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

Also I shop once a week and fruit and veg does last. Fruit bowl is full of apples, bananas and satsumas, grapes and berries in the fridge with most other veg. Potatoes and onions in a dark cupboard. Never throw rotten veg out, it gets eaten daily.

God I wish people would stop banging on about slow cookers. I don't think they save any time whatsoever - you still have to prep things before you put them in and I find the food they produce somewhat bland and mushy. Maybe it's because I'm vegetarian but I always find the slow cooker results taste poorer than the equivalent dish made on the hob.

And I agree with everyone who says that time is a major factor in eating well - time to shop, time to prepare food, time to cook, time to clean up. My life pre-Covid had no free time when I wasn't dropping off / picking up from school / travelling to work or being at work

I unfortunately once spent a few months without a proper cooker, and relied on my slow cooker. They really are great. But they are ideal for very cheap cuts of meat, and not great for vegetables.

Chili in the slow cooker is amazing, and super cheap if you use turkey mince (sounds gross, but it's nice)- also makes more than one meal, I usually have it with baked pots the next day.

Also when my brother was on benefits he got given a slow cooker as part of a scheme, they also cost as much as a lightbulb to power, so for things that don't take long cheaper than an oven (although if you're slow slow cooking then probably evens out).

@IwishIwasyoda

God I wish people would stop banging on about slow cookers. I don't think they save any time whatsoever - you still have to prep things before you put them in and I find the food they produce somewhat bland and mushy. Maybe it's because I'm vegetarian but I always find the slow cooker results taste poorer than the equivalent dish made on the hob.

And I agree with everyone who says that time is a major factor in eating well - time to shop, time to prepare food, time to cook, time to clean up. My life pre-Covid had no free time when I wasn't dropping off / picking up from school / travelling to work or being at work

I think slow cookers are great.

Mainly because, with a little adaptation in methods (less/no water, more awareness of how to layer and develop flavour, taking the lid off to reduce liquids down whilst heating up some green or frozen veg on the hob), it's a damn sight cheaper to have a thirty quid one on the counter than to pay to replace a buggered oven, delivery, disconnection, removal and disposal of the old one and legally connect the new one safely; current prices - £120 for oven, £150 for the actually getting it here and making it legal and safe/removing the scrap.

It gets used to roast chicken, 'cheap' joints of meat, make bone broth/stock with the leftovers, make ratatouille, curries, intensely flavoured sauces, casseroles, steamed puddings, bake bread, soups, could be used to make yoghurt, bake potatoes, etc. Pretty much anything that would be cooked long and slow on the hob or in the oven, with the added bonus of not having to watch a flame, food not getting burned or being able to watch the electricity meter disc spin round like a CD when it's switched on. They cook at around 95 Celsius on low and 150 Celsius on high, but it's moist heat, rather than the dry air of an electric oven.

Combining that with a hob and, although there isn't much in the way of cake baking or Birdseye Thing-In-Breadcrumbs Meals going on (don't particularly like either), it's easy enough.

The best thing about my kitchen though, is that it is five times larger than the one I had in my council flat when I had 4 people to feed. The idea of having more than 45 cm of counter space, room for a small freezer and not having to stand out in the hallway to be able to open the fridge door is luxury to me.

you still have to prep things before you put them in and I find the food they produce somewhat bland and mushy.

Sorry, but that's the chef, not the slowcooker. I know. I fucked up too few times. Who doesn't.

They do also cost very little to run. I use veg and bones and other scarps to make really tasty stock for soups (not a fan of blended ones, rather broth). Last batch cost me about 50p.

Vegetarian slow cooker fan here.

They're great! Very easy to use and make delicious food providing you use correctly.

The people I've come across who complained about blandness etc were under seasoning and/or over watering their dishes. You don't need much liquid at all with them.

Fabulous for things like chilli, casseroles, soups and if you do want to go an Uber lazy route you can minimise prep but stay healthy by using pre-prepped ingredients - frozen, Tinned or fresh!

I used mine mostly when I was a single working mum and would just literally in the morning throw in

Protein - quorn mince, quorn chunks, soya or drained Tinned beans or pulses

Veg - frozen (was great for sneaking in frozen spinach quickly so dd didn't notice!) or drained Tinned veg, ready peeled and chopped veg like carrot batons or coins or diced butternut squash, broccoli, green beans etc

Carbs - ready peeled and diced white potato, sweet potato, dumplings

Flavouring - stock or stock cubes, herbs and spices (lazy garlic and ginger are staples here), or even use ready made slow cooker mixes

Though you could skip the carb at this stage and then when you're ready to eat cook some carbs quickly (cous cous only needs 5 mins, fresh pasta 3mins) or just add some bread on the side or even microwaved rice

Et voila dinner is served!

Was very handy when dd was at the "clubs every bloody night!" Stage and we didn't necessarily want to eat at the same times, as the person eating first could simply serve/be served and the dish kept warm for the later eater (usually me)

"I absolutely loathe bananas. Even the smell of them if someone is eating them near me! 🤮"

Funnily enough I can eat them myself if necessary, but feel sick when I see others eating them in front of me. I was having lunch in the canteen some time ago and the person next to me was eating a banana, the smell was so strong that my own lunch just smelled of the banana. I also find them impossible to eat without getting my hands dirty so not as good on the go as something like a double decker from a practical point of view.

@Saucy99

It's not the Government's job to stop you getting fat. It's yours. It's called personal responsibility. The Government can't give you willpower or volition. That's on you.

You appear to be incapable of walking a mile in someone else's shoes.

That's okay, MN is awash with that inability to imagine any life other than your own. Some of that is due to being unable to apply critical analysis to any situation (hello, Brexit..), being not that clever, and some due to an inability to empathise.

