To be astonished at the stupidity of the Smart Swap campaign?

[Farrowandbawlbauls]

Yes, we all need to eat better and move about more but I've just seen the advert for swapping sugar loaded fizzy drinks for sugar free ones.

Am I alone in thinking it's one of the most ill thought of things they've come up with yet?

The sweetners in sugar free drinks are dangerous. The sugar free stuff usually advertised is most of the time, worse than the full fat stuff.

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I can see why they are doing this as it is a huge problem in this country, but I don't thing they've thought this through at all.

well said MrsDeVere!

In the 70's there wasn't as many lifts, cars, escalators etc, which all helped in keeping the weight down. People in general just moved about more.

I agree Mrs Devere and try to give my kids a 70's diet, including a bit off full-fat full-sugar stuff as well!

I even eyed up A. Delight in the supermarket but saw it had hydrogenated fat (i.e. trans fat) in it, so I gave up on that idea.

mrsD absolutely agree with that.

But you also have to admit that in the 70s we were a lot more active?

Many children now actually have NEVER been on a bus or walk to school or walk anywhere.

I went everywhere on my chopper bike. We didn't own a car.

Everyone was far more active than today and I dont mean in a daft gym fix way,showing off in Lycra,I mean generally more active.

I also remember the shops being shut quite a lot and having to make do with slightly dull stuff - which of course you eat less of.

One of the Kerrygold spreadables is just milk and salt with some extra churning. They do also do one that is full of other ingredients though.

I like the mantra:
Eat food.
Mostly plants.
Not too much.

I think it says it all. I try not to eat non-foods (sweetners, marg, etc). I eat full fat versions of things and moderate the amount.

YANBU!!!!
Since when did soft drinks companies and other large mutinationals have our best interests at heart? Its an unbelievable campaign.
I'm all for eating real food - real sugar, real butter etc. not dubious chemicals that you'd never find in nature. I dont mind eating a little of that but to base your diet round it?? Have they completely lost the plot?Incredible.

Bodypopper you are right about changing activityk levels but encouraging families to eat low fat dairy and sweetened fizzy drinks can't be a sensible government initiative can it?

I'll tell you something else as well the 70's had which would have had an impact..Home economics or cookery classes in schools.

We had them in the 90's but we didn't learn anything, DD's school does them but she's not learning anything either. We can both cook but that's only because we've learnt the basics from parents and grandparents then picked up a cook book and got on with it.

Not many schools do cookery classes now where they lean about making healthy home cooked food that doesn't involves opening a packet or jar at some point.

Yes agree above too. Re cookery classes and food being dull.

I remember the first wimpy I ever tasted at 16 and have to say it was fantastic.

fairisleknitter no agree seems daft to me too but think as I there's have too that it's big cooperations too close to government.

Body I have fond memories of flame-grilled Whoppers..

I'd not be for banning burgers, or cola for that matter. But for this campaign to make out diet cola is some sort of healthy choice is immoral in my view.

I'm in Scotland so we have high obesity levels and they are expecting an explosion in diabetes. I was reading how it seems walking after your main meal can keep blood sugar levels stable in at risk older people. Now that seems a good message to get out to people go for a half hour walk after a big meal can help avoid diabetes. It wouldn't attract any corporate sponsors though. That's where a government could pay for a public health campaign!

I recently went out for drinks with the head of a cancer hospital that I worked with, and the conversation got round to this subject. He totally avoids all artificial sweeteners, colourings etc and only eats full fat natural products, because as he put it "we just don't know what level of damage the mixture of chemicals that many people ingest every day is doing to their bodies." Note the use of "level of damage", not "if it's doing any damage".

I'd always eaten as clean as possible, and I'm very glad I do.

I couldn't agree with you more about the diet shite Mrs I really couldn't.

I just saw the Smart Swap ad on the sidebar thingy here on MN!

Maybe we could petition/bug MNHQ until they get rid of it?

McFox that is so interesting to hear a scientifically-informed view taking into account potential risks.

Official school healthy eating guidelines and now this, follow non-controversial "don't rock the corporate boat" style of advice.

I kept having to reassure my primary aged kids that fat is ok after school had done their worst, meanwhile over in the lunch hall they got strawberry and chocolate milk instead of plain.

I agree that margarine is pretty shit, but scaremongering statements like 'its one molecule away from plastic' are just laughable!

I hate anything artificial but sadly due to work lifestyle issues atm we do eat them. I am going to be addressing this issue as a new year resolution.
Anecdotally, and ive told this story before a few years I had a nasty injury and was pretty much house bound for about 6 months. Cooking kept me sane, and I discovered the River Cottage Cookbook. For most of the 6 months, we ate fresh meat, veg, fruit and dairy. One week I got through 2.5 litres of double cream! Given that I did no exercise and ate full fat, I was quite surprised to find I was a STONE lighter when I returned to work!

It's not scaremongering, an exaggeration yes but most people would be able to see what the poster ment by that.

'Avoiding chemicals' is nonsense - everything is a chemical! Water is a chemical. Lemon juice is a chemical. Aspirin is a chemical. Many chemicals are good for us, even artificially-produced ones. Lots of healthy foods need some processing - extra virgin olive oil, olives (need to be cured), yogurt etc. Some of the 'natural' food proponents have no idea about science at all. Also some of us prefer the taste of diet drinks - full sugar ones taste too sweet and syrupy to me I don't drink them often though. However big business being involved in health initiatives is terrible but I'm not massively surprised.

I do agree with Mrs that the focus shouldn't be weight loss, it should be on being healthier which will then lead to weight loss if necessary. That would also involve a lot less body shaming.

Having more options for food and being aware of different types of food is a good thing - it's only since being a foodie became popular in the UK that our restaurants really improved and we began to lose our reputation for awful food, which we got from the bland diet rationing gave us. It's also a good thing to experience different cultures via their food. I find a lot of traditional British food quite boring and flavourless, and would much rather have a Vietnamese banh mi or Cuban barbacoa. I think encouraging people to really enjoy food and value it would do the world of good.

Most sugary drinks also contain artificial sweeteners.

No, the statement 'it's only one molecule away from plastic' means absolutely nothing. As has been said, water is only one hydrogen atom away from hydrogen peroxide, and oxygen is only one atom away from ozone which I am pretty sure ain't that healthy for you.

I do agree with the op though, all the low fat, sugar free foods really are crap and they taste minging! I have some left over diet come from Xmas tha we got in for visitors and I had some today to try and get through it. It is truly vile, I cannot fathom how anyone could drink it for pleasure unless they had just become totally accustomed to the taste.