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The lie that killing our children…
12th December 2008
* Why it's up to us to help our children stay
healthy?
* The 'food lie' that's as bad as anything the
tobacco industry ever came up with?
* Good snack, bad snack?
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You've got to hand it to the fast food industry?
They'll use ANY argument to try and make sure
profits stay healthy.
Their customers?? Oh no? they don't seem to
care if they stay healthy or not.
As long as the cash till keeps going ker-ching, the
fast food industry is happy. And that's the thing
that makes them happy.
A nation full of health conscious, non-obese people
would be terrible for them. Which is why I guess
they made this ridiculous argument when the
government announced it's latest initiative in the
fight against obesity ? particularly child obesity...
Why it's up to us to help our children stay
healthy?
The government's plan is pretty simple?
To help our children cut down on fast food, they
want a ban on all fast food outlets within 400
metres of any school.
Seems sensible enough doesn't it? If your average
moody teenager (and that means all of them, bless
'em) has to make a bit of a journey to go and get
his chips, he probably won't bother.
Or at the very least, he'll think twice about it.
And you could even take the argument further, and
say that if they do decide to spend their lunch
money on fast food, at least they'll get some
exercise doing it.
Actually it would be even better if the government
said that fast food outlets could only open for a
window of two minutes once the lunch bell
sounded, so the kids would have to sprint if they
wanted their burger and chips.
But I guess you can't have everything.
All in all, this idea seems to make sense. Obesity in
children IS a real problem, and this might at least
scratch the surface.
But guess what those loveable, cuddly retailers
have said to the idea?
First off, they reckon that if this plan goes ahead, it
would put hundreds of fast food outlets out of
business, and send thousands of workers onto the
dole queue.
Really?
Well if that's the case, that PROVES that this
proposed ruling is essential. Basically they're
saying that school kids keep their businesses afloat.
Which means that they must be eating a whole lot
of saturated, salty, rubbish food day after day, week
after week.
What really annoys me about this is that the
retailers are really using a cheap shot here. They're
playing on out fears that we're about to be plunged
into recession, and that we'd practically be ruining
the lives of fast-food workers if such an 'evil'
ruling went ahead.
Hmmmmm.
Right. That's rubbish argument No.1 out of the
way.
But argument No 2 is SO stupid, the person who
spoke up for the poor little fast food chains must
have a two metre long neck, and be very, VERY
good at burying his head in the sand? |
The 'food lie' that's as bad as anything the
tobacco industry ever came up with?
So argument No. 2 went something like this?
'We think this ruling is ridiculous. There's
absolutely no harm in a school child enjoying a
take away once a month.'
Once a month?! The problem is that kids visit these
places every DAY you idiot!
If school children had a take away only once a
month, there'd be NO obesity problem. I mean, we
have a take away AT LEAST once a month in our
household.
I'd say once every couple of weeks is nearer the
mark. And I don't see my family ballooning up.
(I'm leaving myself out of that description, since
I'm blessed with a balloon-like figure that I work
hard at to deflate from time to time. I guess my
shape could best be described as 'slow puncture'
chic).
So the government shouldn't listen to all the
whining from the retailers. Basically they'd argue
that Hitler was a good man if he made them a bit of
money.
They should just go ahead, and put the ban into
force.
It wouldn't solve anything ? far from it. But it
would help a little, and our children need all the
help they can get.
In the meantime, here are some simple ways to help
keep your children fit and at the right wait, which
I'm sure will have the fast food outlets up in arms,
because they won't make any money from them:
Good snack, bad snack? |
- Don't go for the easy option (especially the
Dads)! This is something I did back in my
ignorant days and it's an easy trap to fall into. If
Lara left me with the kids, I'd panic when it
came to lunch and dinner, so would often go for
something I knew they'd like ? something that
would make me feel like a good dad when
really I was being a bad dad.
This included fizzy drinks, crisps, chips? all
the usual baddies. Nowadays I still let them
enjoy these foods (well, apart from fizzy drink),
but as a treat rather than a normal meal, and
now my kids all love fruit and even most
vegetables.
So, avoid the temptation to give them
something that will make you popular, and
make sure your kids eat a healthy, balanced
diet.
- Make sure EVERYONE eats the same? if
you have a child who's struggling with weight
and you're going to make changes to diet, make
sure the whole family joins in. Don't single out
any one person. Include more green vegetables
and fruit in your daily meals.
- Cut out the bad snacks. Don't have family
sized packs of crisps or chocolate bars hanging
around the house ? they'll go far quicker than
you expect (I speak from personal experience.
Wotsits and Breakaway bars?? It was like a
police honey trap).
If you want to have a bar of chocolate, go out
and by them as and when. Instead, for those
impromptu snacks, make sure you have lots of
fruit in the house, and get them munching on an
apple instead.
- Get them on the water. As well as replacing
fizzy drinks and all the evils they contain, your
body finds it far more difficult to control fat
when it's dehydrated. So always have a jug of
water on the table, and add a few slices of
lemon.
- Don't fret about exercise? apparently it's the
balanced diet that's far more likely to beat
obesity than exercise. Of course, children
SHOULD run around, climb trees and break
into school sheds to have a go on an industrial
sized lawnmower (all right, scrap the last one ?
that was just me), but don't obsess about
forcing them to join 1001 sports clubs or to go
swimming once a day during holidays.
As long as they're getting out and moving
around, it's the diet that needs to be watched.
That's it for today. I'll be back on Sunday with
more tips and nuggets on how to enjoy the good
life. |
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