Quote of the day
“I find this whole approach from the Department of Health a bit prissy and namby pamby”
- Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, criticising the reluctance to use the word ‘obese’ when describing obese children (the government has decided that calling a child ‘obese’ risks alienating parents, so instead they have advised primary care trusts to refer to obese children as “very overweight”)
I prefer The Daily Mash’s idea:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/health/parents-to-be-sent-drawing-of-fat-child-200808051148/
That would certainly provoke a bit of debate, love it!
I don’t know what to make of this whole shyte. I’d rather not have started from here. I don’t know what sort of parent allows a child to become obese in the first place. Children should just be allowed to be children.
If anything the world is less dangerous than it was 50 years ago, because people are more aware of paedophilia and the other fears parents have than they used to be. Did you read the statistics for how few children walk to school? I’m holding my head in my hands.
Interesting that the culture of fear has stopped children being allowed to walk outside by themselves as parents think they will be kidnapped or sexually assaulted, but they are happy to let their children get fat and seriously damage their health before they even leave primary school.
The research on childhood obesity shows that parents of overweight children don’t necessarily consider their children to be overweight, making it hard to convince them.
Yes, as the average weight rises, the definition of overweight and obese in the public mind rises, although its actual medical definition is and will always be the same: weighing above a given amount determined by the person’s height, size and general biology. It has nothing to do with everyone else’s weight.
Then there are the people who are thin but still unhealthy. I’ve known many such people.
My own weight is just within the appropriate range for me, not far from being overweight but clinging on. I suppose I should redistribute the weight into muscle. That’d involve more exercise & less cider. I’m not likely to do the latter, but the former I’m ready for if we ever get decent weather. Mountain biking is excellent for well-being. I’m told gyms are too, but I find them very boring. Who knows?
I’ve always thought that gyms are overrated.
