To think some people on here make too many excuses for parents feeding their kids unhealthy food to the point they become overweight or even obese?

[Giselle374]

I know a lot people are in really difficult situations financially, and the country overall has become harder and harder due to COL.

But I feel uneasy with the way some posts on this seem to imply that being in a hard financial position means unhealthy food almost can't be avoided.

People usually choose to have children, and food is a basic thing. If you didn't wash your child, or clothe them as best as you could, would that be similarly excusable? Arguably food is more important than many other potential areas since cancer and other illnesses are a very real danger if kids are overweight or obese young.

My mother had financial difficulties when I was young: she was a single parent and on minimum wage, and she hated cooking, ate very badly before I was born. But she ensured her meals (porridge, fish, eggs, veg based mostly) were healthy even if they were plain. I was barely ever allowed sugary or processed food. That's one of the things I'm most grateful for.

I do understand families in a depressing situation with few things for the kids to enjoy use food as something enjoyable sometimes
..areas need more resources, green space, libraries etc .

This isn't to deny the challenges of feeding kids healthily. But I think some posts on here lean too far to taking responsibility from the parents,,and I don't think that's helpful.

They absolutely DO stay fatter than their counterparts with different genetics. It's why some look like your typical famine victim, skin and bone and other just look a little slim.

We're also generally only shown the ones who look particularly emaciated, they make better TV.

Lunchboxes can take 2 minutes! Mine are just a wholemeal roll with cream cheese and cucumber or tuna mayo, a small packet of mini breadsticks, a plain yoghurt, banana, apple or satsuma and babybel. People seem to think it’s either Fridge Raiders and haribo OR churning your own butter and making your own sourdough. I agree, online shopping and a much wider choice of foods with longer shelf lives should make this easier.

This!!!!

But they weren’t obese.

If you put on weight easily you need to restrict food accordingly to stay a healthy weight.

Is this a genuine question?

Nobody has fat genes. The way we process and store food differs.

Rates of digestion, metabolic rates, fat storage, hormones.

You could give the same two kids the same meal and one of them will store and turn it into fat while the other will work it off just lifting their fork up to eat it.

Some people have a biological disadvantage and start from a different point, their body works against them.

My brother and sister can eat and eat, with no impact. I can barely look at a potato.

In a concentration camp, we’d all starve, but I’d take longer because I’d keep the food I’m eating longer.

But the fact is, we’re not in a concentration camp. We’re in our own kitchens.

I was really strict with my own DC growing up, they were allowed two small snack/treats per day and that was it. They grew up eating normal meals, no kid food and we did long walks every day come rain or shine as we had dogs. They lived outside in the summer on their bikes/climbing frame and barely ever had the TV on. My grandchildren make me want to weep, in front of screens from dawn to dark, no exercise and free access to a cupboard full of crap. Not one of them will touch any form of vegetables. Worries me sick.

I can kind of agree with parents who feed their kids what they like and it may not be very nutritious. My son (4) can be a pain sometimes and would happily live off of chicken nuggets I think 🤣 But I do think if your child doesn’t have a very healthy diet, then the least you can do is make sure they’re getting in plenty of exercise. Parents will let them eat all kinds of unhealthy stuff and then allow them to sit for hours on end on a games console or tablet! My son is constantly on the go playing football or rugby and gets way more exercise than he probably needs so if he has an easy tea one night I don’t really think too much of it as he’s nowhere near obese and gets his exercise in!

Same!

And the state of her house at times. I commented to my friend I could almost smell it over insta.

She tries to pass it off "this is what a normal family lives like", but it's not normal and boarders on neglectful at times.

So? If you’re prone to putting on weight eat less than people who are not. It’s not rocket science surely?

I know country level statistics don’t lie, but where are these obese children? Seriously, I don’t see them.

people keep going on about this epidemic of childhood obesity and I’m just having trouble believing the entire thing isn’t made up.

This reminds me of the show 'Secret Eaters'. There are obviously massive issues with this show, but the idea that people underestimate what they eat, or are in denial about what they eat is really true.

There is this really funny guy on Youtube who weighs an actual serving size of foods like peanut butter, granola, hummus etc. e.g. 15 grams of peanut butter is absolutely tiny, and most people would eat 3-4 times that portion on their toast. He then 'faints' when he sees how much he's actually overeating. It's really eye opening, and shows how much portion sizes have gone out the window, especially with kids food.

Yes, I try very hard in life not to be judgemental but I want to shout ‘just put your bloody recycling outside!’

Part of the problem is that the NHS itself is mostly clueless when it comes to nutrition. Their recommendations are mostly a joke.

And doctors are not trained on it so never see the connection between ‘food’ and disease unless the patient is very overweight.

We have essentially just accepted it as normal.

Well, yes - but the actual evidence is that this propensity is extremely hard to fight. Again if you are actually interested read the adoption studies - there is an extraordinarily tiny effect from the household children are raised in when compared to their genetics. I was really surprised when I read them a while back.

Absolutely, so many parents in complete denial. If there are no medical issues and your child is fat, it is YOUR fault.

Usually in poorer areas.

