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.

Giles

There is always tinned veg and frozen veg in the corner shop freezer as well, stop making excuses for them, we don't want a nanny state; people should take ownership for their lifestyle. Fat parents generally have fat kids, its not genetic its because they have the same diet, with over size portions.

Since so many of you are sure that this discussion NEEDS TO BE HAD, what do you anticipate will be the benefits of this thread in combating obesity in all families but your own properly regulated and slim families who don't need this conversation to be had about them?

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/09/20/what-caused-obesity-epidemic.aspx
Story at-a-glance
At the heart of the calorie myth is a fundamental error in the understanding of the law of thermodynamics. Energy is used up in making nutrients available in your body
The energy used up in making protein available to your body is around 25-30 percent whereas the thermic effect of carbohydrates is around 6-8 percent
To lose weight, always eat real food; limit the number of times you eat each day; and if you’re still struggling, reduce your carbohydrate intake.

I think it is down to constant snacking. I work with adults who have lunchboxes with sandwiches, crisps, chocolate bars, cakes, one piece of fruit and fizzy drinks. This is on a daily basis. Also in the office at work there are tons of cakes and biscuits and you get told to treat yourself, you deserve it etc. As someone who has lost 2 stone and has a further 3 to go, it is really annoying when people offer them to me and won't take no for an answer. I have since had to learn to assertively say no.

I try to make my main meal at lunchtime if possible and one day, I went to visit a family member in the evening and they asked "What are you having for tea, Hunter? When I said it was just a light meal, they laughed and said "I don't believe you would just eat a sandwich for tea".

I think the lack of exercise doesn't help either as people tend to drive to places more and there is less safety with regard to kids playing out these days, whereas when I was growing up in the 80s, lots more children played outdoors or went to the park.

I also agree with portion sizes being more generous, I use a small dinner plate now and weigh out my food.

I've not even taken the time to read the whole thread, just the first couple of pages and felt compelled to post.
Yes there is a rising epidemic of childhood obesity (I've worked within child health and have seen, and had to address it first hand sadly), however OP, to generalise and make usumptions as to the cause is a little narrow minded of you.
I have 3 children, promote a very healthy balanced diet for them all and also encourage exercise and general well being. They cook regularly and have been taught nutrition from an early age. However my youngest is incredibly poorly, is on huge amount of medication that make her look obese. She was of 'normal range' prior to starting these meds. She is evidently huge. She can't help this and is incredibly self conscious. We have recently been to a swimming pool on a foreign holiday complex and have had to come to terms with the sneering and pointing from people like you 'assuming' she doesn't exercise or eats inappropriate foods.

Remember.....it's not always as simple as diet and exercise!!

ton

I'm not making excuses for anybody.

I just cab see how in some circumstances the decision could be made

Especially when alot of the families in.poverty are either those on benefits who could be in any kind of emergency accommodation or in overcrowded houses where access to clean cooking facilities could prove nore difficult

And low income families are often people who work shift work meaning they may not even be home and kids eating at erratic hours so grabbing something already cooked on the way home may seem to be the better option in order to get to bed in time.

And not forgetting financially abusive spouses too.

We have an ice cream place and I took dc once about 6 months ago. They asked for one each and all wanted different flavours. I knew they'd never manage them but went with it thinking it was a lesson moment. (They don't do dc sizes )

Dc managed about a third each before feeling sick. They've never asked to go back. Quite a few of their friends seem to go once a month. They also seem to have a weekly mcDs. To me McDonald's is handy in a service station (or for a cheap meal when we were in New York) but not a treat because it's not even nice

Peer pressure is hideous though and dd1 is 9 and keeps asking for lemonade when we're out. I have to remind her she doesn't like fizzy every bloody time! I don't mind her having it as an odd treat but she honestly never actually drinks more than a few sips.

YANBU

I live in quite a middle upper class area and there aren't many overweight children, or adults actually. But when I went on holiday to a similar place a few weeks ago I also noticed the majority of the children and adults were overweight. It makes me very sad to see children that are very overweight because it's the parents job to provide a healthy balanced diet for their children. My kids are always hungry and yes do eat sweets or doughnuts etc but they also eat pretty much everything else and neither are overweight. And I'm not saying this in a smug look at my awesome parenting way because actually there wasn't any planned effort involved. I've always just given them what I consider a normal varied diet and not thought twice about it until I saw what some of the kids on holiday looked like and wondered what they were eating to end up that way. I mean ok some might have some sort of medical reason for being overweight but surely not all of them. Also my children don't take part in any actual sports or regular sport club etc. So again unless these children are literally sat in front of a screen all day every day surely they as running around burning off most of what they eat? So if anyone knows how these children actually end up so overweight I am actually curious how it happens because it's not like adults where you have the means to order too many takeaways and buy as much junk food as you want.

It's an interesting discussion to have, and educational. What's the point of any discussion on Mumsnet?

