Why are British kids fat?

[VogueVVague]

So time, two parents working, low budget/cost - all these things can result in ready meals being served up etc. but that still doesnt explain why, compared to the rest of Europe, our kids are the fattest.

So whats the reason?

Is it political?
Cultural?

Something must have changed for us and mot the rest of Europe in the past 50 years (doubt kids before 1960 were chunky).

People have forgotten or don't seem to care that chicken nuggets, burgers and pizza are junk food. Some kids get variations of this everyday with the excuse that it's all my kids will eat

But meatballs, chicken goujons and cheese and tomato sandwiches are fine, apparently. Nothing wrong with any of those it's the balance against vegetables that is the issue. Vilifying random foods is .

It's about snacking I think.

So how do we explain the increase in diabetes?

mom? Any ideas?

In my experience. In the UK my kids were lazy. They sat staring at screens all day. They didn’t go out because there was no space to do anything.

We moved to the US and now they are outside all the time either helping with chores, mowing, cutting firewood, or just exploring the woods.

I agree janey

DH and I were walking round Tesco, and in the bread aisle, we were shocked at the shelve upon shelve full of sugary crap, shop make cakes, muffins, everything with bright coloured packaging, in boxes.

It absolutely epitomises the British diet in 21st century, everything in brightly coloured boxes with lists of ingredients as long as your arm.

Depressing!

Because the parents are fat and lazy. Most of them think (incorrectly) that the cheapest way to eat is processed food. It is not.

every thread on here about kids weights/ food intake/ packed lunch is posted on by the parents of children who eat 6 weetabix and would STARVE if they ate less.

On this thread there is a child who is allegedly the size of a 15 year old despite being half the age of one... but is not fat/overweight. It's deluded. When people say their kids swim for an hour a week are they a) stuck at the side of the pool waiting to take their turn or ploughing lengths? Scooting isn't really exercise (albeit it's better than going in a car)

We had a bbq this weekend, had loads of meat, nice salads, some bread etc for afters we had platters of really lovely fruit. As friends arrived they were literally unloading their own drinks into the fridge with bottles of coke, tubes of pringles, grab bags of chocolate, tubs of mini bites.

It was really unnecessary but because it was there it was then binged on by the kids. These are all slim, educated people. It's not necessary to pile shit onto the table- i'd catered.

The photos of the school holidays uploaded onto social media seem to be tink kids with ice creams sundaes bigger than their heads. We don't have a joyless relationship with food, we eat a variety of things, sometimes we'll have a pizza (2 ordinary sized pizzas between two adults and 2 kids aged 7 and 11) we don't wash it down with coke, or follow it with a tub of ice cream. We don't go to the cinema and mindlessly shovel crap into us.

Many kids are overweight because their parents refuse to educate themselves on portion size, healthy eating and use food as a 'treat'. Accept that all bets are off when they get autonomy as teenagers!

Could the rise in diabetes have something to do with an increased amount of carbohydrate (wheat and sugar) in the diet, and a decrease in variety, particularly of seasonal vegetables?

I think children in poorer areas often play out more than those who live in affluent areas.

Is there a day goes by that you don't start threads?

Cakes and muffins are not depressing food is food cake tastes nice and there is nothing wrong with having a bit of cake I think food is too much of an issue for some people .

Mominatrix plus Italy is massively risk averse with their DC, I was lucky because I was rural but kids in citys are ferried everywhere (and babied a fair bit).

Plus middle class Italian DC don't tend to do as much after school sport as English DC (more homework and often tutoring in their weakest subject or extra English)

Two reasons (i'm not british):

• food: crisps etc as daily food for lunch (????? why????), loads of people can't cook
• exercise: in a country with ggat much rain, why do kids not routinely own waterproofs? wellies, waterproof dungarees (on top of wellies, not inside), waterproof coat and hat, and off to the park . there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

The companies that produce the processed food design it to be highly addictive and children are often their target audience.

Junk food is much more accessible. In some areas takeaway places outnumber other shops considerably. People are losing the art of how to cook family meals or don’t have the time.

