Feeding fat kids McDonalds and other junk is child abuse!

justsomebloke · 22-09-2006 10:22AM

jester77 wrote:

Parents have to held responsible. Kids are not knowledgeable enough to realise the consequences of eating crap food.

However if you see the crap that adults post up in the fitness forum about how they can't lose weight and then you see the crap they are eating you will realise that most adults don't even know what a good diet is so how are they meant to tell their Kids

jester77 wrote:

I think our education system should also be partly held responsible, it's a joke. There is a lot of crap taught that is of abosultely no relevance to us in later life. How about having a proper education system that includes health & nutrition, driving skills, budgeting and so on... things that everyone needs in later life.

This is the real problem. The goverment are complaining about how much obesity is going to cost the health service and the cost to the exchequer, but what are they doing about it, feck all. Prople say there should be a ban on unhealthy food or a tax on unhealty food, will this lead to a drop in obesity rates no cause people will just pay th eexcess or worse just pick cheaper food products with even less nutrients. The only way the goverment will be able to cure this is by educating the public about what an actual healty diet consists of and how people can work out for themselves their daily nutrient needs and how to get them from different type of food.

Siogfinsceal · 22-09-2006 10:26AM

shane86 wrote:

Not really. Last year, id walk 3/4 mile to college/ 3/4 back home, maybe 1/4 mile throughout the day within college (Blanch IT where ya at ma niggas ). So i walked 2 miles, but sure so do half the working people in this country id think.

Now I walk maybe 2.5 miles per day. Fat and my skin just do not have a connection line.....yet.

I am a bit like this in college my diet was similar to what you describe and I have always been a size 8-10. I do eat a lot healthier now but I will never be obsessed with it I dont want to turn into the 'humous and chick pea' crowd. I still eat take away at least twice a week and have some chocolate everyday.
Fat kids really are awful. I don't think diet is the only thing to blame I see so many overweight kids who just sit on their arse watching tv or playing playstation kids don't run around or climb trees anymore. yes their parents should not be allowing them to eat all of this crap but I often see where parenst are tryin to get their kids to do excercise and eat well - but often kids do not want to be fat but do not want to stop eating junk and doing no excercise either! my solution? A poster of an obese child on the wall. Parents can then explain to their kids that if they keep eating and watching tv they will end up looking like that. Whats sad though is that there are mothers like that one in scotland out there who do not try to persuade their kids to be fit and healthy and are encouraging them to eat junk all day everyday. Its even worse to see that this school tried to change and provide healthy food for the students and this mother could not see the benefits of that - someone get Jamie Oliver onto her quicksmart!!

Jack B. Badd · 22-09-2006 10:27AM

I thought there was going to be a tax on certain foods. Wasn't there?

Tobias Greeshman · 22-09-2006 10:29AM

shane86 wrote:

Pardon me while I yawn.

Ive been eating McDonalds litreally since before I was born. I ate it throughout my childhood, my teens, and to the present day. Im 5`8 odd and weigh 10 stone. Admittedtly, when it comes to running I could do better, but the fact is physically im probably on the skinny side. Some people are just worse affected than others. Though Ive cut it a bit lately, last year my typical day consisted of

Morning- cornflakes coated in sugar

1pm- fly up from college to mackers for a meal

6pm- fly up to KFC/BK/Mackers again for a meal. If not this then Id get a local chipper or a pizza delivered. Through all this I was never more than 10.25 stone. Unfortunately some people are just pre dermined to be fat. If your kid is growing fat, quit feedin them mackers. If they appear to be fine, its no harm.

btw, that jkid is from the fmr USSR rep of Georgia. I doubt most families in the USSR can afford to eat in McDonalds every day, so you can hardly blame it purely.

Living on a diet like that daily is seriously not good for you, whether you put on weight or not is not the issue, but the serious damage you are doing to your body. Fast-food diets like this are likely to make you prone to heart-disease at a young age.

Perhaps you should look at the docu-movie Supersize me and perhaps you may think twice in future about trying to become McDonalds customer of the year.

justsomebloke · 22-09-2006 10:30AM

tom dunne wrote:

I wholeheartedly agree.
As we are sharing anecdotes, I was recently staying over in a friends house, they have three kids, the oldest of which is obese at ten years of age. Now I like a good fry especially after a few pints but at breakfast the child ate more than me (a thirty-something year old man).

