Britain is overweight.

[stefanovic]

What we should have learned by now is that the overweight (and their ilk) can become healthier, wealthier and slimmer simply by reducing their intake of foods high in calories.
Except that it isn't going to happen, at least not anytime soon.
When so much cheap fast food is out there and becoming even more available we are all the victims of the food corporations.
A classic example of profit before people.

Whole towns are unfairly named and shamed. Wolverhampton, Sunderland have been mentioned as the 'fattest' places.

 

[chrisd]

I'd add to the list of things that we did that kids rarely do now. I had a paper round a 10/11 years old and then worked in an old fashioned butchers shop from 11 until, at 15, I left school and went to proper work. At the butchers I worked Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after school, and all day Saturday doing deliveries and helping in the shop.

 

[stefanovic]

After school dinners (yuk) it was a treat to get a penny chew on the way home.
But kids don't seem to do that anymore. They go to Mc(aargh).

 

[Foxholer]

After school dinners (yuk) it was a treat to get a penny chew on the way home.
But kids don't seem to do that anymore. They go to Mc(aargh).

We (in NZ) never had school dinners - which, according to me Deputy Head ex, were (at least in 'modern' times/at her school/had evolved to be) so that school age kids were guaranteed at least 5 'proper' meals per week. Part of the ('60s) parental routine in my home was provision of sandwiches and snacks for the day - or for several days, after we acquired a freezer.
The inference of a general migration from school to McDs seems an exageration! Have you checked that it's the whole school, or even the same ones every day - and are they all obese? I think not!

 

[Tashyboy]

Missis T after Xmas went on a Slimming world diet. Nigh on every meal she has cooked since then she has cooked from scratch. She has lost 13 1/2 lbs and still going strong. Some of the meals have been fantastic. None have been rammel.
But, she has checked everything. Some things are free, eat as much as you want. Others the sins are horrendous. Having said that the “ education” of the stuff we are shovelling down ours and our kids throats for me is the one single Important thing that should be taught. Slimmers world has an app where you can scan said supermarket item and it tells you how many sins are in that product. Some are astounding.

 

[Tashyboy]

We (in NZ) never had school dinners - which, according to me Deputy Head ex, were (at least in 'modern' times/at her school) so that school age kids were guaranteed at least 5 proper meals per week. Part of the ('60s) parental routine in my home was provision of sandwiches and snacks for the day - or for several days, after we acquired a freezer.
The inference of a general migration from school to McDs seems an exageration! Have you checked that it's the whole school, or even the same ones every day - and are they all obese? I think not!

Our school dinners were fantastic back in the 70’s, it helped that one of your best mates mum was a cook and served the best stuff. ??

 

[Bdill93]

Missis T after Xmas went on a Slimming world diet. Nigh on every meal she has cooked since then she has cooked from scratch. She has lost 13 1/2 lbs and still going strong. Some of the meals have been fantastic. None have been rammel.
But, she has checked everything. Some things are free, eat as much as you want. Others the sins are horrendous. Having said that the “ education” of the stuff we are shovelling down ours and our kids throats for me is the one single Important thing that should be taught. Slimmers world has an app where you can scan said supermarket item and it tells you how many sins are in that product. Some are astounding.

Slimming world effectively boils down to being a low fat/sugar diet. Really successful for a lot of people I know - well done to Mrs T on her weightloss so far! Top effort!

 

[Foxholer]

Our school dinners were fantastic back in the 70’s, it helped that one of your best mates mum was a cook and served the best stuff. ??

Indeed, School Dinners have had patchy quality and political interference (both good and bad) since their instigation!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Interestingly even I, as one who is supposed to be being more careful with his diet, have managed to lose 5lbs in the last week with absolutely no exercise and without trying.

And I reflect that what is different from a normal week is that as we are isolating I am not popping out for this and that nice treat or what I really fancy, or for a bar of chocolate (or three) or some packets of crisps. So this last week no chocolate; no sweets; no crisps, and much reduced carbs intake, and the weight immediately starts dropping off.

 

[Leftitshort]

 

[Imurg]

I'd add to the list of things that we did that kids rarely do now. I had a paper round a 10/11 years old and then worked in an old fashioned butchers shop from 11 until, at 15, I left school and went to proper work. At the butchers I worked Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after school, and all day Saturday doing deliveries and helping in the shop.

Did you have one of those bikes with a basket on the front??

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Our school dinners were fantastic back in the 70’s, it helped that one of your best mates mum was a cook and served the best stuff. ??

Indeed, my mum was head cook at my primary school then at one of the local secondaries before in the mid-70s through to.late 80s becoming school meals organiser for west Renfrewshire - covering Paisley and a lot of the small ex-mining and manufacturing towns of west Renfrewshire - let’s just say that other than Kilmalcolm and Bridge of Weir most of the towns had high levels of deprivation. The stories she would bring home when she’d spend a day in Ferguslie Park working with the school cooks…

She knew that many of the kids her schools fed would be having for the school dinner the only proper meal of the day, in fact for many it could be their only meal of the day. She had it as her mission to educate the children she fed into healthier eating, boy was it a struggle but boy did she work at it.