My Dad had type 1 diabetes, so as a child we only ever had fizzy drinks in the house for special occasions like birthday parties. And I am so thankful for that. On the rare occasion that I have a fizzy drink I opt for the diet version but could quite happily never drink one again. I don’t see the appeal. But many, many children and some adults drink it in vast quantities.

Lastly I think we are so used to seeing overweight people (children and adults) that we don’t notice it so much and it is becoming the norm. I’m in a diet now. I am 5’6” and 11 stone. People keep telling me that I am just right as I am and don’t need to lose weight. But I have been a stone or 2 lighter than this for most of my adult life and I am only just within the healthy weight for my height.

Mrs Jayy, cakes are not depressing, what is is that some people seem to be unable to think of a get together without a massive binge.

Lots of people think a cake a day is ok, plus it's only a few crisps, and a bar of chocolate because they've got a swimming lesson tonight- and it's hot, so let's go for an ice cream... loads of rubbish extra crap which is not necessary, and is adding to the problem.

Yes snacking does seem to be far more prevalent now. My 8yo DSD said to mr at lunchtime today (1pm) that she was starving because she'd only had 2 "things" so far (breakfast and a snack) since waking up at 9am, whereas at her mum's she normally would've have had 5 things because she has such a big appetite... She's not a large child by any stretch but if she continues to eat "5 things" before bloody lunchtime every day she probably will be!

I've seen a couple of people on here state there is nothing to do when it's bad weather... We don't melt, going out puddle splashing and nature trailing in the rain is good fun!

rebecca

I don't know about you but I'm also curious as to exactly what happened.

I mean when I was a kid we didn't snack we played out alot ten pence worth of sweets every few weeks as a treat.

These same parents when they become grandparents suddenly lose all sense. Can't turn up empty handed. Insist on getting im.snacks and treats for visits. Roll there eye at me when o tell my kids no they can't have an ice cream 20 mins after a 2 course dinner just bevause we walked two mins down the road to sit on a swing at the park...

Why does this happen? What turns sensible parents I to grandparents who think yoir kids are little more than waste disposal units?

I was giving dd a history lesson (!) on the fact that when I was her age there were no coffee shops. There were tea rooms, called something like “The Copper Kettle” where people might have a cup of coffee in a china cup and a piece of (invariably stale) cake. Or there were greasy spoon affairs. And in some towns you might have had morning coffee in a department store or - very avant garde - a furniture shop like Waring & Gillow.

But to wander around the street with a coffee? People would have thought you insane. Men sitting working in a coffee shop? The thought of my father entering a tea rooms by himself! With work ! And having a coffee out of the house every day - let alone with accompanying pastry - times have certainly changed.

My children eat so-called “junk food” most of the time - nuggets, chips, fish fingers, pizza etc
But they have child-appropriate portions, plenty of vegetables with it, fruit for a snack and drink mostly water. They also run around a lot and do lots of activities.
They are all very slim/skinny. Take after my DH who can eat what he wants and never gains weight. I have to watch my own calorie intake very closely

It's not just British kids! (And it's not mine-I wish he would put weight on).
But in general I don't think it's food. Kids need to eat lots, they are growing.
It's cars, plain and simple.
People driving everywhere AND roads being too unsafe for kids to play out. Because of cars. Bloody everywhere, all the time.
Also lack of safe green spaces, councils selling off land, closure of youth clubs, closure of public pools, nowhere to play.
And it's not the poorer kids in our school who are big-they walk everywhere- it's the middling ones who get driven and whose parents can afford endless treats like cinema +snacks every weekend.

Kursk it's not like there aren't any fat kids in the US are there .

Of course there is space in the UK, just depends where you live bit like the States.

Culturally everything has changed though, the focus is on safety - not letting them out - and playing on screens.

Not surprisingly, Scandinavian kids have the healthiest diets

Probably also related to the high cost of food and drink in Scandinavia. Even allowing for average salaries being higher, food and drink is much more expensive over there.

They aren't. Well they aren't nearly as fat as the figures claim, they are based on a old misconception and don't stand up to even basic scrutiny. It seems in reality the UK has half the rate of childhood obesity of the official figures.

It’s the crisps.