Government tackling obesity missing a key element

[HeeeeyDuggee]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53546151

Government have announced measures to tackle obesity

AIBU to think that although it’s all well and good banning buy 1 get 1 free and advertising before 21:00 what they really need to do is make fresh fruit and vegetables and good quality meat cheaper for people to buy.

It may be a regional thing but buying enough veg for the week here costs a fortune and it goes off within days. Where as you can buy a massive packet nuggets and chips for much less.

Pre covid it was bad enough for lots of families but given the ramifications on jobs and the economy I think lots more families will struggle to afford decent healthy food.

Ps not a fat persons bashing thread I myself am over weight

We have puddings most days. We are all very slim.

Puddings (in small portions!) are actually a great tool for healthy eating as they formally end the meal and reduce grazing afterwards (even if we are full on savoury, we usually can eat something else - a small pudding satisfies this in a good way)

But fruit and veg isn't expensive unless you buy out of season or expensive varieties. I don't think subsidising healthy food will make that much of a difference if I'm honest, it will just save money for the people who already buy it.

Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive, there are resources out there for people who want to eat well on a budget. I think the real issue comes to education, not just on sensible eating but also around budgeting and meal planning.

It's habits too. We were never allowed snacks between meals growing up, mainly cos of finance. As a ppt said, pudding was it. I.do the same with dc- if you're hungry after a meal you have an apple or other fruit. But even then, you ask.

My parents and grandparents always had a pudding to end a meal and were always very slim. They never, ever snacked though. There was never anything in the house to snack on, food was always allocated for meals.

DH's parents could never understand why they were so fat, as they ate tiny portions at meals and would never be so indulgent as to have a pudding. They did however, never have a cuppa without a plate of biscuits, considered chocolate a necessary daily treat, plus family sized bags of crisps every time they sat down to watch TV.

dontdisturbmenow how can you make an pasta bake in under 15 mins? It takes at least 45 mins to cook?

And you'd have to be a whizz in the kitchen to make homemade pizza in under 15 mins. Put together dough ingredients, 5 mins, knead for 5-10 mins, set aside whilst spending 5- 10 mins washing and chopping veg, roll out dough and put toppings on, another 5 mins, then cook for about 8- 10 mins. It would take me at least 30 mins. Which I'll admit isn't too long, but certainly not super quick after 10 hours at work.

But I have to say the reason I'm overweight is far too much bread and cheese, which is a quick easy meal, and ok in moderation, but not when grabbed for snacks and meals, like I do. No amount of advert bans or sugar taxes will help me there, only I can do that.

Pudding is fine because most people who do it have small pudding and small meal. It's a problem when you have massive meal and than top it up with half a tub of ben&jerry's.

I think junk food needs to be prohibitively expensive and at the very far end of the supermarket out of sight
I don't agree with that. But I agree with the rest of your point about Italian supermarkets. Where my family lives is the same. There are some "ready meals", but everyone I know used to use them just when camping or similar (they are in a tin). Maybe few frozen ones. People just don't buy it so it's not stocked. But everyone had pre cooked meals in a freezer. Homemade ones. We just cooked few more portions when we were making something. I still do it now.

Re working FT. People all over the world work ft and commute🤷🏻

@Freddofrogshop you could do pizza wraps or something. Layer of tomato puree, layer of cheese, add veg- ideal for getting rid of left overs or frozen stuff works, such as peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, courgette...anything. Takes a few mins to make and 5 mins under the grill. A wholewheat wrap is better than slices of bread, and as well as the cheese you're getting some veg in as well. And it tastes nice. Just one example. Or cous cous (which takes a few minutes you just add boiling water and leave it) with something, even veggie sausages and salad tastes nice.

Staplemaple, thank that does sound nice, and I do love cous cous.
But, on a very childish note, it's not as nice as a good wensleydale with cranberries :)

This is always the big question, isn't it. Why were previous generations not enormous. I ate cereal for breakfast, with full fat milk and added two spoons of sugar. I had milk at break time. I had meat and veg and a stodgy pudding for lunch. I came home from school and had a pint of full fat milk and a jam donut. For dinner I then had meat or fish and veg, followed by another pudding. Everyone ate like that and no-one was fat.

