A Bit of Good Old Commonsense...
According to BBC Radio 5 news Scientists have made a remarkable discovery in their battle to stop what is called childhood obesity. Now, if you show me that someone has a medical or mental condition that has resulted in them being overweight or treatment given has a side effect that has caused the problem, I will be as compassionate as anyone could be. I have seen my own weight increase dramtically with steroid use in the past.
I am not particular bothered if someone has a bit of extra flesh. I'm talking extremes. I would like to know what is called obese as I have a feeling many experts and government departments set the target at a level that is far too low. And they can make(maybe with all good intentions)too much of it and be part of the problem just as people can get so obsessed with being thin, they go the other way. And lets us not forget that there are some who make a very good living out of the business of anything connected with lifestyle.
So what's the startling discovery that led the news bulletin this morning?
A group working at a Hospital in London had taken one hundred and seven families(I think)which had at least one obese classed youngster. For nine weeks the whole family was taught about nutrition, how to read labels on products purchased at supermarkets, to eat less but east more healthily, to exercise and so on. And surprise, surprise when checked at the end of the year. The whole family and in particular the obese child had continued to keep the weight off.
Well, I'm afraid, there is nothing particularly unusual or clever in what has been announced, its common sense and a case of(to use a slang term)"Stating the Bleedin' Obvious"
It's obvious that when anything goes wrong in a family you need to look at the family as a whole and how they react to each other.
The answers are in our own hands and most of it has been caused by the changes in society.
Though, I suspect if you looked in great detail at previous generations we were not so very different. In fact there is a series of documentaries on BBC4 television showing how Edwardian Society is comparable to today.
However, perhaps it's anecdotal eveidence but when my Mum and Dad were young, they walked more, transport was not as widely available as it is now. Many jobs were more physical. Games were more physical.
The hours that many families find themselves working means that parents are not always there for their children so they can all do something together. It's not always their fault, economic factors these days are not always of their doing, some people do put their children first but again, social pressures often led by Government policies or experts force families into making decisions that affect them. Though, some families would have problems whether everything was ideal.
The choice of food plays its part but I find it takes no more time to cook a meal from scratch using either frozen or fresh vegetables and add meat or fish or if I have something that is processed, I'll put something alongside it that is good.
And even a simple meal like beans on toast can be OK if you watch the salt and sugar content.
Its not rocket science. Look how the nation survived during the war and managed on the rations that were allowed and how many meals were adapted to give all the nutrition required. To some extent education could and should play its part but how much more do we expect our schools to fit into the curriculum? Again, they looked at the family as a whole...how many parents pass on their cooking skills to their offspring or how many children see their parents cooking something that hasn't come in a can or a packet?
Perhaps it depends where you live. There must be fat people around where I live but they are few and far between and looking at the children and teenagers that I see, it's rare that I see anyone that looks overweight, let alone obese.
This could also have something to do with the difference between living in a city, a town or village and whether there is access to many takeaways. Naturally, when television or a newspaper has an agenda to covers a story about health they look specifically for the worst examples they can find.
So for me we have another study that doesn't really add anything to the debate. But even if you say OK, it has shown that what we always knew to be correct, were the findings so earth shattering they needed to make it the lead story?
I am not particular bothered if someone has a bit of extra flesh. I'm talking extremes. I would like to know what is called obese as I have a feeling many experts and government departments set the target at a level that is far too low. And they can make(maybe with all good intentions)too much of it and be part of the problem just as people can get so obsessed with being thin, they go the other way. And lets us not forget that there are some who make a very good living out of the business of anything connected with lifestyle.
So what's the startling discovery that led the news bulletin this morning?
A group working at a Hospital in London had taken one hundred and seven families(I think)which had at least one obese classed youngster. For nine weeks the whole family was taught about nutrition, how to read labels on products purchased at supermarkets, to eat less but east more healthily, to exercise and so on. And surprise, surprise when checked at the end of the year. The whole family and in particular the obese child had continued to keep the weight off.
