, abused, common as shite, poor education and even poorer choices made as a result of that and the inherent absence of aspiration.

Surely one obvious reason why kids aren't out playing so much after school in winter is because it gets dark so much earlier. There's only about an hour of daylight after school pick-up so you have to be organised to make the most of it. No late afternoon trips to the splash park or playground or running around in the garden like in summer.

I can remember when DD was being assessed before an emergency operation and I was asked if she was her normal weight with some emphasis. I asked if they were worried and they actually told me it was unusual to see a child in the normal weight range. I then heard the same question being posed to parents of the little boy next door and then questions about what he eat - parents had no idea what he'd grabbed at home before school, eaten at school until chips at teatime and late night takeaway. So sad.

@ifonly4

I can remember when DD was being assessed before an emergency operation and I was asked if she was her normal weight with some emphasis. I asked if they were worried and they actually told me it was unusual to see a child in the normal weight range. I then heard the same question being posed to parents of the little boy next door and then questions about what he eat - parents had no idea what he'd grabbed at home before school, eaten at school until chips at teatime and late night takeaway. So sad.

That's a bit worrying. Ds1 has always been just below normal weight range (low appetite and very fussy). Not far enough below to warrant intervention.