'Fat' is a hugely complex issue. A fact you won't entertain, evidently.

I agree that slow cookers are brilliant. People put the same amount of liquid as conventional cooking and it just doesn’t need it as it won’t evaporate. Love opening the door after a long day to something smelling tasty and ready.

The concept of people not being able to shop cheaply has long gone.

Why do people insist on being obtuse and saying that eating healthily is impossible on benefits etc?

I wonder if people saying things like that actually know anyone on benefits? There is a difference between not having the means and making poor financial choices.

My own handy hint (if anyone gives a shit): go to the supermarkets at around 6 or 7pm, you can get loads of veg/chilled food for pennies. Unless you're precious about use by dates, it lasts for ages.

Or check out food waste reduction websites such as Too Good To Go.

It’s the sheer bloody relentlessness of no choice. The always having to find the cheapest things. The worry of not adding it up right and putting something back. The humiliation of no choice.

Of course you can do it. Of course we know life is hard and choices have to be made and you should get over ‘it’s not fair’. But my god, being in poverty shouldn’t be a lifestyle.

Reasonably healthy food does not have to be expensive. But it means buying cheaper, seasonal veg (and being prepared to peel and chop) and eating less meat - use fillers like lentils instead.

Anyone who routinely buys bagged salad, pre-prepared veg, or e.g. imported baby corn and mange-tout, is going to be spending considerably more.

It’s often implied that ‘healthy’ food has to include e.g. blueberries and chicken breasts.

Funny how relatively cheap and healthy items like carrots, cabbage, sprouts etc. are hardly ever mentioned.

As a pp said, food is already a lot cheaper in the U.K. than in many other countries, inc. France. Unfortunately the ruinous cost of housing in much of the U.K. is the other side of the coin.

My own handy hint (if anyone gives a shit): go to the supermarkets at around 6 or 7pm, you can get loads of veg/chilled food for pennies.
That is not a universal guide for all supermarkets everywhere. Maybe it applies to some in your area.

And I agree with everyone who says that time is a major factor in eating well - time to shop, time to prepare food, time to cook, time to clean up
Of course it does, but time is a matter of priority. Many people claim to have no time for cooking but seem to have time to take part in activities that are of no benefit to our bodies, on the opposite.

Why do people insist on being obtuse and saying that eating healthily is impossible on benefits etc?

It's the usual contraian bollocks. It does not matter how often you point out cheap recipes or current offers down the supermarket someone will berate you for not taking into account people who don't have a cooker/fridge/microwave/sharp knife etc. There will always be excuses.

The things that would help a lot of people are intermittent fasting, no snacks and only drinking tap water. Those are very very very cheap.

@DillonpanthersTexas. Well if people don’t actually have a microwave cooker and/or fridge and I’m sure there are such people, then. That’s not an excuse it’s a reason.

@DillonPanthersTexas

Why do people insist on being obtuse and saying that eating healthily is impossible on benefits etc?

It's the usual contraian bollocks. It does not matter how often you point out cheap recipes or current offers down the supermarket someone will berate you for not taking into account people who don't have a cooker/fridge/microwave/sharp knife etc. There will always be excuses.

It's all well and good having cheap recipes, but you need to be able to read them, follow them and have the means to do them. Not having a cooker/fridge/ability to follow the recipe are reasons. They may be a very small amount of people, but they do exist.

Why do people insist on being obtuse and saying that eating healthily is impossible on benefits etc?

Because it shuts down the discussion usually. People generally don't want to argue that even on benefits, you can buy healthier options, because you will be called heartless bastard or something. Or will be told that brown rice is still expensive. The fact that there is still considerable number of overweight and obese who are not poor and/or on benefits, doesn't matter. Same with MH or physical issues. People just ignore the fact that large number of overweight and obese appear to be in none of this group and are fat because of lifestyle choices, me and many other posters (who usually give up posting because they get shot down). Accepting that would mean accepting that for large part it os about the overweight and obese's choices made. Then again, this is a discussion on MN where MH and disabilities are overrepresented compare to general population so threads in here will look like it is more common factor than it is in reality (which is a normal thing with online forums). Same with studies usually linked. Obviously there will be studies showing that x has a massive impact on weight, because for number of people it does. But studies often have a bias. And people like me don't participate in them. We are either in denial or saw the light and are working on it.

All this is not to say that there aren't multiple factors, there are. It would be INCREDIBLY stupid to say there aren't. But the fact is that many ignore, or even argue against the fact some, numbers would suggest it's actually considerable part, people just get fat without poverty or other issues, simply because they eat too much and move too little. Claim no time etc.

60+% of adults in UK are overweight or obese. It has risen considerably in last decade, yet poverty % didn't change much...

It really doesn't take much time, effort or money to make a basic salad though. We often just have a plate of leaves with a fried egg on top and bread on the side. Not some peoples idea of a meal, granted, but it is quick, easy, and healthy.

^It's all well and good having cheap recipes, but you need to be able to read them, follow them and have the means to do them.
Not having a cooker/fridge/ability to follow the recipe are reasons. They may be a very small amount of people, but they do exist^

No-one's denying that people who cannot read, have no cooking equipment or facilities or access to affordable supermarkets exist, but you say it yourself, it's probably a very small number of people.

So it doesn't explain why, as a nation, more than two thirds of us are overweight. In most cases, a shift away from greed and laziness would help enomously and I include myself in that assessment.

Yes, I agree it's a very very small number of people. The vast majority of people who are overweight are not on benefits, literate, and have access to facilities.

I do think it's multi-factored though. Meant health, laziness, poverty, education, motivation, etc etc will all pay various roles depending on the individual. It's good the government has at lest acknowledged there is a problem.

I'm fatter IN WORK than out of work and on benefits

Go figure