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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask what you think of change 4 life’s two 100 calorie snacks campaign?

172 replies

Whichschool2020 · 06/01/2018 22:51

Just that really.
www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/healthier-snacks-for-kids/100-calorie-snacks?gclid=CjwKCAiAhMLSBRBJEiwAlFrsTqs_fnt21P4WV_BemO5Y9dDhFcbwbqOSpokPT1KtNVQk2dNPmSD_ahoCS1cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#yPkpO8E27jIrGUT2.97

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JohnLapsleyParlabane · 06/01/2018 22:53

I'm not sure a boiled egg is what I would class as a 'snack'.

RavingRoo · 06/01/2018 22:56

Bullshit as is the 1600 calorie campaign. Kids aren’t getting fat because of more calories, they’re getting fat because of less exercise. Yet the government still closes playgrounds or lets them fall to ruin with druggies etc.

TheProvincialLady · 06/01/2018 22:57

I’m not inclined to listen to a word they say, since my son brought home a leaflet that suggested swapping full fat cheese for half fat cheddar and eating crappy artificial sweeteners.

RavingRoo · 06/01/2018 22:58

Swapping nutricious full fat food for half fat junk is very poor advice.

Fruitcocktail6 · 06/01/2018 22:59

I’m not inclined to listen to a word they say, since my son brought home a leaflet that suggested swapping full fat cheese for half fat cheddar and eating crappy artificial sweeteners.

This, absolutley nothing wrong with full fat products. I thought everyone knew that now.

WorraLiberty · 06/01/2018 23:01

Why do people keep blaming the government because they've allowed their own kids to get fat?

Kids don't need playgrounds to exercise in RavingRoo (although they are nice) and kids are very definitely getting fat due to more calories!

More snacking, bigger portion sizes and parents who are unsure how much their kids should be eating.

Rebecca75 · 06/01/2018 23:01

It's unbelievable! You wait for the next 'health' company to pop up - the 100 calorie company. All products made with calorie free, cancer giving chemical sugar😵😵😵

FruitCider · 06/01/2018 23:03

Weight is 80% diet 20% exercise. Children are overweight because they are fed portions that are too big and portions of the wrong stuff eg donuts instead of a bagel.

Original poster
Whichschool2020 · 06/01/2018 23:38

Thanks for the link to the other thread- interesting.

For me, the worst thing about Change 4 Life is suggesting swapping sugary drinks for ones which contain artificial sweetener. No child needs to drink these types of drinks. 😡 It’s SUCH a contentious issue.

Slightly off topic but I do think we’ve become bad a judging what a child of a healthy weight looks like. The other day, DH and I looked at our 5 yr old DS and both said he looked like he was getting a bit skinny, we could clearly see his ribs and his chest at the top between the breastbone was quite prominent if you know what I mean. Anyway we popped him on the scales (he likes seeing what number he is!) and his height had just been measured at the GP for something else. Put the info into the NHS bmi calculator and he’s well within the healthy weight range at 56th percentile but NO WAY is he skinny- he is a perfectly healthy, average weight child.

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FruitCider · 06/01/2018 23:44

I guess for parents who regularly give their children Coca Cola, telling them to give Diet Coke instead is health promotion and reduces risks of obesity.

WorraLiberty · 06/01/2018 23:50

we could clearly see his ribs and his chest at the top between the breastbone was quite prominent if you know what I mean.

Completely normal and healthy

It's getting rarer to see nowadays, due to fat hiding the bones of so many kids.

There was a thread yesterday where completely normal/healthy looking slim teenage girls (underwear models) were deemed 'too skinny' and 'underweight' by a fair few posters.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 06/01/2018 23:55

100 calories? Is this also before sport? My DD would feel dizzy. She always has a tuna sandwich.

FireCracker2 · 06/01/2018 23:58

At this time of year children are at school for all the daylight hours . How are they suppose to get in an hours exercise if not at school?