Well, I'm afraid, there is nothing particularly unusual or clever in what has been announced, its common sense and a case of(to use a slang term)"Stating the Bleedin' Obvious"
It's obvious that when anything goes wrong in a family you need to look at the family as a whole and how they react to each other.
The answers are in our own hands and most of it has been caused by the changes in society.
Though, I suspect if you looked in great detail at previous generations we were not so very different. In fact there is a series of documentaries on BBC4 television showing how Edwardian Society is comparable to today.
However, perhaps it's anecdotal eveidence but when my Mum and Dad were young, they walked more, transport was not as widely available as it is now. Many jobs were more physical. Games were more physical.
The hours that many families find themselves working means that parents are not always there for their children so they can all do something together. It's not always their fault, economic factors these days are not always of their doing, some people do put their children first but again, social pressures often led by Government policies or experts force families into making decisions that affect them. Though, some families would have problems whether everything was ideal.
The choice of food plays its part but I find it takes no more time to cook a meal from scratch using either frozen or fresh vegetables and add meat or fish or if I have something that is processed, I'll put something alongside it that is good.
And even a simple meal like beans on toast can be OK if you watch the salt and sugar content.
Its not rocket science. Look how the nation survived during the war and managed on the rations that were allowed and how many meals were adapted to give all the nutrition required. To some extent education could and should play its part but how much more do we expect our schools to fit into the curriculum? Again, they looked at the family as a whole...how many parents pass on their cooking skills to their offspring or how many children see their parents cooking something that hasn't come in a can or a packet?
Perhaps it depends where you live. There must be fat people around where I live but they are few and far between and looking at the children and teenagers that I see, it's rare that I see anyone that looks overweight, let alone obese.
This could also have something to do with the difference between living in a city, a town or village and whether there is access to many takeaways. Naturally, when television or a newspaper has an agenda to covers a story about health they look specifically for the worst examples they can find.
So for me we have another study that doesn't really add anything to the debate. But even if you say OK, it has shown that what we always knew to be correct, were the findings so earth shattering they needed to make it the lead story?
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 1:28 pm
5 Comments:
Hello Gildy, what you say is so true; in fact last month this story was teh one that almost got me back to blog. It relates to the obesity post I blogged last year in a way but as you say the real reasons are so obvious. Exercise and real food are all that it needs...for anyone, even those with genetic dispositions to get fat (I also read recently that the gene is isolated and one in eight has it...I'll look for a link).
Careful with any processed food, even 'health' foods contain hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated fats/oils and they are killers in the long term.
There you go...
link
...it's different to the 'fat gene' discoveries of a few years ago.
I'll re-examine the topic and your link. I think it's sad that unless you plan to take up cooking as a career you do not need to have fantastic skills.
A little knowledge of how long it takes to cook the simplest of ingredients is enough, and if you find that daunting, the simplest of recipe books is enough.
I remember watching a programme where someone in her twenties could not grasp how to peel a carrot. Its not a criticism as such and not necesarily her fault but I am sure I could've worked that out for myself.
If only because you'll see these things done on many of the cookery programmes that exist on television. And there's plenty of them. As there are sites on the net.
I suppose the hole in my argument is if you have never seen this done, when banana's were brought here for the first time some people did not realise that you have to peel them and tried to eat them as they were.
(I've forgotten how to put links into the comment areas damn!)
I don't find it much of a problem reading lables but I don't go over the top when checking the contents but the two things you've mentioned(hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated fats/oils)I do watch out for. Its even in a packet of Malteasers but as I don't eat them too often, I do allow myself an odd packet.
I did stop eating Mr Kipling cakes as I found it was included in the list of ingredients but of late I have noticed as with many products they have removed it and say so in big letters on the front of the box.
Gildy, here's what I was looking for re the hydrogenated oils, I read it a few years ago. Not sure if you know (or if Gavin told you) but part of my job is to do with nutrition and a large part of that is fats and oils (!!!!)...one day I'll explain all!
Read this link: silent killers
You have to scroll down a bit to get past all the comment on David Dewey other articles and copyright stuff but it's a good read.
The truth will out ;-)
Post a Comment
<< Home