To not be surprised our kids are so fat

[Babycham1979]

When they're fed utter crap like this;

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2957301/What-school-lunches-look-like-world.html

No wonder obesity rates are so high,mand no wonder so many British children are incredibly picky when they're fed processed shite as is evident in these pictures. Imagine some of the pickiest UK children being handed a bowl of miso soup, or prawns, or plantain?!

Is the issue budgetary, or culture? Either way, we're failing our children.

ubik are you talking shit just for the fun of it?

read this link

describing cutting edge research from one of the best medical departments in the country and explain exactly how it debunks the idea that genetics is a key factor in obesity. Because what it actually says is that genetics IS a key factor in obesity.

www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0713/15072013-How-obesity-gene-triggers-weight-gain-Batterham

Anyone watch junk food kids this week? All the professionals agreed there were very few cases that weren't caused by lifestyle.

Ok then - is it about socio economics?

I live in an affluent middle class area in London (please do not pick me up on that, I am making a point and being factual) - is that why I don't see any overweight children?

you have to have a lifestyle factor too...but how much effect a given lifestyle has is determined by genetics.

I must have gone crazy believing the peer reviewed medical literature over what some 'professionals' spouted on tv.

Totally mad.

And, in any event, exercise, unless you're doing loads of it, is not going to have any real effect on your weight.

Does anyone remember that experiment Michael Mosely did where he are a muffin, ran round a track for a few minutes and expected to have burned off the muffin?

Obviously exercise helps, and is good for you, but not effective in itself for getting weight off. At least, for most of us mortals.

I think a lot of the not knowing any overweight children is down to us seeing overweight as normal.

Children past the toddler stage should be "skinny" in that you should be able to see the outline of their ribs, they shouldn't have "puppy fat" which is often used to normalise a child being overweight.

They were the head of paediatrics and dentistry. Some of the cases were pretty severe. The first lady said it was genetics and her 4 year old had to have 8 baby teeth removed. It is education as she did not want to be in that situation.

are we talking about teeth decay now?!?

That's not quite the same thing as obesity?

The 4 year old was very obese from apparent genetics. That would not explain the teeth. I think that was the point

A mum I know from Brazil laughed and said the dc would dream of that meal - it's totally unrepresentative of reality in her eyes.
I think it's more about drinking calories, constant snacking - generally eating when bored, and large portion sizes. I'm constantly told dd1 has a small appetite - I think it's normal.
I say this in the context that I'm taking dc to mcds today for lunch.

Does it make people intrinsically happier to blame other peoples medical issues on their lifestyle rather than their genetics?

I can't really see any other reason for continuing to ignore the actual evidence.

Also a £3 tray of blueberries will last a day in my house (3dc) but the same money spent on biscuits would give us enough to last about a month. I buy blueberries (dc love them) but many families wouldn't be in a position to afford that choice.

I have to say that we all have a genetic predisposition to prefer calorie rich foods. It's basic survival.

What that study doesn't talk about is the effect of that gene. It may be tiny. It's very difficult -impossible- to separate environmental factors from biological factors. We have an abundance of food and people overeat fir a multitude of reasons.

What we do know is that we are all becoming fatter and this is due to lifestyle factors. For some there may be a tiny genetic influence but frankly the greatest effect is overeating and lack if exercise.

Didn't Horizon do a programme on thus and they found that people who thought their obesity was due to their genes or thyroid were wrong. They did not have the marker.

It's about food and exercise.

Surely, though, a permanent slight deficit in exercise will have the same effect as a long-term slight excess of food?

So a child who finds movement is a bit more awkward (for whatever reason -- dyspraxia, lack of practice, lack of outdoor space) will gradually creep up in weight, and find it still harder to get moving.

While DD was little, everyone said 'Oh, she'll burn it off when she gets moving, don't worry', but she crawled late, walked even later, never wanted to climb, still can't run, finds vigorous activity either painful or at least uncomfortable... so she's never reached that 'burning off' stage.

Or you can stuff them with cake and coke and have the same effect a lot faster.

You obviously can't ignore the genetic side of things BUT even then you can make lifestyle choices which can help to control the genetic side of things more.

We have to be careful to ensure that genetics doesn't become an excuse to not make changes.

You can't put all the blame on schools.The children usually have 1 meal there all they're other meals any snacks are usually provided at home!

Someone said up thread look at poundland,yes look at poundland.
We were in there yesterday we spent a lot of money on dried fruits,seeds,unsalted nuts,weight watchers stuff,porridge.Different people see different things in exactly the same places.That comparison shows it.

I never had tinned sausages and baked beans for lunch at any of my schools and I was always school dinners.All 5 of my DC have had school dinners and they were never served that either.
I don't serve that kind of thing at home so I wouldn't be happy if my children were given that.

I do think the quality of school dinners in this country have gone down since I was in juniors school.Every day we had lovely homemade meals to choose from,cottage pie,homemade pies,stews,curry's.Plenty of fresh veg to choose from.
It seems that as more convenience food became available the powers that be(idiots)thought it would be a good idea to start serving that to our future generations rather than the lovely real food people of my age grew up with.

I have Id twins who eat the same and pretty much move the same. One is half a stone heavier than the other and 2 inches wider. They have the same genes and the only difference is the larger one was 1lb 13 oz heavier at birth. Not sure what that shows but I find it interesting.
Both are within healthy weights. Dd1 has the same waist measurement as the smallest twin who is 3 years younger. She rarely had biscuits for the first 3 years of her life and still chooses fruit over chocolate.

Yes in the Horizon programme I saw they looked at the amount of food people consumed at those all you can eat Carvery places. The abundance of food made people eat incredible amounts of food. Six Yorkshire puddings for example!

This is so very different to peoples eating habits 30 years ago.

There are times when children don't want to, but I just make them. I have the whole ohhh I don't want to walk to town, and back or wherever else, but they have to do it including the 2 year old. Until recently there was no other option so if they end up walking 5 miles to nursery, then school, then town and shop then home. Then they just have to.

The evidence is a risk of being obese but not that you actually become obese. You are predisposed not an eventuality. Evolution is not as quick as the rising obesity figure the problem is we are living in an environment that leads to obesity. We can not avoid the issue because a very small percentage of children have a medical reason, in doing so we are allowing a growing number of children to a life of medical conditions.

Yes it's a shame we haven't adapted to our current environment and developed a genetic preference for vegetables, fish and nuts to ensure survival

If it's a down to 'genetics' then why historically has there not been more obesity? Cavemen? The 20's? 40's? 70's? When did obesity become so noticeable? And how come diabetes is on the rise now and not fifty years ago when junk/fast food/labour saving devices had yet to be introduced into our lifestyle? Genetics have presumably been around since time began but are just evolving into a problem now?

The thing is it's not about just what children eat, and yes mine have school dinners and they are hungry when they come home from school. But the schools are having to teach children how to sit and eat a dinner, how to use cutlery because the majority coming into our school have no idea about how to sit and eat a meal because they are used to having finger food.