The main difference was, of course, no ready meals, everything home made. Portions are a huge issue too, look at traditional plates, the inner area is really quite small.

I don't think fruit and veg are expensive. A few years ago our freezer stopped working so for a while we could only buy things which went in the cupboard or fridge. Our shopping bill went right down. We ate loads of veg during that time.

Things like own brand tinned tomatoes and mushrooms are really cheap. At the start of lockdown, I bought tins of fruit to cut down on the frequency of shopping trips. They are very cheap. I'm still buying them now.

@Baaaahhhhh

This is always the big question, isn't it. Why were previous generations not enormous. I ate cereal for breakfast, with full fat milk and added two spoons of sugar. I had milk at break time. I had meat and veg and a stodgy pudding for lunch. I came home from school and had a pint of full fat milk and a jam donut. For dinner I then had meat or fish and veg, followed by another pudding. Everyone ate like that and no-one was fat.

The main difference was, of course, no ready meals, everything home made. Portions are a huge issue too, look at traditional plates, the inner area is really quite small.

I calorie count and I eat decently filling portions of food within the limits. Mostly grains (brown rice, Freekah, cous cous, polenta, quinoa) with veggies and homemade sauces and some sort of protein.

Ready meals and prepackaged food always have way more calories compared to the size and how filling they are.

Also, you probably moved a lot more back then. My neighbours think I’m bizarre because I leave the car in the drive and walk or cycle everywhere. I think it’s ridiculous that they go to the gym and play sports but still take their car to the local shops a five/ten min walk away.

Don't eat chips, crisps, large helpings of potato, large helpings of pasta, sweets, ice cream, fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, large helpings of bread.

Keep off booze, maybe a low calorie drink a day.

JOB DONE !!!1* Pay me NOW!!!!!!!

@ Bluemoooon

Thank you how about payment upon advice on what to eat too as that may be a touch helpful!

@Freddofrogshop I make pizza dough in the blender with sf raising flour and Greek yoghurt usually fat free Total as i have loads in, but it works with full fat cheap greek you too.

Blend, knead, roll. 5 mins. Then add homemade hidden veg sauce which I make in bulk from roast veg and passata in the blender, then ready grated mozzarella.

In the oven and usually cooked in 15 mins.

But I realise that there's privelege in owning a blender and being able to afford ready grated mozzarella.

@rosy71

I don't think fruit and veg are expensive. A few years ago our freezer stopped working so for a while we could only buy things which went in the cupboard or fridge. Our shopping bill went right down. We ate loads of veg during that time.

Things like own brand tinned tomatoes and mushrooms are really cheap. At the start of lockdown, I bought tins of fruit to cut down on the frequency of shopping trips. They are very cheap. I'm still buying them now.

Tinned mushrooms are pretty horrible. I always think if you're going to buy tinned veg, why not just buy something already made in the tin like soup or stew. Frozen veg and fruit is usually cheaper than fresh veg so if you saved money by not using the freezer, it was probably because your freezer food wasn't just packs of veg. Frozen fish is much cheaper than fresh as well. Some veg is cheap, true, and it's fine if you really like onions and potatoes. I like things like aubergine, and even if you can get an aubergine for 65p making a meal with it is going to end up more expensive than a cheap ready meal or some chips, same goes for broccoli and lots of other fruit and veg.

I don't see how eating more fruit and veg would make people thinner. Food is generally much cheaper nowadays than it used to be and perhaps that has had an impact on obesity. Perhaps they could just make cakes etc more expensive again.

There is simply no solution to it. Nope. Because there is always a but.
But freezer
But cooker
But supermarket
But skills
But time
But tories
But
But
But
But

It's impossible to have any discussion about this in general because it will always turn into "but people in poverty" even though people in poverty. Yet again the numbers. Adults in poverty less than 20%, adults overweight or obese more than 60%.

These threads in the end often sound like people think it's just the poor who are obese🤷🏻 That's not the reality.

I mean like, just look at it.
Someone posts list of prices of good food and reply is "but brown rice, which is even healthier, is expensive". 🤷🏻

God, hoe do people survive with these "no can do and will always find a reason to no can do" attitudes

Plus a lot of those "people in poverty" do have freezers and cookers. Some, in the most extreme circumstances don't but the majority do.