Well as a 10 year boy who is probably more active then you he would actually need more calories per day then you, especially as he doesn't get the calories you are getting form the pints the night before.;)

Ye I know the point you are making is that he was eating unhealty food etc etc, but the point I am trying to make is that the adult population itself doesn't have a decent understanding of foods so unless the goverment do something to educate people, we are just going to end up in a circle where bad eating habits are passed from one generation to the next

Siogfinsceal · 22-09-2006 10:32AM

A tax on certain foods???!! what a joke why does the govt decide sh*t like this without letting us vote? If I want to eat mcdonalds or KFC I will damn well eat it and should not be charged to do so. Am I to be taxed because these parents allow their kids to eat constantly and never switch of the ps2 and make them get a bit of excercise f**ks sake

As for 'supersize me' this documentary was ridiculously flawed! If they had taken an average Joe with an average diet and done this I would have been interested. Instead they took a vegan who ate unprocessed food, no dairy and no meat. Of course he got sick he would have gotten sick if he had just been switched to a normal diet with meat and dairy rather than mcdonalds!!- the human body just cant handle such a quick change

daveirl · 22-09-2006 10:44AM

This post has been deleted.

Smellyirishman · 22-09-2006 10:46AM

Siogfinsceal wrote:

...they took a vegan who ate unprocessed food, no dairy and no meat. Of course he got sick he would have gotten sick if he had just been switched to a normal diet with meat and dairy rather than mcdonalds!!- the human body just cant handle such a quick change

No they didn't. He ate what every "normal Joe" would eat. His girlfriend was a vegan chef, and after the documentary he ate vegan (maybe just vegetarian) for a few months to lose the weight and get back in shape then went back to meat eating.

At least, that's how I remember it, maybe I am wrong

.

Tobias Greeshman · 22-09-2006 10:52AM

Siogfinsceal wrote:

As for 'supersize me' this documentary was ridiculously flawed! If they had taken an average Joe with an average diet and done this I would have been interested. Instead they took a vegan who ate unprocessed food, no dairy and no meat. Of course he got sick he would have gotten sick if he had just been switched to a normal diet with meat and dairy rather than mcdonalds!!- the human body just cant handle such a quick change

It was more than a case of him getting sick while on the diet, but that he became addicted to the fast-food and the damage it was being done to his body, his health was seriously deteriorating after about a fortnight.

Do remember this documentary went far enough to get scare enough people to take notice that Mcdonalds started putting healthy food options to their menu. You can call it flawed if you like, but one thing it did do was to show the dangers of eating a pure fast-food diet and the dangers you're putting on your body by doing so.

Tom Dunne · 22-09-2006 10:54AM

Siogfinsceal wrote:

A tax on certain foods???!! what a joke why does the govt decide sh*t like this without letting us vote? If I want to eat mcdonalds or KFC I will damn well eat it and should not be charged to do so.

I am vehemently opposed to any form of extra tax, but think about it - the reason the plastic bags dissappeared from our landscape was because of the 15c charge.

People don't respond to words, they respond to the stick. If fast food was made as expensive as "normal" food, then, in theory at least, people wouldn't buy it as much. Couple that with a reduced rate of tax on fruit/vegtables and you may just have a recipe for success.

Dragan · 22-09-2006 11:04AM

tom dunne wrote:

If fast food was made as expensive as "normal" food, then, in theory at least, people wouldn't buy it as much. Couple that with a reduced rate of tax on fruit/vegtables and you may just have a recipe for success.

Actually, on the whole, living on fast food is far more expensive that living on normal food.

I do my weeks shopping for about 80 quid a week, and bear in my mind that i am a bodybuilding hopeful who's nutritional needs would be far above the norm. If you have a glance around the fitness forum you can find threads that describe my diet, but needless to say, eating 6 to 8 meals a day, made up of good healthy foods, lean meats, fruit and veg, low GI carbs and healthy fats is hardly breaking the bank.

And the normal person would need far less food than me during a week.

If i were to eat all my food from takeaways and chippers and even resturants the cost would be ridiculous. The same for any other person.

This is a case of Tesco FTW.

Tom Dunne · 22-09-2006 11:43AM

Dragan wrote:

Actually, on the whole, living on fast food is far more expensive that living on normal food.

I couldn't agree more.

I can knock up a dinner for two with fresh (or frozen) veg, rice/spuds and grilled meat for around 10 Euro.

What's a Bic Mac meal cost these days? 6-7 Euro per person?

Again, it's back to education - I don't think people realise how cheap fresh fruit and veg is. I make a lot of juices and my weekly bill for fruit is around 10 Euro. That's 7 days worth of healthy juices!

Xterminator · 22-09-2006 11:44AM

What a stupid poll, and a fair few ignorant over smplistic comments too.

Just some of the issues.

Parenting skills

Most parents want the best for their children. However parenting is a skill. You dont inherit it or suddenley become a parent. Hence getting your child to ear what you would like them to eat is not straightforward, nor a simple matter of laying down the law.

