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).

Tea woukd be small.

I eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, rarely eat cake or biscuits or crisps, don’t touch fruit juice or fizzy drinks, don’t drink much alcohol, exercise most days. I am a healthy weight clinically but near the top of the range and I’m sure not what some MNers would call slim.

If You look at other threads though people are called smug or sneered at orblaughed at for objecting to people feeding their kids snacks

Sometimes on the “what does your toddler eat in a day” threads you see snacks before and after lunch that are so much food. I would give that snack to my child for their lunch. Things like Hummus and pita bread with cheese and fruit. These people are literally giving their children three lunches a day!

Oh god yes.

And anyone who gives their chikd a small plate of hummus pitta strips and some cucumber/grapes for lunch is asked "well that's the starter wheres lunch?"

I wish more restaurants gave you the option of smaller portions - there are places I avoid as I can only make a dent into the portion and it's such a waste.

If people stopped buying all this ‘bad’ food the supermarkets would take a huge hit in profits! This could be a good thing - make them think about the situation as well.

The sugar tax might help things too.

I also think more menus should have the calorie content of the meal. I live that spoons do that and means I can always choose the under 500cal option for lunch.

It really doesn't really tbh.

MN is full of kids who eat find every day and snack all the time yet their clothes fall off them. What you see when you walk down the street on the other hand...

The advice may be shit and I fully agree the change for life advice is nonsense but the campaign is there because so many kids are overweight.

They all apparently have to buy clothes bigger than their age because they are "so tall" however clothes are massive now sone of these age 11 items would fit a small adult. How they fit these apparently whipped thin children who are 8 and 9 years old I don't know. Dd is 22 and a half nearly 12 and she hasn't even properly grown in to her 8-9 school skirts yet

Doesn't add up

I think fruit and veg are quite expensive. I wanted to make a vegetarian lasagne. I calculated the cost of the vegetables would actually be more than just buying a packet of mince and making a beef lasagne.

I wish more restaurants gave you the option of smaller portions - there are places I avoid as I can only make a dent into the portion and it's such a waste.

You could always have a starter as a main. I often do that and find it enough.

Former use lentils as the "meat" and then just add carrots, onions and pumpkin or sweet potato...you can also use eggplant.

But I hear you...that's why we grow our own now.

When someone posts on here asking if their child is eating enough there are always people coming along and saying their child eats at least double that.

I also agree with someone upthread who mentioned childrens clothes. They often seem very generously cut, my 7 year old is very slim and I expect clothes to be large around his waist but my average weight 5 year old also has the same problem. It shocks me when people say their children are wearing clothes 3-4 years above their age.

you can also use eggplant

An aubergine/eggplant (depending on what you call it) costs 70p... A squash is a £1 or maybe more. A packet of fresh mince is £1.59 for 500g.

Lentils is a good idea!

Because most parents are in denial about how much crap they buy and give their kids.
It's now 'normal' to have snacks and treats throughout the day. Takeaways, once a rare treat are often bought weekly.
Plus, parents are obsessed about their toddlers not eating enough and will offer alternatives when a child is fussy. Chubby kids are considered normal and slim kids are seen as too thin.
All this and the lack of exercise and not being allowed to play out is why kids are fat.

giles I think a lot of that shows how used we have got to seeing “bigger” people that it is now seen as the norm.

I am a size 8 and from shops like asda (where the size 8 is rediculous and drowns me) I can fit into their age 13 jeans (having to adjust the waist in). I don’t see how beinb my size could be healthily for a 13 year old, certainly not for one of the “just very tall for their age” children needing much bigger than age sizes

parents are lazy and stupid, thats why. Let their kids watch TV and eat premade food...and et them play computer games. Grandma knew it best. Do what she did, thats the best way. Send them out into the garden all the time to run off. No garden, send them down the park. Make premade stuff. Allowing a child to be fat is child abuse.

Very true about the costs

I got 4 oranges as my snack 😇

£3.20!

That said carrots and onions are a friend , as are lentils . Yeah I know vegetable bloody stew

Snacks, and too much choice.

Also there is a field outside my local swimming pool with a park. It's going to be knocked down so they can put a Greggs there.

*I'm sure it's because British parents are lazy and stupid, whereas parents in other nations are exemplary.

Or, you know, perhaps other more complex reasons. You decide. - Betty* 669 other messages and you've just summed it up.

They've already decided. There must never be any complex reasons. It must be lazy and stupid - otherwise, how could they look down on all the fatties eh?

Babe Ah....I forgot. We grow aubergines of our own...I didn't know they were so dear! We're in Oz.

But lentils are really great in veggie pasta sauce too....

Cannot believe how cheap mince is in the UK! It's about 6 dollars here...which is about 3 quid and that's the cheap stuff. I just don't buy meat though...I don't trust it with all this intensive hormone type farming going on now.

" parents are lazy and stupid, thats why "

oh riiiiight , I see now, thanks for that brilliant and insightful analysis.

4 oranges as one snack!?

That highlights the over eating thing. Even with “healthy” foods you can overeat.

I made veggi lasagne yesterday - not the healthiest dish, although we had a huge salad with it. But seriously dirt cheap. 1 1/2 onion (10p?) garlic (2p?) 2 carrots (10p) hand ful of lentils (1/3 of a 49p packet=15p). 2X tinned tomatoes (66p) that's less than a pound for the filling. Granted the cheese sauce cost another £1-1:50but that's the same had I used mince.

I use organic beef which is £3 for 500g, not £1:59, but I am sure you can get it that cheap.