To be shocked at how many overweight kids there are here?

[glasgowsfinest]

Have got my fireproof hat in place, here goes...! I'm currently at a Butlin's-type holiday park on the south coast. As you can imagine, it's jammed full of kids of all ages. I'm genuinely shocked at how many of them, from pre-schoolers to older teens, are significantly overweight. I don't think puppy fat can be used as an excuse for all of them. Thinking back to my childhood, overweight kids were the exception, not the rule, but now it seems the opposite. I have two children who by no means have a perfect diet, and eat more chocolate and watch more TV than I thought I'd allow, but they're active too and don't seen to have any fat on them at all! Maybe they're just "lucky", I don't know. But the sheer numbers of chunky kids made me feel quite sad.

middling and mum my mother used to carry around pieces of raw carrot to push on us if we started angling for a snack. She even used to specifically say " raw carrot" like she was underscoring how virtuous it was

That was the '90s though, and she was having to fight uphill against the already burgeoning snack culture.

I don't think it's fat shaming to point out that there is very clearly a problem.

A problem caused by so many factors I think it's going to be virtually impossible to know where to start.

You have people obviously living in poverty. Who can't afford to waste money cooking stuff their kids might not eat. They want full bellies as cheaply as possible. Doesn't matter if a bag of Apple's costs a pound. Apple would still leave you hungry. 2 quid on chicken nuggets and chips however would be more filling.

What you can produce when your on a meter or living in a b&b miles from.anywhere with nothing but a microwave is different to having access to budget supermarket and the means to cook food.

People are also so much busier and working odd hours. I would admire anyone who pulled a night shift did a school run slept for two hours then produced an amazing meal for the entire family cooked from scratch no waste and then trotted off back to work after.

Truth is that NO ONE should ever have to be in a position where they can only afford to or through long hours and shift work only just have the energy to throw together some freezer shit or order a pizza.

I also don't agree with how food is so strictly policed at primary but no one gives a shit about secondary school kids and their food is utter shit I mean school dinners r generally shite at least primary school shite is trying to be a bit healthy. Feeding hormonal pubescent kids crap cab only lead to problems.

Labels obviously also try and mislead us. I'm thankful I have the ability to see through it all but im.sure many don't.

Life in general is the problem I guess. Areas aren't always safe for kids to play, people are so busy working all hours it's one big round car trip ferrying kids everywhere.

People try and get their kids active but then the canteen at gyms and pools are serving chips and other crap.

Baby brothers and sisters are shoved from car seat to buggy with snacks to keep them.busy while parents try and get the other kids active.

And let's face it kids are arseholes when they are hungry. We need quick and easy ideas.

I will be forever grateful that I am able to cook and am in a position to cook for the kids. They eat their fair share if shite but I know enough and cab just about organise that much at least even if all else goes to shit .

But I cab see how easy it would be to go get some micro meal and be done with it.

It's 2017 people shouldn't have to be in a position where all they have time for is a call to dominos, or not have any facility to cook a decent meal.

"People are also so much busier and working odd hours. I would admire anyone who pulled a night shift did a school run slept for two hours then produced an amazing meal for the entire family cooked from scratch no waste and then trotted off back to work after."

An ex colleugue from my old night job managed this................but she took uppers so that she could and ended up with a drug addiction.

Possibly Quim, I don't really understand 'do' Instagram so I'm not sure.

But on the MN threads I'm talking about, it's the greed that's very much applauded and giggled about.

Even a very recent thread about all inclusive holidays had people saying that they eat and drink eye watering amounts, whereas years ago, I just don't think it would have been seen as such a 'normal' thing to do.

If you're an overweight adult, be as proud or otherwise as you like of the fact. You can usually make the choice to change your weight or not.

Please don't pretend that overweight or obese is something to be proud of in kids, though. Yes, some kids have conditions which make weight management in either direction difficult (both of mine have ASD and have gone both ways with their appetite and food related compulsions, at various points - we have a lock on our bedroom door for this reason) but, at least in younger primary school kids, we have an element of control over our children's diet. In the vast majority of cases, if you have small, fat children, you've got something wrong, somewhere. I will observe you and notice that and if there is any shaming involved in my internal, private reaction, it's noting to do with "fat shaming" and everything to do with judging your parenting.

Also with regards to obesity and poverty

I live in one of London's very poorest boroughs where adult and child obesity is absolutely rife.

Yet despite me and my DH earning decent wages and fortunately not being classed as poor, we literally couldn't not afford to feed ourselves and our family the sheer volumes of meals and snacks, that we often see others eating/feeding their kids on a regular basis.

I genuinely don't know how some people manage to eat/feed their kids as much as they do and as often as they do.

I also forgot add that so many activities now include food.

You Pay sometimes quite alot for your kids to do something and that activity no matter how short is still broken up half way for some kind of snack.

It's lazy. And some people must be making a fortune out of charging people for supposed teaching skilks or for entertaining kids in holidays when all they have to do us put a few balls out and shove some wotsits on the table.