Cost factor

In addition for parents on low incomes, unhealthy food is cheaper. In supermacs you can get a double bacon cheeseburger, chips and a coke for €3.50. How much for a nice balanced meal in a fast food joint?
(Baked spud. topping and drink approx €6 euro?)
(grilled chicken bagutte and drink 7-8 euro?)

Health issues

Finally some kids can be overweight for other reasons than bad parenting and bad diets. Problems with metabolism, overactive thyroid, inability to exercise due to medical conditions etc are just some of the reasons children can be overweight, and even obese.

If you dont know the whole story, you can t assume the parents are to blame

X

daveirl · 22-09-2006 12:11PM

This post has been deleted.

Tusky · 22-09-2006 01:10PM

shane86 wrote:

Pardon me while I yawn.

Ive been eating McDonalds litreally since before I was born. I ate it throughout my childhood, my teens, and to the present day. Im 5`8 odd and weigh 10 stone. Admittedtly, when it comes to running I could do better, but the fact is physically im probably on the skinny side. Some people are just worse affected than others. Though Ive cut it a bit lately, last year my typical day consisted of

Morning- cornflakes coated in sugar

1pm- fly up from college to mackers for a meal

6pm- fly up to KFC/BK/Mackers again for a meal. If not this then Id get a local chipper or a pizza delivered. Through all this I was never more than 10.25 stone. Unfortunately some people are just pre dermined to be fat. If your kid is growing fat, quit feedin them mackers. If they appear to be fine, its no harm.

btw, that jkid is from the fmr USSR rep of Georgia. I doubt most families in the USSR can afford to eat in McDonalds every day, so you can hardly blame it purely.

haha, I hope youre a troll...because if not, you are some idiot.

NewFrockTuesday · 22-09-2006 01:29PM

Nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny NANNY STATE!!!

tax on certain foods???!! what a joke why does the govt decide sh*t like this without letting us vote? If I want to eat mcdonalds or KFC I will damn well eat it and should not be charged to do so

I think this is the most important part of the discussion.
I cant believe the result on the poll. Its unbelievable that we have become so conditioned to obey that now the majority of people want the gov to monitor what we weigh.

To capitulate so readily on this issue is a sign of how molly coddled we have become as a society, expecting the gov to take responsibility for what we ourselves should be doing.

22-09-2006 01:35PM

Archeron wrote:

Nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny nanny NANNY STATE!!!

It's a curse. I can't even get into my car after a good few pints now and weave home because of the State interfering over some 'greater good' crap. They even try to control my body, I can't drop a few e's or shoot up over the weekend because of the bloody nanny state. Just keep them away from taxing food, it's all a stunt.

iguana · 22-09-2006 01:40PM

jester77 wrote:

I think our education system should also be partly held responsible, it's a joke. There is a lot of crap taught that is of abosultely no relevance to us in later life. How about having a proper education system that includes health & nutrition, driving skills, budgeting and so on... things that everyone needs in later life.

You are taught these skills, apart from the driving. It's called Home Economics, you learn cooking and nutrition, budgeting skills, sexual health and parenting, basic first aid and human biology, dressmaking and mending and basic diy such as how to change a plug or put up a shelf. Just because few boys ever choose this subject doesn't mean it isn't on the curriculum.

slipss · 22-09-2006 01:48PM

Deleted User wrote:

And if anyone was watching Sky news over the weekend you probably saw the interview with the Scottish mother who threatened to take their child out of school unless that school reverses the healthy eating policy and ban on selling junk food in the cafeteria. This particular mother went so far as stuffing take away food through the gates of the school so their child could get their daily amount of grease!!

Yeah I saw that thing on Sky news, was it blatantly obvious to anyone else that the woman just saw an oppertunity to make a lot of money by delivering chipper to the kids and took it, and started spouting out all that riduculas crap about just giving the kids more choice when she got caught. Didn't she own the local chipper aswell? I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other about kids eating chipper food but she could at least be honest about her motives instead of trying to make out she was on some kind of noble campaign.

Then when she was asked why she thought it was ok to give the food to the kids she said "I'm not forcing this food on the kids I'm just giving them the choice, they don't have to eat it", now I know its not the same thing but that is exactly, exactly, word for word the excuse drug dealers give for selling drugs outside schools, it just made me smile, I was just waiting for her to say she was running a special offer, the first burger is free. But like I say its not really the same thing.

Aoide · 22-09-2006 01:50PM

http://img139.exs.cx/img139/999/fatkid0cp.jpg

Something seems odd about that picture. I'm not saying there aren't children that look like that, but this child looks like he's wearing a fat suit. Notice his right arm at the wrist. doesn't it look like it can't be connected to his hand? Anyone else notice that?

Tar.Aldarion · 22-09-2006 02:05PM

It's because he is fat, that is why it looks like he has a fat suit.

