hobbitonabike
Formerly EbonyWillow
- Location
- Furness, South Lakes
Why is the film Wall-E starting to look like a prophecy of doom, I wonder???? 
Obesity
- Thread starter screenman
- Start date
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Boris Bajic
Guest
Under a previous head (whom we liked) my children's primary had a 'healthy lunch box' policy. Chocolate was not allowed.
There was a meeting about it.
My wife and I were the only ones in the 'pro' camp. As I was then the chair of the PTA, it looked as if we were there for propaganda reasons...
One parent (complete with wide diff, as a Kiwi truckie friend of mine would describe her) ranted "My son stipulates chocolate in his lunch box".
There was lots of clucking and nodding in agreement. Nobody seemed to mind her act of linguistic murder.
We still giggle about children stipulating chocolate when we see large-shadow families.
The compromise reached was (effectively) that the policy remained in place but wasn't enforced. Only recently our eldest said she had the Mickey taken at primary-school lunchtime for being middle class and having raisins in her lunch box.
Organic... of course!
There was a meeting about it.
My wife and I were the only ones in the 'pro' camp. As I was then the chair of the PTA, it looked as if we were there for propaganda reasons...
One parent (complete with wide diff, as a Kiwi truckie friend of mine would describe her) ranted "My son stipulates chocolate in his lunch box".
There was lots of clucking and nodding in agreement. Nobody seemed to mind her act of linguistic murder.
We still giggle about children stipulating chocolate when we see large-shadow families.
The compromise reached was (effectively) that the policy remained in place but wasn't enforced. Only recently our eldest said she had the Mickey taken at primary-school lunchtime for being middle class and having raisins in her lunch box.
Organic... of course!
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
Bozza (if I may be so familiar)... liking your recent posts in this thread, but take a look under your avatar!
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
I'm going to use this phrase as the earliest opportunity!
I refuse to believe there is anyone in this country who doesn't know what a decent diet is - at least not anyone who doesn't have a learning difficulty or similar. Just as I don't believe there is anyone who still doesn't know smoking is bad for you. I suspect a lot of people can't be bothered, or actively don't care, and a significant number have fallen into the generation that somehow didn't learn the basics of cooking - and once that happens, the next generation don't learn either, etc etc.
I'm no great example, I'm a stone heavier than I should be, and easily tempted to snack between meals. But I take responsibility for myself. Fat adults, it's up to them, fat kids I hate to see, because once a habit starts, it's very hard to stop.
Hip Priest
Veteran
We all know what it takes to lose weight on an individual level (ie. burn more calories than you eat), but reversing the trend on a national scale seems impossible to me.
I have no idea how the government can tackle it.
I have no idea how the government can tackle it.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Arch, you'd be surprised at what some folk believe and/or know when it comes to food. There's knowing and there's believing. Folk have knowledge presented to them but whether or not they believe it or assimilate it is beyond the ability of folk to predict. It's a folly to assume that the population at large know what a decent diet is. The only successful food campaign to the best of my knowledge is that most folk can cite that five portions of fruit or veg is good for you yet the number of adults and children that manage to fail to consume the aforementioned number of portions is stunningly huge. There are lot of reports around that demonstrate that youngsters have little knowledge of food sources and food groups even though it is covered within science and food technology lessons. There was a widely declared intention to make food technology/domestic science compulsory for all high school pupils. It's quietly been abandoned as has personal and social education which had healthy diets as part of the scheme of work.
The ignorance about food cuts across the spectra of social class and intellegence. I recently astounded an intelligent fourteen year old boy who witnessed me shelling and eating a hard boiled egg. He thought that it was a different type of egg and totally unconnected with raw eggs. He was reluctant to believe that it had not been laid 'hard' and had, in fact, been cooked. He couldn't name the cooking process or identify the food group. He wasn't even aware that it was an animal product and was convinced that eggs were manufactured in factories.
It's not an isolated incident. Kids and adults have difficulty identifying fruit and veg. The number of times that I've been asked what some of the loose fruit and vegetables are at supermarket checkouts surprises me. Our school canteen provides 'real meals' as well as pizza and pasta pots. There's huge queues for pasta and pizza and huge numbers of free tasters of the 'real stuff' has done little to increase the uptake of of wholesome meat and vegetable based meals.