What can we do to help people take responsibility though? I honestly can't see it happening. Years ago, I took my then 2 house cats to the vets - vet v unimpressed and said they were overweight - I was mortified and felt awful. Started weighing their food carefully and we were fortunate enough to be able to move to a house with a safe garden. They are still with us and as fit and healthy as they could be for their advancing age.
We listened to advice and took responsibility and they aren't even humans.

And you can't even blame chicken nuggets and chips. A 400-500 calorie portion of nuggets, chips and baked beans would be filling for a 6 year old, with plenty of protein and fibre. Add a slice of bread and butter and a sugary drink and the calories are almost doubled without even noticing a difference in the meal, though.

I don't see how people can try and deny that kids, and adults are massive these days.

I am a bloke, 5"11, 12st. I am fat round the middle and thinking back to when I was a kid none of the other kids or my parents were this shape.

My wife is huge. 5"4 and 14st.

Our kids are slim and very active but anyone with eyes can see that kids who were the class fatty 20 years ago are now very average in the he same way that my wife is probably "average" and I am slimmer than most of my peers.

As a nation and a generation we are fat and we are encouraging our kids to be fat and all realisation of what is normal has gone years ago.

Kids on average in this country at the moment are fatter/chubbier/chunkier than they should be and it's no good people denying it and claiming it isn't happening because it is - and we as a generation of fat parents are causing it.

You can't force people to take responsibility Dame.

Some will and some won't. Some will just hide their heads in the sand and some will try to sweep it all under the carpet by accusing anyone who raises the subject of 'fat shaming'.

I'm really sure though that (sadly) the future Mumsnetters will be blaming their weight problems on today's Mumsnetters, who met them at the school gates with snacks, used snacks to keep them 'quiet and occupied' at various times and who refused to take control of their early weight problems for fear of them 'developing an ED', which is so often feared on MN.

I think they may also blame their weight problems on the fact their parents were overweight and therefore didn't 'lead by example'.

In much the same way a lot of today's overweight MNetters, blame their parents for making them clear their plates.

It's like a never ending circle of adults blaming their weight problems on their parents/childhood.

Where/how does it end?

I agree with you Worra - a lot of 'poor' families round here also manage to order take-away every night or are permanently ensconced in a carvery booth at the pub. There's no way we could afford to do that. You're not allowed to say that though.

I don't think it will go away!

The fitness industry is massive though. Last few years it's become more popular ( and expensive)

Fast food should be triple the price, maybe then people would think twice

I only said the same to dh the other day that I was really quite shocked at how many kids in ds's class were overweight. At least a third I'd say (year 4). Like so many others have said, when I was in primary there was probably only one or two overweight kids that I can recall.

Doughnut milkshakes are a new thing..... and this is a tame one!!! Why do we need these?

Jeez oh, any bugger with half a brain knows how to feed their child reasonably healthily. We can make up all the excuses under the sun, but rocket science it isn't.

Scooby Im not a parent.

That doughnut milkshake thing looks rank.

Oh yes bleurgh doughnut milkshakes and muffin milkshakes! Who can possibly eat/ drink that?? I saw one being made once in a cafe. It's a milkshake with ice cream and a muffin crumbled into it, and a muffin on too! They are expensive and being bought for kids by adults!

I blame MN for my chubster offsprings. As I can no longer take the darlings to the park or anywhere else for that matter for fear of being judged. Once upon a time I could go to such places and let them play whilst I sat lost in my own thoughts but MN judgement complains this is bad form and I have to interact with them.

So instead we stay home on all the technology and other items we get at Easter, Christmas and any other celebrated day whilst munching on greggs sausage rolls.

My off springs don't miss the holidays they said it wasn't fair they could look after each other in a strange place filled with who knows what kind of people yet not be allowed to do same at home

Yanbu. Just back from Spain and shocked at the overweight families who were French/German/Spanish/English. It's not just the uk

Very few overweight children at my dc school. Nice area outside deprived city.

I feel sorry for the kids. I can't claim to know all the reasons why they are overweight but it's a pretty crap way to live and I feel
Sorry for them.

Maybe there is an other, underlying problem... Who can cook a simple meal from scratch? No jars, packet or other artificial flavour enhancers... learning to cook takes time. Cooking a meal every day takes effort (time & energy). You need to plan ahead. You need to make cooking / eating as a high priority in your life in order to master the skills. (Besides raising children, working, relaxing, sleeping ....)
Let's face it, that frozen pizza or the takeaway around the corner are suddenly very tempting!

It's not that hard to keep some potato and tuna in the house for a jacket spud.

Or some eggs, scrambled egg takes 10 minutes including the washing up. As does an omelette.

I'm so impressed with the diagram posted earlier by shapelybingowings that I'm posting it again here
It really does show how complex people's relationship with food can be.

There's no one reason and no simple answer.

2mins for one of those rustler? Burgers in microwave and no washing up

I almost get palpitations at the sight of that doughnut milkshake. 750 calories, surely?