Apart from being so unhealthy, I can't understand how people can eat the food McD's come out with. I mean, anywhere else tastes better.
You get so little, it's so unhealty, it's expensive, it tastes horrible and the places always smell like puke, I think I'll keep giving it a miss.

22-09-2006 02:11PM

Dellgirl2 wrote:

I think this is the most important part of the discussion.
I cant believe the result on the poll. Its unbelievable that we have become so conditioned to obey that now the majority of people want the gov to monitor what we weigh.
To capitulate so readily on this issue is a sign of how molly coddled we have become as a society, expecting the gov to take responsibility for what we ourselves should be doing.

Ahh,no. The issue here is not whether the Government should tax fatty foods. Fair enough some posters have alluded to that but the central issue is parents recklessly endangering the lives of their children by feeding them grossly unhealthy diets without caring about the consequences for that child in later life.

I don't think a tax would change parents attitude, I reckon many parents would just keep feeding the kids junk because they are a weak parent and will give whatever the child wants to shut them up.Goldfinger hit the nail on the head when they said good parenting is not about being popular.

So how do we ensure that a parent does the best for their child? Its obvious that not enough is being done know to educate parents as well as children but education alone would not be enough. Therefore the government has to take a more stingent role in a childs health since many parents are incapable.

Fanny Cradock · 22-09-2006 02:59PM

Maybe subsidising health foods, combined with proper education, would be a better way of improving people’s diets. A "fax tax" would lead to endless debates about what is considered unhealthy, e.g. omega oils are considered essential to a healthy life but are still fats - should these be taxed? Obviously, no, but junk food purveyors wouldn’t agree.

There is a fair bit of ignorance from some posters. This is an issue that directly affects us all. As an example, in 1997 the cost of type 2 diabetes (caused by sugar rich diets and excess weight) and related illnesses (heart disease etc.) was estimated at a staggering $98 billion in the US.

http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/article.htm

This article puts it closer to 115 billion dollars a year:

http://darwin.nmsu.edu/~molbio/diabetes/disease.html#Economic%20Impact%20of%20Type%20II%20Diabetes

If you choose to look ONLY at the economic costs (and not the quality of the individual’s life) associated with fatness, then it is up to the government to do something innovative and make some hard decisions. As for McDonalds et al., they are hardly innocent in all this. Frankly, if they spent half as much money and time on creating genuinely healthy choices (rather than the lame "salads" they offer) then they do at creating ingenious ways to market crap to kids, we'd all be better off.

cushtac · 22-09-2006 03:19PM

Fanny Cradock wrote:

As for McDonalds et al., they are hardly innocent in all this. Frankly, if they spent half as much money and time on creating genuinely healthy choices (rather than the lame "salads" they offer) then they do at creating ingenious ways to market crap to kids, we'd all be better off.

McDonald's & other fast food outlets are as successful as they are because they give people what they want. If people wanted salads more than they want burgers & chips these places wouldn't exist. It's not up to them to do anything other than provide a service & make money out of doing so, nothing forces you eat the stuff.

If people actually took responsibility for their own actions instead of blaming their ills on others & looking for someone else to sort it out for them, we'd all be better off.

Duras · 22-09-2006 03:20PM

Tip for all the food "experts" flaming shane86:
Eat a bucket of brocolli daily... This way you'll make sure you'll all die healty.

Smellyirishman · 22-09-2006 03:26PM

Duras wrote:

Tip for all the food "experts" flaming shane86:
Eat a bucket of brocolli daily... This way you'll make sure you'll all die healty.

What?...I mean why would you...ah, nevermind.

Lord Oz · 22-09-2006 04:00PM

Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?

Tazz T · 22-09-2006 04:15PM

It's all about learning. Children learn their eating habits from their parents. Why on earth would anyone want to eat fastfood everyday when there are so many other fantastic tastes to be experienced?

Because fastfood is a learned way of eating. It offers less choice. Time should be taken shopping, preparing and eating food. It' s one of the great joys of life.

Fastfood should be nothing more than a last resort and should be avoided, if possible, for real food.

Ruu_Old · 22-09-2006 04:47PM

Too many parents bring their kids to Mickey D's for a treat or just to keep them quiet, so many times I've heard it on the street. Public flogging for the parents I'd say.

"If you don't be quiet, then no McDonalds"
*kid shuts up*

GAA widow · 22-09-2006 04:48PM

eoin_s wrote:

If someone was fat enough - particularly from eating shìt like that - to be compared with a morbidly obese yank, then I doubt they would have the self-respect to care about a photo being made public about it.

Do you think it would not be damaging to a child's self esteem to see a picture of themselves in a paper or magazine with a headline insinuating "look at this fat f****r" above it?

Feeding fat kids McDonalds and other junk is child abuse!

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