How do we tackle the growing obesity problem ?

[Astro]

Where do you get your figures from?

It's on a leaflet. It's a co ilition of charities like Oxfam, Save the Chisdren, Unicef. Big March from Millbank to Trafalgar SQ.

Again, where's your source? (no, not the one in the fridge next to the salad cream)
All the schools my kids have been to have a fairly healthy range of food, with 'junk' such as burgers and chips only once a week and as far as I'm aware, there is no separate pikey option; the kids on FSMs get the same choice as everyone else.

No seperate option. I meant all the meals were like that. Good if they are better now.

[Georgious dancer]

1 in 3 children in the UK are living in poverty. That's millions of children.
The free school meal is just junk food.
Until my boys went to school and got a taste for it , they never ate junk food.

There is a rally in October "End Child Poverty" Keep the promise.

This government promised to eradicate child poverty, but it has got worse. They haven't even held it at bay.

Where do you get your figures from?



Again, where's your source? (no, not the one in the fridge next to the salad cream)
All the schools my kids have been to have a fairly healthy range of food, with 'junk' such as burgers and chips only once a week and as far as I'm aware, there is no separate pikey option; the kids on FSMs get the same choice as everyone else.

"There are currently 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK, that's almost a third of all children."

Child poverty campaign

Will that do you Gav?

Sounds like you have been lucky Gav and the schools where you live are doing a good job of providing a healthy diet. Unfortunatley it doesn't seem that Astro has had the same experience. The truth of the matter is that whilst the new school meal regualtions have seen some improvement in the quality of school meals they are still not perfect!

Under the government rules the school that I work in are only allowed to offer bread based snacks at break time, and no cakes etc. Sounds good initially until you work out that they are allowed to serve slices of cheese and tomato pizza but not a fruity flapjack!

[Gav]

"There are currently 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK, that's almost a third of all children."

Child poverty campaign

Will that do you Gav?

That'll do nicely thank you very much. The figures just seemed high to me, so I wanted some verification. I don't think that's unreasonable.

Sounds like you have been lucky Gav and the schools where you live are doing a good job of providing a healthy diet. Unfortunatley it doesn't seem that Astro has had the same experience.

That was my point really. My kids have been lucky, but I would never claim that school meals are perfect based on that experience.

[Georgious dancer]

That'll do nicely thank you very much. The figures just seemed high to me, so I wanted some verification. I don't think that's unreasonable.

No I don't either I always like to know where facts and figures come from. It's quite scary really how high the figures are!

That was my point really. My kids have been lucky, but I would never claim that school meals are perfect based on that experience.

Where about do your kids go to school Gav, and what about yours Astro?

[Gav]

Where about do your kids go to school Gav, and what about yours Astro?

1 in a tiny village school in Norfolk;
1 in a big, but still rural school in Norfolk;
1 in a small private school in Lincolnshire.

I should know what DT's kids schools in Essex serve really, but I don't at the moment.

[Georgious dancer]

1 in a tiny village school in Norfolk;
1 in a big, but still rural school in Norfolk;
1 in a small private school in Lincolnshire.

I should know what DT's kids schools in Essex serve really, but I don't at the moment.

I work in an Essex School and the stuff we get isn't great but Essex is divided into smaller parts in terms of LEAs so may be different for DT's kids, where abouts in Essex do they go to school?

[Double Trouble]

DT's kids, where abouts in Essex do they go to school?

Bit fekkin' nosey aincha?

[Georgious dancer]

Yeah guess I am! I teach in South Essex, just wondered whether your kids were being subjected to the same awful food as the kids I teach!

[Double Trouble]

Yeah guess I am! I teach in South Essex, just wondered whether your kids were being subjected to the same awful food as the kids I teach!

My kids school have changed the food they provide, but they do still have, what I would see as, an unhealthy option some days.

Although I am please with the progress so far, I still hope that in the future there will be no unhealthy options at all. When I went to school there was no choice...it was either have what they cooked (one choice for lunch and one choice for pudding) or go without.

Unfortunately, you couldn't do that these days...too many allergies, vegetarians, fussy eaters, ethnic and religious considerations, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah.

[Astro]

No I don't either I always like to know where facts and figures come from. It's quite scary really how high the figures are!

This is mentioned on your website link, and here is the direct website for the Saturday 4th October march. End Child Poverty - Keep The Promise NASUWT and the NUT teacher's unions are involved Georgious dancer. Also the TUC, Shelter, nct, child poverty action group, the children's society, NCH, - in fact a coalition of more than 120 organisations.

Where about do your kids go to school Gav, and what about yours Astro?

Mine went to school in Hackney, but they have left now, so I don't know how much, if any the food has improved.

That's another thing, if the child goes to 6th Form College to do AS levels, they still qualify for free school meals, but if they go to a college to do non academic courses like City and Guilds, they don't get the free meals.

Although I am please with the progress so far, I still hope that in the future there will be no unhealthy options at all. When I went to school there was no choice...it was either have what they cooked (one choice for lunch and one choice for pudding) or go without.

I have fond memeories of my school dinners in North Yorkshire. Real healthy food cooked from scratch. And lots of it! Seconds and that.....

Some schools today don't even have a kitchen. The food is packed up somewhere else and arrives in heated vans.

[stewart38]

Can someone take a picture of you without saying so and then mock your physical attributes in a national paper

I wasn’t aware the Daily Mail took a recent picture of me , im in the grey tee shirt


Government to beat obesity epidemic by PAYING fat people to lose weight | Mail Online

Interesting article which would seem offer a miracle cure and leave us with no more obese kids?? End of thread I guess ?? Problem solved

Don't call the kids obese: Parents to get 'prissy' letters telling them their children are overweight | Mail Online

[ducasi]

That'll do nicely thank you very much. The figures just seemed high to me, so I wanted some verification. I don't think that's unreasonable.

