Why are our children getting fatter?

[Martin_s 10]

Had a long think about this one and it boils down to about 500 different things and probably more...

 

To tackle one small sliver of it... most kids are now encouraged NOT to go and play out in the streets or parks for a variety of reasons... stranger danger and other safety issues.. the danger of being hauled up as a bad parent for not watching them, etc... lack of places to just roam free and the like... all adds up to the lack of physical activity...

 

Then add in the "time becoming more precious" factor... parents work longer hours to earn enough to provide for the family, so they've less time to spend with them... maybe less money to help pay for dancing lessons or whatever the kids would do as activities...

 

...Not done yet... then we move on to convenience food which sort of follows on from the whole time thing... quick, easy to cook and often containing lots of fats and additives, etc... but it's a trade off if you don't have loads of time to prepare loads of meals each evening when you'd rather be relaxing or spending time with your kids... and if you're working long hours, well, who'd blame you...

 

 

... and so we end up with this big circular arguement into which you can add junk food snacks (which are self rewarding, let's be honest) and kids who amuse themselves at home playing games on the playstation, etc...

 

... and I've missed out a bunch of stuff that could be added in I'm sure... but bottom line, there is no simple answer to any of it or one person to blame... t'is a huge quandry...

[Cyclone 10]

can anyone actually provide evidence for there being less parks and play areas. It's not the case in the village I grew up in.

And there seem to be plenty of children playing on the streets and kicking footballs too close to my car for comfort.

 

Society as a whole is better off now than it was 20, 30 or 40 years ago, and food prices are relatively lower compared to average incomes. So the price of food/activities can't be the problem. Possibly the lower cost of junk food compared to income actually makes it easier for kids to buy mcDonalds out of their pocket money (slightly older children of course, not 5 year olds).

 

I suspect that whoever mentioned PS2 is close to the mark on at least 1 reason, there are more activites to do now that don't involve any excercise. But again, this comes down to parents, set some rules, send 'em to the park for an hour before they are allowed to play on the games console for an hour.

 

A second reason is probably the massive media attention focussed on paedophiles and kidnappings. I'm fairly confident that these are no more common than ever before, but the greater public awareness of them means that parents are scared to send their children out to play. And everyone is far more risk adverse these days than they used to be.

[evildrneil 14]

I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced about "stranger danger" - are our streets really any less safe than they were 20 odd years ago when I used to play outside and climb trees et al or does it just make good news/TV so it gets crammed down peoples throats and parents get the idea that their is a lurking pervert behind every bush and fence ready to snatch their child so they feel that if they dont have their kid in view (and preferably inside) 100% of the time they are bad parents...

[Andy78 10]

i really don't think our streets are any less safe now than they were years ago. as cyclone said. it's just awareness. Having said that i do remember being told not to talk to strangers when i was younger, so we were aware of nasty people. maybe society has become too paranoid?then again, is it possible to be too paranoid when it comes to the safety of your children?

[evildrneil 14]

I think it probably is actually. If you are overly paranoid about your kids they pick up on your paranoia and become paranoid themselves.

 

On a slightly related area, I also have to wonder if our obsesive need to keep kids in as close to a sterile environment as possible isn't contributing to the increasing levels of allergy and asthma? You keep your kid inside and use all these bacteriocidal cleaning chemicals mans your kids immune systme has nothing to react to and as soon as you hit pollen or anything else the immune system jumps in horror and voila allergies!!!

[Martin_s 10]

Originally posted by evildrneil

On a slightly related area, I also have to wonder if our obsesive need to keep kids in as close to a sterile environment as possible isn't contributing to the increasing levels of allergy and asthma?

Yep... couldn't agree more although it's probably that plus various chemical environments too but it's getting off topic unfortunately...

[Mo 10]

Originally posted by Cyclone

can anyone actually provide evidence for there being less parks and play areas.

 

Yes this government has allowed more school playing fields to be sold for building on than they would like you to know, see this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3007064.stm

[Cyclone 10]

a mixed report that makes no mention of how many have actually been lost.

Neither were we talking about activity at school, you'll find that children can't play on the school fields after school is closed anyway.

[Tony Ruscoe 10]

Originally posted by Cyclone

can anyone actually provide evidence for there being less parks and play areas. It's not the case in the village I grew up in.

And there seem to be plenty of children playing on the streets and kicking footballs too close to my car for comfort.

 

But are those kids fat? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends how often they go out and get exercise.

 

(Don't forget, nobody's saying that all kids get less exercise now than they used to, it's just that many of them don't...)

[nomme 10]

Originally posted by evildrneil

I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced about "stranger danger" - are our streets really any less safe than they were 20 odd years ago when I used to play outside and climb trees et al or does it just make good news/TV so it gets crammed down peoples throats and parents get the idea that their is a lurking pervert behind every bush and fence ready to snatch their child so they feel that if they dont have their kid in view (and preferably inside) 100% of the time they are bad parents...

 

Ask yourself this: When you went to school what percentage of kids arrived by car? What do think that percentage is now, larger or smaller than when you went to school?

 

Nomme

[Hippy 10]

When I was at school (16 years ago) all the local kids walked. Buses were used for the kids from the surrounding areas. Lifts to school were very rare.

 

I think a great deal more children arrive by car now.

 

I agree with some of the other comments. I don't think the risks are any greater now than in the past. The media has hyped things up and parents are more worried.

 

Anyone seen that film 'Bowling for Columbine'? The bloke concludes that the reason why there are so many shootings in the USA is because of the media. People have become paranoid. He says that folk in Canada have just as many guns as in the USA but there are hardly any shootings there as the media is very different.

[evildrneil 14]

When I was in junior school I used to walk the 1/2 mile or so to get there including crossing a busy road and walking about half the way through some woods. Then when I graduated to secondary school I went by bus. At the time I would think that the number of people turning up by car was fairly minescule. But I dont think the roads and woods are any less safe now - we are just conditioned by the media into thinking they are...