childhood obesity epidemic

[princessparty]

Where are all these fat kids? I live in rural north yorkshire and can't think of a single fat kid i know-one who is a bit overweight but that's it.

No sorry more like 20 at 25p.

10! 10 at 25p.

FFS.

Olderandwider/PerpetuallyAnnoyedByHeadlice - my point is that in general the 'healthy food is no more expensive' argument underestimates how cheap unhealthy food is.

When you figure in issues such as access to fresh food, transport costs etc. it becomes even more of an issue.

Industrial food is very, very, cheap.

it's not just the cost of healthy food - many people just don't want to eat healthy food - no matter how mush money they have - they'll just buy more junk and coke. There's only one child in each of my Dc's classes that I would think of as overweight and one of those is very borderline. it's a nice school in a relatively well off area - unfortunately the less money you have and if you live in a deprived area then you tend to get more obese kids. I really don't see how you will change this apart from a few who are open to help.

Hmm. Coalition I do agree with you that industrial rubbish is scarily cheap. Perhaps govt campaigns should focus on the hidden financial costs of crap food, not just the health aspect? For example - if your child doesn't get vitamins, they will be ill more often and you'll have to buy medicine/take time off to look after them.

However - I also think it's possible to overestimate the cost of fresh food. Tinned and dried veg for example are really cheap, it doesn't have to be exotic fruit or organic cavalo nero.

I don't get the "children don't like vegetables" argument. I didn't like vegetables as a child. Tough - I was MADE to eat them, because they are good for me, just like I was made to brush my teeth, go to school, and all sorts of other things I might have preferred not to do.

Look a bit harder. It's not always immediately noticable.

My dd (11) is overweight, but you wouldn't know it unless you saw her naked. She's carrying all her extra weight round her bum, legs and tummy.

She doesn't eat crap. Well she does - but then she eats EVERYTHING, from cabbage and sushi, to chips and burgers. She just loves, loves, loves food and eating. She also doesn't like moving too much, so she's turning into a bit of a porker.

minipie - What about meat though? Though I think that we eat to much of it, going vegetarian is going to be an issue for many people. As long as burgers and sausages are dirt cheap people will go for them.

Maybe not if they knew what was in them and how the animals are kept? [hopeful emoticon] As you say, people can cut down the amount of meat (it's incredible how much more we all eat than we ever used to), it's not necessary to go completely vegetarian.

But in the end, people have to WANT to eat more healthily, don't they.

maybe the govt can offer food vouchers to be spent on fruit and veg in place of some of the tax credits or is that too militant-no flaming i was a single mum getting tax credits not so long ago.Im not sure there is an answer,Titty to be honest it must be really hard if you have a child who loves her food,i am the same just love it so will always be a 14 and nevr the 10 i would like to be,one of my ds's ate loads but he turned out to be 6ft 4 wth size 13 feet and also did lots of kick boxing which prob kept the weight off too,i remember him being mildly porky at one point tho.I think a hobby is the answer not just cold trips to the park or boring sports.Mine did skating,kick boxing and dancing(have 4 dcs) and i think that helped loads.

I think we are very desensitised to what is normal and chubby. I was quite horrified when I realised that my "chunkiest" child actually still needs slim fit trousers or they are too big around her waist......... I get upset that I know people who give their dc a pack of sweets each after school nearly every day

My dc do get sweets but it would be sharing a pack and after their meal and certainly not every day

But seriously, I give my kids something to eat between the mail meals when they ask or say they are hungry. We eat out once or twice a week and they can have coke for the odd treat. They have a treat at school in their lunchbox or a pudding at school dinners and then some kind of treat at home whether it be a pudding, hot chocolate, muffin or small bag of haribo. I worry all the time about feeding my kids more healthy food but they are still skinny minis - so how much food are these obese kids eating ?

Go away from the UK for a year and come back, you'll notice them all then,. Or go to a Mall.

All this talk of food has made me go and get a packet of crisps.

Part of it is metabolism isn't it, a fidgetty child who never sits still and runs around like loony is clearly burning up calories at a higher rate than some other children. I think part of the problem is we are all different and what causes one child to be obese will not be the same for all......

i lived in a skinny country for a few years recently and you're right, on my visits back I definitely noticed how big some folk were, especially in my home town which is in a deprived area known for ill health problems down to lifestyle choices. You used to see whole groups of overweight friends/families so I guess they feel that they are all in the same boat rather than being the only overweight one in the group.

When I visited a 'slim' country I was an XL, I was a 10 at the time....usually an 8. I was gawped at like a huge person!!

me too! When i asked in a knicker shop if they had a certain pair in my size, the ultra skinny assistant (but we know they all take diet pills and throw up), she looked at me and said, 'Madame begonyabampot, we have nothing in your size!' - and I was only a 12!

' now she is in year 6 and there are 4 or 5 who are obviously overweight'

I think it is normal to put on a bit of weight before the massive growth spurt that heralds the onset of puberty

A vegetable soup might be cheap to make but where are the calories, the protein the carbohydrates that active growing kids need?

I think people have forgotten what used to be a normal child, and normal weight children are now considered skinny.

Around here we have a lot of overweight children though they aren't huge, but see them with their obese teenage siblings and you can see how they will turn out .

In fact thinking about it when I go back down South to Winchester I feel fat but back up here in Manchester I feel normal!

When I were a little girl (in the mists of time) going to Macdonalds was a rare treat. I still get excited about it now - but eat it very rarely as I see it as special

I live in Fulham and everyone there is whip-thin, from the mums to the kids to the dogs. Half of them aren't English - French or Italian mostly - all of them are richity rich. Which kinda proves Coalition and Feminist's points.

I agree with the OP. No fat kids at either of our dc's schools at either primary or secondary levels. Saw quite a lot one year on the beach at Scarborough though.

Kenobi - you've just made me feel great not. Off for drinks in Fulham tonight and feeling fat and fifty

Relatively few here (working class to lower middle class urban area)- yes, you do see them, but definitely not the majority.