In my area an adult and child swim together costs £7.60.A 30 minute swimming lesson is £6 A one hour gymnastics or dance class is at least £6. School need to take soem responsibility for getting kids active EVERY DAY

ineedamoreadultieradult · 07/01/2018 00:00

If I gave my son's two 100 calorie snacks per day that would be 200 calories per day more than they are eating now. Why do we see snacks as an actual thing these days. If you have a healthy and nutritious breakfast, lunch and tea you shouldn't need to snack and I say this as a mother of kids who do at least one organised high intensity sporting activity per day on top of the usual.childhood running around etc.

idontlikealdi · 07/01/2018 00:00

My kids don't have snacks apart from special occasions. They don't need an extra 200 kcal a day.

beingGoodNow · 07/01/2018 00:01

I too was surprised they are suggesting rice cakes and low fat cream cheese. Rice cakes are very high GI and I thought everyone was advised to avoid reduced fat now.

Original poster
Whichschool2020 · 07/01/2018 00:03

Well that’s the thing, it’s different for each child isn’t it? Is it sensible to give child A who does 18+ hours sport a week the same snacks as child B who only does 2 hours of PE a week? Of course not. (I realise that child B should be doing more but that’s the reality for some kids- which also needs to change)

My DD does a LOT of sport but I do think I was letting her eat too much as I believed she was burning it all off- she wasn’t. She’s within the healthy weight range but she was most definitely eating too much. We’ve now introduced a rule that she only has one snack after school not loads (!) and one before bed, plus a piece of fruit at School. (Not because of change 4 life, just because the snacking got out of hand over Christmas). It’s only been a week but I can already see she’s not craving snacks so much and is eating 3 good meals (she was always a good eater to be fair)

Worra- I totally understand, he’s simply stretched out a lot recently and so looks slimmer than normal- but actually it’s a good thing!

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Original poster
Whichschool2020 · 07/01/2018 00:06

X post with lots of people.

Firecracker there was that thing somewhere (I forget where) where all the kids had to walk a mile a day and it was found to have so much impact on obesity rates. However there’s so much pressure on schools now in every sense that sadly there just isn’t the funding and resources etc. IMO a lot more needs to be put into PE and active playtimes but responsibility also lies with parents too- there’s plenty of exercise kids can do at home for free, even when it’s dark outside!

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WorraLiberty · 07/01/2018 00:11

At this time of year children are at school for all the daylight hours . How are they suppose to get in an hours exercise if not at school?

That's always been the case and yet child obesity is a relatively new thing.

When I was a kid there were hardly any overweight kids in my school, but then again I don't remember kids being met at the gate with snacks and driven around everywhere.

Also there were only 3 TV channels to choose from, no internet and games consoles weren't a thing in every home.

Schools can only do so much before parents learn to stop passing the buck.

QueenofChristmas2018 · 07/01/2018 00:23

I don’t like the advert, surely better to give an Apple (which is about 100 cals) that to look for a specific change for life snack 🙄

Gammeldragz · 07/01/2018 00:27

On a normal day my DC (7-11) don't have snacks at all, snacks aren't necessary.
I don't like Change for Life because they advocate low fat food for children, so I ignore their advice.

anothersuitcase · 07/01/2018 00:32

For me, the worst thing about Change 4 Life is suggesting swapping sugary drinks for ones which contain artificial sweetener. No child needs to drink these types of drinks. 😡 It’s SUCH a contentious issue

And kids do need to drink sugary drinks which not only make them fat but also rot their teeth (which artificial sweeteners don't)? Can you explain your logic? Do you mean kids should be drinking water and neither of these? Because that I'd agree with!

Original poster
Whichschool2020 · 07/01/2018 00:47

Anothersuitcase that’s exactly what I mean. Drinks other than water and milk (and not milk all the time!) are the ONLY drinks children need and this needs to be made much clearer, not peddling ‘sugar free’ drinks.

My two DC only drink plain water and occasionally milk. I admit that I am lucky that they don’t like fizzy drinks or juice when they’ve been given them at parties, but it’s always been my rule that I won’t have these drinks at home for them, ever.

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