The ignorance about food cuts across the spectra of social class and intellegence. I recently astounded an intelligent fourteen year old boy who witnessed me shelling and eating a hard boiled egg. He thought that it was a different type of egg and totally unconnected with raw eggs. He was reluctant to believe that it had not been laid 'hard' and had, in fact, been cooked. He couldn't name the cooking process or identify the food group. He wasn't even aware that it was an animal product and was convinced that eggs were manufactured in factories.
It's not an isolated incident. Kids and adults have difficulty identifying fruit and veg. The number of times that I've been asked what some of the loose fruit and vegetables are at supermarket checkouts surprises me. Our school canteen provides 'real meals' as well as pizza and pasta pots. There's huge queues for pasta and pizza and huge numbers of free tasters of the 'real stuff' has done little to increase the uptake of of wholesome meat and vegetable based meals.
Mr Haematocrit
msg me on kik for android
- Location
- Out of the saddle
Carter the unstoppable sex machine, 30 something - fantastic album
Boris Bajic
Guest
Bozza (if I may be so familiar)... liking your recent posts in this thread, but take a look under your avatar!
Big bones.... That's what it is in my case. Very big bones. Huge!
Do you have a problem with that?
Mmmmm.... Pizza!
Sorry, must dash.
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
I was thinking about this, this morning, before I saw this thread.
What caused my thought? I was bumbling around the house, doing bits and bibs etc and had the TV on in the background. When I stopped for a couple of minutes, I saw an ad break.
Nothing in the ads for crappy food or anything like that, but did notice that Sky were informing the kids that its nearly the summer holidays (not that they haven't been counting down to it), and that Sky had been 'thinking about them', and that they were going to be providing weeks upon weeks of mind numbing cr*p for the to watch, and that this would be delivered in chunks that would mean that they didn't lose their attention span!
Looking at some of the other arguments on this thread, then I don't think that enough emphasis is placed on sport within the school system. I don't think kids engage with sports unless its something they already do outside of school.
I see so much US college sport on the TV and it involves so many members of the school and both the school and wider community. Everyone seems to love it, but I just don't think that it is pushed enough in this country, and there too few rewards for those who excel.
Yes, I know there are some excellent programmes out there for kids who enjoy and who are good at sport, but I think that you find that these days kids are more likely to better at FIFA than they are at football or at Ashes 2013 than they are at cricket, etc etc etc.
People will keep trying to do something about the obesity problem, and will most likely keep failing.
I remember having healthy lunch box policies when I was at school. No one fought or resisted it, it was just seen as something that you did. But then, I wasn't blessed with parents who just wanted an easy, quick way out...."Here's some chocolate and crisps, now get to school". My mum always saw that what I took to school was healthy and balanced. Now,it seems like parents want to combative about anything they can, and this is an easy one to flout!
What caused my thought? I was bumbling around the house, doing bits and bibs etc and had the TV on in the background. When I stopped for a couple of minutes, I saw an ad break.
Nothing in the ads for crappy food or anything like that, but did notice that Sky were informing the kids that its nearly the summer holidays (not that they haven't been counting down to it), and that Sky had been 'thinking about them', and that they were going to be providing weeks upon weeks of mind numbing cr*p for the to watch, and that this would be delivered in chunks that would mean that they didn't lose their attention span!
Looking at some of the other arguments on this thread, then I don't think that enough emphasis is placed on sport within the school system. I don't think kids engage with sports unless its something they already do outside of school.
I see so much US college sport on the TV and it involves so many members of the school and both the school and wider community. Everyone seems to love it, but I just don't think that it is pushed enough in this country, and there too few rewards for those who excel.
Yes, I know there are some excellent programmes out there for kids who enjoy and who are good at sport, but I think that you find that these days kids are more likely to better at FIFA than they are at football or at Ashes 2013 than they are at cricket, etc etc etc.
People will keep trying to do something about the obesity problem, and will most likely keep failing.