By defining poverty in relative terms, the number of people in "poverty" will always remain high.

The most commonly used definition of relative poverty is "a level of income set at 60 per cent of the median household income."

So if we were to double the income of every family in the country over-night, the number of children in "poverty" wouldn't change at all.

The current median household income in the UK is about £25K. So, you are living in relative "poverty" if you earn less than 60% of that – £15K. That's certainly not a lot of money for a family to live on, but compared with the billion or so people in the world who live in *absolute* extreme poverty of less than a US dollar a day, it's riches.

I certainly agree with the need to help those on low incomes with children, but I'm not so sure if there is so much *real* poverty in the UK.

[Double Trouble]

I certainly agree with the need to help those on low incomes with children, but I'm not so sure if there is so much *real* poverty in the UK.

I'm with you on that one Ducasi. That's what tax credits are for. Anyone with children earning less than £30k (£50k as a couple) are entitlled to tax credits and it's not just a few quid either.

[DavidY]

That's another thing, if the child goes to 6th Form College to do AS levels, they still qualify for free school meals, but if they go to a college to do non academic courses like City and Guilds, they don't get the free meals.

I don't think this is true (in England, at least). Students at 6th Form Colleges don't get free school meals either.

However if they stay on at a School 6th Form (as opposed to a 6th Form College) they could qualify (because it's still a school).

[Astro]

Can someone take a picture of you without saying so and then mock your physical attributes in a national paper

I wasn’t aware the Daily Mail took a recent picture of me , im in the grey tee shirt

That will teach you not to go out in dirty clothes.

I don't think this is true (in England, at least). Students at 6th Form Colleges don't get free school meals either.

However if they stay on at a School 6th Form (as opposed to a 6th Form College) they could qualify (because it's still a school).

Perhaps you are right?

I remember reading somewhere that when school dinners were first introduced, the problem of rickets was eradicated.

When did school dinners become school meals? It sounds like less food.

In the 1990's i remember the headmistress of my children's primary school being incensed because the LEA had cut the portions. It was something to do with the children having to choose between pototos or bread, not both. Previously they had both.

In the past when a school dinner, was just that - a dinner, the children would just have beans on toast for tea, so it really helped with the family budget.

For the past 15 years? the school meal is more of a light lunch with a yoghurt (not treacle sponge and custard ) yet the children are fatter. Makes no sense.

My hypothesis is that the kids are so hungry at school that they are eating sweets and crisps and drinking duretics from the school vending machines to stop the hunger pangs.

When they get home, they are snacking on biscuits and the like whilst waiting for their evening meal. hence the fat.


Plus the scandal of selling off school sports grounds.

And the cutting of the sports lesson to one a week, which works out at 90 mins per week.

[Martin]

In the past when a school dinner, was just that - a dinner.

I used to enjoy the school dinners

Unfortunately, you couldn't do that these days...too many allergies, vegetarians, fussy eaters, ethnic and religious considerations, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah.

Where did all these allergies come from.. is it a modern invention?

I remember everyone eating a good dinner, cooked from scratch by school cooks who were proud of thier work.

As to "fussy eaters, ethnic and religious considerations" pah...
Eat your food and stop whining.

In school years, it was breakfast, school dinner, then a cooked meal at about 5:30pm
Was not any snacks - I do not remember being hungry.

[Gav]

I remember everyone eating a good dinner, cooked from scratch by school cooks who were proud of thier work.

I remember mash that tasted like burnt rubber, liver that tasted like compressed dust and cabbage that had been boiled to death.

As to "fussy eaters, ethnic and religious considerations" pah...
Eat your food and stop whining.

"you're not allowed out to play until you've eaten everything on your plate". Even though it tasted like sh1t when I was there, I still think they should bring that policy back.

I do not remember being hungry.

Nope, me neither.

[stewart38]

When did school dinners become school meals? It sounds like less food.

In the 1990's i remember the headmistress of my children's primary school being incensed because the LEA had cut the portions. It was something to do with the children having to choose between pototos or bread, not both. Previously they had both.

In the past when a school dinner, was just that - a dinner, the children would just have beans on toast for tea, so it really helped with the family budget.

For the past 15 years? the school meal is more of a light lunch with a yoghurt (not treacle sponge and custard ) yet the children are fatter. Makes no sense.

Of course starving kids at school won’t have the desired effect

A bit like giving an alcoholic 3 Shandys at lunch time and telling them not to stop of in the pub on the way home

I remember toad in the hole with roast potatoes, and jam rolly polly.

Is there any stats to support that kids are taking less exercise then say 30 years ago??

[Gav]

Is there any stats to support that kids are taking less exercise then say 30 years ago??

Probably.
Let's face it, if you look hard enough there's probably stats to prove any point you can think of. Usually there's stats to prove both sides of any argument.

[Sheepman]

Also, some fair rides won't take obese people. Maybe they simply wouldn't be able to fit in the safety harnesses?

That reminds me of my last trip to Thorpe park, and the 10 minute wait while 3 attendants tried to force the safety bar to lock over a giant belly, they gave up in the end, followed by the walk of shame for the belly's owner.

...If he's too fat then just sizzle him...bacon buttie anyone?
...maybe a barbeque might be better?

Maybe that's the answer to both the obesity problem and the increasing food prices?

That's not far off my solution to the problem, which I've been toting for years, I can't believe it's not happening yet - we just need liposuction clinics attached to power station, all that bio friendly fuel for free.
I suppose it's not quite carbon neutral though, there would have to be wheelbarrows supplied to carry home all that spare skin!