To think most people don’t care about healthy eating, exercise, etc

[Notcontent]

We keep hearing about rising obesity levels, diabetes, and how sugary/processed good is responsible for a lot of it, etc.

But it seems to me that most people are completely ignoring those messages - either because they think it’s all nonsense or because they think “oh well, I want to enjoy my food and drink and I don’t really care what happens when I get to 50”.

I completely agree that we need to have treats and enjoy food because that’s what life is all about. But a lot of it is just simple stuff, like having water instead or sugary drinks. Why is that? Yes, I know some people can’t afford healthy food, but most of us do have some choice about what we feed ourselves and our families.

I didn't read the thread (and would never do). Do you have any statistics to back your view? or is it just your feeling? I am interested.

I personally don't know about the majority. I also think it's regional and related to class. Poor people in the rural areas are fat and flabby, and I see that a lot where I live, comparing to London.

If you allow that the majority are not child-free but have children, who are in turn expensive, and add the recent revelation here of how much they spend a week to feed the family, then I think the British are not eating well. You need time and money to cook nice meals and exercise, your average family aint got that luxury.

You need time and money to cook nice meals and exercise, your average family aint got that luxury

I’m not sure time is the problem. I still think it’s lack of skills in the kitchen that’s the real problem. If you know what you are doing, you can make a healthy meal from scratch in less time than it takes to order in.

But you have to have this knowledge and it’s really not something you can learn overnight ime

If you know what you are doing, you can make a healthy meal from scratch in less time than it takes to order in.

Even some microwave ready meals take 20-30 minutes - that's long enough to cook some pieces of fresh meat and some fresh veg. It's only the bigger joints of meat that take much longer. Cubes/strips/slices of chicken, beef, pork, etc can be cooked in 10 minutes in a frying pan or under a grill.

You don't even need great cookery skills to fry/grill some thin meat and peel/boil some veg in a pan.

There seems to be a misconception that home cooking takes a lot of time and skill - it doesn't.

There seems to be a misconception that home cooking takes a lot of time and skill - it doesn't

I’m only speaking from my personal experience. It took me years to build up the skills to do a weekly shop or two and have those ingredients make up my weekly dinners. Or understand how to work from a recipe and improvise (my DH still can’t do this, he follows recipes exactly) based on what was in my fridge at the moment.

I ate dinners out of a box as a child. The intergenerational knowledge was lost on me and I had to learn everything from scratch. It wasn’t easy for me at all.

If you have time to post on MN or watch TV (or video on your phone, etc) then you have time to get some exercise.

7 minute workouts are free and come in 555 varieties.

It takes rather more energy to exercise after a hard day than relax in front of the TV though doesn’t it? We’re not machines, capable of full pelt whenever we’re not asleep

Ready prepared stuff can be healthy though- e.g. a stir fry veg pack for less than a pound...takes 5 mins, some prepared med vegetables to stick in the oven...also frozen veg can be just as good and takes no time.

It doesn't cost much either, it's just habit and choice. Trying new stuff.

For me it's definitely snacking. I've recently started looking at calories published in cafes on items I thought weren't that calorific and they are horrific! Most pastries are upwards of 500 calories, yet if I calorie count my main meal, it won't be that much! If you add a cappuccino on top, you think you've had an afternoon snack but you've eaten half your calories!