I remember having healthy lunch box policies when I was at school. No one fought or resisted it, it was just seen as something that you did. But then, I wasn't blessed with parents who just wanted an easy, quick way out...."Here's some chocolate and crisps, now get to school". My mum always saw that what I took to school was healthy and balanced. Now,it seems like parents want to combative about anything they can, and this is an easy one to flout!
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
I guess I should know this, given the inability of so many to understand our recycling instructions...
Chris Norton
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Boston, Lincs
in the op the "resorts" mentioned have a massive transient population of holiday makers. Mablethorpe is gods waiting room and has the highest diabetes count in the UK. To consider the population being typical of Lincolnshire is a little unfair. In the middle of winter the difference is astounding. However, as there is little industry, most young un's bugger off as soon as possible but that's a whole different issue.
Food is very difficult. I've always cooked and believe that the heart of the family is that teatime meal. And that means one meal, no pandering for the kids that "don't like that". Eat it or be hungry. But get them involved with food early. Grow a few veg in the back garden rather than flowers is a start to the connection.
But it makes me very sad when I hear about schools not liking kids cycling. My secondary school must have been inspired as we could do pretty much what we wanted to do. I cannot play football or rugby, but I played cricket at primary county level and this was encouraged. Nets started at Christmas. But the choice thing meant more. 4 of us used to go out cycling in our double PE lessons. One guy was a keen martial artist. He could do his thing every lesson. Many a lesson he'd simply be meditating.
Finding exercise that suits people is the most important thing for me. Not everyone wants to run round a track.
Interesting about Sky bringing out their adverts. Why couldn't they have had adverts for the Sky cycling initiatives instead. Boston Wheelers do the sky ride thing for kids and have good attendance. So why no adverts?
Food is very difficult. I've always cooked and believe that the heart of the family is that teatime meal. And that means one meal, no pandering for the kids that "don't like that". Eat it or be hungry. But get them involved with food early. Grow a few veg in the back garden rather than flowers is a start to the connection.
But it makes me very sad when I hear about schools not liking kids cycling. My secondary school must have been inspired as we could do pretty much what we wanted to do. I cannot play football or rugby, but I played cricket at primary county level and this was encouraged. Nets started at Christmas. But the choice thing meant more. 4 of us used to go out cycling in our double PE lessons. One guy was a keen martial artist. He could do his thing every lesson. Many a lesson he'd simply be meditating.
Finding exercise that suits people is the most important thing for me. Not everyone wants to run round a track.
Interesting about Sky bringing out their adverts. Why couldn't they have had adverts for the Sky cycling initiatives instead. Boston Wheelers do the sky ride thing for kids and have good attendance. So why no adverts?
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
I remember 25 yrs ago, working in Spain for a few years, being absolutely amazed at just how much more active the Spanish kids were compared to British kids. This was a quarter of a century ago, and yes, there were some lardy kids there, but not many. Been back to Spain quite a lot since (I love the country to bits and want to marry it) and I don't see much change, tbh, still very active kids.
Hip Priest
Veteran
That's all well and good, but the obesity problem in the US is even worse than it is here.
ThinAir
Do more.
- Location
- Finchley, London.
Yep, agreed.
Was just trying to hi light the yawning gap between the way sports in education is structured. It just doesn't seem to me that there is enough encouragement for kids to engage in sport in this country. It seems very much like something that kids have to do off their own back, or with encouragement of parents, rather than something that is encouraged through school.
There was a kid in my year group at school who was a scratch golfer by the age of 14 and the school just wasn't bothered!
Edit: I am aware that the blame does not lie solely with the school, and that big sporting clubs should be encouraged/made to do more. I know that (as much as I loathe them) Manchester United have an excellent programme running in schools, as do Manchester City, but this seems to stop at football... What about cricket, rugby, golf, tennis...CYCLING!
Hip Priest
Veteran
I genuinely believe that the food we eat is a greater cause of obesity than inactivity. In the 'olden days' people didn't have a wide range of tasty, calorie-packed treat food paraded in front of them 24 hours a day, and they probably couldn't have afforded to eat it very often even if they had.
Willpower is of course the ultimate solution, but nowadays your average Briton needs much more willpower than his grandad did in the 60s.
Willpower is of course the ultimate solution, but nowadays your average Briton needs much more willpower than his grandad did in the 60s.