It's so easy to blame individuals and parents and make it their own 'responsibilty' and start shouting about nanny state - but it's more complex than that.

We are bombarded with constant messages to eat the delicious, calorific food - all the time. These messages are constantly targeting our children. Snacking was not a thing in the 60's - until the food advertisers decided they could profit more by selling us a load of crap to eat between meals. Fast food wasn't a thing before the 70's, or ready meals, or massive portions and 'go large' and 'eat as much as you like'. Crisps were for parties and picnics. Cakes for birthdays.

Processed sugars like corn syrup are cheap to produce and seriously sweet and actually addictive. They screw up our insulin response and hunger/feeling full signals to the brain. The combination of fats and sugars in Krispy Kreme doughnuts etc are almost irresistible, and yet that delicious mixture of fats/sugars is rarely found in natural food. Sometimes I think it's a wonder that any of us are thin these days.

I linked to the 'Men Who Made us Fat' upthread - it's an eye-opener. Big business producing processed food, that produces a 'hedonistic hunger' response in us, rather than providing us with nutrition.

Getout21 wrote "Does baking your own bread help? Or is the flour full of shit too. Quite fancy a bread machine."

I just searched for the recipe of Danish rye bread (which one cannot buy where I am) and here's the recipe: nordicfoodliving.com/danish-rye-bread-rugbrod/

Yes there will always be lazy nuggets or those who genuinely don't care.

However the fact still remains that in this day and age people shouldn't be in a position where they can't afford to feed their kids properly where literacy/educational standards can still be poor enough for people to leave school unable to properly access recipes etc.

Perhaps nore community involvement maybe? Propel getting together and sharing recipes and teaching eachother how to cook.

And a definate ban on mis leading labels

Where somehow they can make a double chocolate flap jack with jam filling and sprinkles still sound healthy by claiming it's low fat or contains 2 of your five a day..

We live in a consumerist society, selling food is big business, the service sector needs evermore buyers to exist.
Profit is to be made from food and drink, and profit to be made from gym memberships to lose the excess.
Food has become a pastime and hobby for so many people, it really is quite appalling.

I remember seeing a programme on BBC3 several years ago about hospitals that have Burger Kings next to cardiac wards.

Of course the other thing to have grown up - along with all the delicious, processed, calorific food - is the diet and fitness industry. Anything to get us to spend money... That's capitalism for you

It's an interesting discussion to have, and educational. What's the point of any discussion on Mumsnet?

True, but most people don't pretend that all their discussions are a necessary public service. This whole "I saw lardy children eating and you can't stop me saying it because I must discuss wobble monsters I have seen for the good of the nation" is a bit self serving. I'd just like to hear what they expect the benefit to be.

I also made that point in my post, MrsDusty.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hospital-bosses-face-1million-bill-10413015

My kids are always hungry and yes do eat sweets or doughnuts etc but they also eat pretty much everything else and neither are overweight. And I'm not saying this in a smug look at my awesome parenting way because actually there wasn't any planned effort involved.

No one has the right to call you smug for doing the best for your children jesse but no doubt someone will. Children are a privilege and the adults who care for them absolutely have the responsibility to do so to the best of their capabilities.

"NHS chiefs face a £1million “fine” for kicking Burger King out of a top hospital.

The fast food giant has a takeaway on the concourse at the world famous Addenbrooke’s Hospital , Cambridge.

Addenbrooke’s - an acclaimed cardiac centre - has a 25 year contract with the company that sublets space to the chain which is due to end in 2024.

But terminating the contract before then would cost the hospital - whose trust is facing a £56.3million deficit - around £1million in financial penalties.

NHS hospitals across the UK are under growing pressure to end the sale of junk food and promote better diets as part of an anti obesity drive.

Addenbrooke’s, whose food hall also includes a Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Marks & Spencer, is the last NHS hospital with a Burger King on site"

Why did they allow it in the first place?

It's crazy Helena - and shows just how powerful and money-hungry the big food businesses are.

I guess comfort/convenience eating has almost become a national pastime too, and I think it's understandable. I'm a bit of a yo-yo dieter myself. I often find myself on the 'pig out and enjoy myself' then 'diet, my body is a temple' cycle. I know what I should be eating to remain a healthy constant weight - but food is a massive temptation to me. My metabolism could deal with it in my 20's - less so in my 40's.

"In 2012, Croydon University Hospital renegotiated its contract to close its branch of the burger chain, but had to pay £24,000.

And Southampton General Hospital closed its Burger King in 2015 saying it was no longer in keeping with the “healthcare environment”.

Royal Wolverhampton Hospital has a Greggs bakery, one of the chain’s busiest branches, while other hospitals host Costa Coffee and Subway shops.

Cambridge University Hospitals, which include Addenbrooke’s, refused to discuss details of its Burger King contract.

A spokesman said: “The food court area is leased to our contractors Gentian.

“The trust has explored exiting the contract but that would result in a significant financial penalty which would take away vital resources from patient care."

Crikey Helena - am agog