We live in an affluent area but our children go to the "poor" school (i.e. the one who's catchment falls in to the less good end of town) and there are at least 2 very obviously obese children in both my kids classes (both classes are small for state as well). It's a definite difference compared to their old affluent school where I think there were 2 obviously obese children in the school.

I’m not even trying to be bitchy, I follow her as she seems really lovely as a person and I like her laid back, normal style and financial advice. I also find her very funny - I think the criticisms she gets over her house and so on are totally unfair. But the kids diets are so awful, it’s almost something that you feel irresponsible ignoring for the rest of her content. I don’t actually think she knows it isn’t normal to eat like this, and wonder if she was raised similarly?

I hear you op but this isn’t just about financial poverty, it’s about time poverty too and good executive function.

According to government statistics

https://cpag.org.uk/news/child-poverty-statistics-new-record-high-and-further-breakdowns

31% of children in the UK are living in poverty.

• 44% of all children living in poverty are living in a household where someone is disabled
• 72% of poor children live in working families
• 44% of children in families with 3 or more children are in poverty, far higher than families with 1 child (21%) or 2 children (25%)

In other words, the steps required to buy nourishing ingredients, get them home, prepare them, afford the gas or electricity to cook them, and serve them up, are being impacted by disabilities, long working hours, and the number of mouths to feed.

Also, we know that there are fewer fresh food outlets available in deprived areas.

Plus, it’s both parents’ responsibilities to see their dc eat well, but in reality it’s often working mothers in charge of this task who have a lot of time pressures.

I’ve lost a stone in 6 weeks. No, not rocket science.

It does however take more to fill a bigger body, which as an adult is easy to wrap your head around and ignore/work with. Not so much when you’re 10.

But we’re talking about children, not grown adults, and there’s a difference between making healthy choices for your children, and putting a 9 year old on a diet.

I’m also a grown adult who doesn’t have food limitations, which as I’ve made perfectly clear, isn’t the same for my son. He isn’t fat because I am, he eats entirely different things and always has.

Whether you agree with the phrase or not, when it comes to kids - fed is always best. Particularly when you have one who refuses to be fed.

I think it must be the way she has been brought up. Her house also makes me wince 😬, but as long as it’s not a health hazard for the children that that’s up to them. I don’t know if she only puts up the bad days diet wise to make her content ‘relatable’, but if they’re eating like that every day then it’s a big concern.

Oh I don’t find her house TOO awful (but then at work I see dog shit inside, broken glass, actual hoarding etc) although admittedly I wouldn’t keep my house in that way, and I couldn’t tolerate rubbish on the floor or piles of clothes everywhere. In her shoes I would spend a bit of those savings just freshening the place up and getting some proper storage and a new bathroom/kitchen suite.

@Giselle374. I think the snacks thing is really important - when my son was around 10 he started getting chunky - partly because he’s a broad build anyway but also because he wasn’t sporty and used to use snacks as entertainment so I made sure we only had basic stuff in - banana, satsumas,yoghurts, crumpets, malt loaf, plain popcorn - no salty snacks or biscuits or sweets or chocolate or cakes or easy grab savoury stuff like fridge raiders, string cheese etc - I’m amazed when I see some people’s trolleys piled high with all this crap .

@Giselle374. I think the snacks thing is really important - when my son was around 10 he started getting chunky - partly because he’s a broad build anyway but also because he wasn’t sporty and used to use snacks as entertainment so I made sure we only had basic stuff in - banana, satsumas,yoghurts, crumpets, malt loaf, plain popcorn - no salty snacks or biscuits or sweets or chocolate or cakes or easy grab savoury stuff like fridge raiders, string cheese etc - I’m amazed when I see some people’s trolleys piled high with all this crap .

Same here!

One child eats a really well and balanced diet, one child is on a medically required low sugar diet (similar to what a type 1 diabetic would eat - as recommended by their paediatric endocrinologist and specialist dietitian and this has been since weaning almost a decade ago) and my 3rd child some days just exists on fumes as food has been a constant issue for them.

I only read the first page and already there are swathes of "excuses" as to why we aren't feeding our kids only healthy food. It's often not as simple as it appears.

With years and years of perseverance and patience my child with the 'rubbish diet' now eats some fruit, oily fish a few times a week, a few select vegetables and we make our own bread for them. They also eat main meals like bolognese and chicken breast in a light tomato sauce but we have been nearly 15 years getting to this point! Some times they lived on crappy yoghurt, pom bears and bread.

My kids are older now and sugar / junk food is everywhere they look! It's addictive and metaphorically rammed down their throats.

We allow most things in moderation but having a child who simply cannot have chocolate / cake / pastries etc we are much more mindful of snacks as a family. Outside of home I have less control but all of mine still have packed lunches so I am able to at least provide the food I'd like them to eat.

Even if they are the ‘off days’ they’re far too frequent to be proper ‘off days’ rather than the norm IYSWIM? My kids eat ‘badly’ on Easter Sunday and their birthdays (but even then we have a normal breakfast and dinner, it’s just the party food and cake and so on). So I would call those off days, as they’re not the norm or twice/3 times a week.