Her school meals were legend…in fact when she got the job of school meals organiser the kids at the secondary where she was head cook - Mearns Castle for those of the area - got a petition that had hundreds of signatures asking her to stay. When I spent more time in Mearns, Netherlee and Clarkston area than today I would still find myself bumping into folk of about my age who would eulogise about my mum’s school dinners. I am very proud of her efforts back then.

And of course of having mum as school cook is that she’d often find herself bringing home leftover tray of millionaire shortbread or such like

 

[Slime]

Okay, so in the spirit of the fact that there IS an interesting discussion to be had about this, I'm going to give what I believe are the main causes for the obesity crisis facing many parts of the western world.
I'd welcome a sensible discussion with anyone about this - especially regarding how/if we can fix it.

1) Our lifestyles are far more sedantary than they once were. Ironically, at a time when food became more abundant, we began to move less as a result of our changing jobs, transportation etc.

2) Food is too cheap! I know this might sound odd given the situation regarding food banks in Britain today, but the average spend on food relative to income is far less now than it used to be, and less than many other European countries, such as the Scandinavian countries, which have lower average BMIs. This means we don't need to scrimp and can/do have larger portions.

3) The lower availability of fresh food on the high street compared with processed food and take aways means that it's harder for certain parts of our communities to access healthier choices.

4) The strong emphasis on education as an exam-based system has marginalised extra-curricular activities and they are just not given enough focus in the current education system.

5) And I think this is an underestimated reason - Working households find it easier/more convenient to buy processed foods, because fresh food goes off before the week is out and many of us struggle to fit in going to the shops more than once a week due to our busy lifestyles.
Since my divorce I've been determined to introduce my kids to healthier, freshly cooked food. I manage it but I do genuinely find it hard some weeks to choose varied meals that don't require me to visit the shops every couple of days. It would be MUCH easier to feed them processed food.

So, have I missed anything? Got anything wrong?
And, what is the answer?

P.S. Sorry it's a bit of an essay.

One thing you left out is laziness.
I'm sure a certain percentage of obese youngsters have parents who can't be bothered to actually cook a decent meal.
I think some kids don't really stand a chance.

 

[chrisd]

Did you have one of those bikes with a basket on the front??

I certainly did ??

 

[stefanovic]

Michael Mosley on TV last night informing us of the best and worst places to get a good night's sleep.
Best is Guernsey, worst is Kilmarnock. Now where are you going to go for your holidays?
Seriously, there does appear to be a link between sleeping and obesity.
The Link Between Obesity and Sleep Deprivation | Sleep Foundation

A few decades ago we were being told that sleep was wasteful and lazy. You were even a cheat.
Then we had books like the Sleep Revolution which informed us that sleep was very useful for our physical and mental health.
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time | HuffPost Life

 

[Slab]

And of course of having mum as school cook is that she’d often find herself bringing home leftover tray of millionaire shortbread or such like

Nope, not having it
There's a lot posted on this forum I just shake my head at and don't bother calling out, but... leftover millionaire shortbread is definitely not a thing!

 

[Tashyboy]

Michael Mosley on TV last night informing us of the best and worst places to get a good night's sleep.
Best is Guernsey, worst is Kilmarnock. Now where are you going to go for your holidays?
Seriously, there does appear to be a link between sleeping and obesity.
The Link Between Obesity and Sleep Deprivation | Sleep Foundation

A few decades ago we were being told that sleep was wasteful and lazy. You were even a cheat.
Then we had books like the Sleep Revolution which informed us that sleep was very useful for our physical and mental health.
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time | HuffPost Life

If lack of sleep is a link with obesity I would have the body of a space hopper. ?

 

[Voyager EMH]

Michael Mosley on TV last night informing us of the best and worst places to get a good night's sleep.
Best is Guernsey, worst is Kilmarnock. Now where are you going to go for your holidays?
Seriously, there does appear to be a link between sleeping and obesity.
The Link Between Obesity and Sleep Deprivation | Sleep Foundation

A few decades ago we were being told that sleep was wasteful and lazy. You were even a cheat.
Then we had books like the Sleep Revolution which informed us that sleep was very useful for our physical and mental health.
The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time | HuffPost Life

I started watching Michael Mosley's programme, but I fell asleep half way through.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Nope, not having it
There's a lot posted on this forum I just shake my head at and don't bother calling out, but... leftover millionaire shortbread is definitely not a thing!

Oh there was, my mum had to make sure that there was enough for just about everyone - and so there was always a bit left over. But even if there wasn't she'd make us some

 

[Tashyboy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61021823

Reminds me of When I worked at Thoresby. There was a guy there called “ Fat Al”. He was small and fat. They measured him one day and he was rounder than he was taller.