@Alloverthegrapevine exactly. Yet these threads make it look like over half of population has no access to freezer. Or cooker. Or internet.

I think the main issue is portion sizes.

If we all ate the "right" portion of pasta for example, most of us would feel quite cheated.

Also the widespread use of alcohol at home which adds calories and increased snacking.

It really isn't about the money - we spend a tiny percentage of our net income on food compared to generations gone by. Food has never been cheaper in real terms. Our grandparents spend around 20% of their income on food but the average Brit now spends just 8%.

Finally, when I was at school (Old Gimmer Alert) everyone had to do a term of Home Economics which was really cooking from scratch, and then at age 14 we had to choose a subject to study in final two years from HE/Woodwork/Metalwork/Technical Drawing or Art. The kitchens were closed at many schools so there are generations who have no idea how to cook.

I think we Brits who evidently like all foods and favours from our travels around the globe need to rethink and recalibrate our current lifestyles, health and wealth equilibrium.

Do we want to be increasingly Americanised with ultra processed, heavily marketed and normalised acceptance so much so that junior health ministers think eating out at international fast food restaurants is fine and saving the local economy as long as we ask them nicely to (self declare) some basic small print nutritional and calorific information. Is this really a part of a balanced lifestyle and eating habit for a healthy and fit population and not a drain on free at point of us tax payer funded medical services.

Alternatively we have seen how many European neighbours have seemingly fitter healthier populations such as both those of the warmer Southern European Mediterranean nations and conversely those north of us in Scandinavia who also happen to be way more health conscious and happy.

Not saying it is exclusive to our fellow European neighbours but they generally historically and perpetually have a deeper appreciative food culture. They tend to have more of an understanding of the basic human requirement to fit into busy lifestyles more preparing scratch cooked family meal times which forms part of the daily routine. Similarly in East Asian and countless over developed first world cultures and societies.

We tend to like to make excuses and opt for convenience over effort. Eat crap rather than healthy, watch endless media rubbish and digital entertainment including spectator sport rather than active sports etc etc.

It starts at home and at primary schools and with the responsibilities of mum and dad to set off on the right balanced lifestyle journey. We all have busy lifestyles but generations before us have managed despite horrors of war and less food and catering options and indeed wealth!

Not a rant but just some thoughts to all to the mix. I previously spent some professional working time in the USA and was absolutely shellshocked in the food culture there. Supper size was normal, everything was about convenience including express delivery all ready to eat at a touch of a computer keyboard or mobile phone button. Supermarkets offered so many "intriguing" new ultra processed food manufactured creations rammed full of stuff I don't recognise, and people drive between buildings and cared more about the size of in car cup holders etc than other necessary and distinguishing car features. The mindset was just so alien initially to a new Brit expat and now this is just normal over this side of the pond and hence the recent Covid survival rates wake up call.

What's a possible solution? Effort! As no "pain" no gain! Try to appreciate the basics. Do active exercise as even house work and childcare counts too if can't go out for a jog or walk instead of drive etc. Follow the lead of those in more food culturally established nations. We Brits are amazing food critics with a sophisticated taste of appreciation but just can't seem to be as handy playing chef as say the Chinese, Japanese or nearer to home French, Italians and Spanish etc. Make scratch home cooking healthy nutritious meals trendy and worth the time and energy investment (including batch for weekly convenience) and not Keto Whipped TikTok Dalgona coffee fad or Great British Bake off as when were cakes as scrumptious as they are super healthy? Just simply can't have your cake and eat it as you are what you eat!

"Yet these threads make it look like over half of population has no access to freezer. "

I lived for 10 years without a freezer - just had an ice box. I stupidly bought the cheapest fridge that didn't come with a freezer, not realising I would have saved more money overall if I had one.

"But fruit and veg isn't expensive unless you buy out of season or expensive varieties."

If you compare the price of making a meal with veg and other things it's more expensive than jam sandiwches, chips or the cheaper ready meals. I can get a ready made lasagne for 1.25. Broccoli, aubergine, etc. aren't cheap and not everyone wants to eat potatoes and onions all the time.