Do some parents NEED telling about what they feed their children?

[The Large One]

Lansley rejects Jamie's dinners

The Jamie Oliver-approach will not work in tackling public health problems like obesity and smoking, the health secretary says. Andrew Lansley told the British Medical Association conference in Brighton there must be an evidence-based approach to dealing with public health. Mr Lansley said people needed to take responsibility for their own health.

He warned lecturing people often ended up being counter-productive.

"If we are constantly lecturing people and trying to tell them what to do, we will actually find that we undermine and are counterproductive in the results that we achieve," said the health secretary, who has pledged to rename the Department of Health the Department of Public Health. He said the TV chef's approach to school food had not had the desired effect - the number of children eating school meals had gone down instead of up.

"Jamie Oliver, quite rightly, was talking about trying to improve the diet of children in schools and improving school meals, but the net effect was the number of children eating school meals in many of these places didn't go up, it went down. So then the schools said 'It's OK to bring packed lunches but we've got to determine what's in the packed lunches, we've got to decide what's in the packed lunches.'

"To which the parents' response was that they gave children money and children are actually spending more money outside school, buying snacks in local shops, instead of on school lunches."

He said then people had said shops near schools must be banned, adding: "Actually, where do we end up with this?"

Mr Lansley said the consumption of salty foods could be reduced but none of this would work unless people's behaviour changed.

He is expected to outline in detail how he plans to do this later this year in a public health strategy paper. He has also pledged to ring-fence public health budgets, saying in the past that they have been raided during times when money is scarce.




Notwithstanding Jamie Oliver is a bit of a big-tongued gimpboy, I thought his programme of trying to educate people about food seemed quite worthwhile, especially in the face of some parents insisting their children eat junk. It would be interesting to see how this government can turn around the culture of children not eating healthy food without feeling they're lecturing parents, because I feel some parents do need bollocking about this.

 

[ezzoud]

As with many things the people most in need of "instruction" are the least likely to take any notice.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Notwithstanding Jamie Oliver is a bit of a big-tongued gimpboy, I thought his programme of trying to educate people about food seemed quite worthwhile, especially in the face of some parents insisting their children eat junk. It would be interesting to see how this government can turn around the culture of children not eating healthy food without feeling they're lecturing parents, because I feel some parents do need bollocking about this.

I'm no expert, but I thought whilst the number of school dinners in some areas had gone down slightly since the campaign, the quality of food that those who did partake went up greatly. No doubt about it though, many parents need educating on how to bring up kids. It's basically laziness or ignorance, no other excuses.

 

[bhaexpress]

Far too many parents let their kids eat what they want because it's easier than trying to make them eat sensibly. Naturally the parents tend to eat badly themselves.

 

[Meade's Ball]

If i were a producer of fledgling Balls then i'd certainly take the guidance of the healthiest ways of putting together a tasty-enough packed lunch.
I know that at least one day a week i would throw in a Trio or a Club though.

 

[BLOCK F]

The type of parents who feed their children shite most of the time also eat shite themselves most of the time.
Despite not being amongst the most intelligent of bods in the country even these people have a rough idea of what may constitute a good and a bad diet.It just doesn't figure high on their agenda....banging away at them will not make any difference imho.
I enjoyed watching Jamie's programmes,but the poor fellow cried with frustration I think.
Don't know what the answer is....maybe stop the chavs breeding!

 

[Gritt23]

As with many things the people most in need of "instruction" are the least likely to take any notice.

And that is the problem in a nutshell.

 

[Lady Bracknell]

I'm rather evangelical about junk/crap food and there's no doubt that it helps no end if parents can cook halfway decent nosh. That way they know it is as cheap as dishing up potato waffles with chips and a side order of chips.

So amongst all the other influences, I blame the introduction of a National Curriculum which replaced proper Cookery with half-arsed Food Technology. Round our house, this latter subject meaning, in practice, that A Boy cooked about 200 chicken kormas over a period of two years. None of them ever came home for tea because they had to hang around being marked for presentation and nutritional quality and this could involve curries being in school fridges for godaloneknows how long. As it happens, the Boy In Question grew up to be a damned fine cook but school had little to do with this.

I despair of this new Government. When they say "give people responsibility", they actually mean "they can f*** off and die of lard poisoning for all we care".

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

So amongst all the other influences, I blame the introduction of a National Curriculum which replaced proper Cookery with half-arsed Food Technology.

If there ever was a subject that needed a complete re-think - this is it. It put our daughter off cooking. I never understood what they were trying to achieve. Complete and utter rubbish.

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm rather evangelical about junk/crap food and there's no doubt that it helps no end if parents can cook halfway decent nosh. That way they know it is as cheap as dishing up potato waffles with chips and a side order of chips.

So amongst all the other influences, I blame the introduction of a National Curriculum which replaced proper Cookery with half-arsed Food Technology. Round our house, this latter subject meaning, in practice, that A Boy cooked about 200 chicken kormas over a period of two years. None of them ever came home for tea because they had to hang around being marked for presentation and nutritional quality and this could involve curries being in school fridges for godaloneknows how long. As it happens, the Boy In Question grew up to be a damned fine cook but school had little to do with this.

I despair of this new Government. When they say "give people responsibility", they actually mean "they can f*** off and die of lard poisoning for all we care".

You mean 'Domestic Science' ? At my school that was ONLY for girls whilst the boys did Woodwork. Mind you that was forty years ago and the school dinners where shite then.

 

[cuthbert]

You mean 'Domestic Science' ? At my school that was ONLY for girls whilst the boys did Woodwork. Mind you that was forty years ago and the school dinners where shite then.

My school experience started over 60yrs ago, and yes we all hated school dinners but we ate them, possibly because there was no choice, and as kids were active and generally healthy. The most instructive part of the Jamie Oliver program was when he changed the diet for one family 24hrs a day 7days a week and the parents then said how the behaviour of their children had improved.

 

[cunning fergus]

I'm rather evangelical about junk/crap food and there's no doubt that it helps no end if parents can cook halfway decent nosh. That way they know it is as cheap as dishing up potato waffles with chips and a side order of chips.

So amongst all the other influences, I blame the introduction of a National Curriculum which replaced proper Cookery with half-arsed Food Technology. Round our house, this latter subject meaning, in practice, that A Boy cooked about 200 chicken kormas over a period of two years. None of them ever came home for tea because they had to hang around being marked for presentation and nutritional quality and this could involve curries being in school fridges for godaloneknows how long. As it happens, the Boy In Question grew up to be a damned fine cook but school had little to do with this.

I despair of this new Government. When they say "give people responsibility", they actually mean "they can f*** off and die of lard poisoning for all we care".

Actually getting people to eat lard may well be part of the Governemnt's longer term strategy to reduce the imending pension deficit crisis.

If the next steps include providing free fags to the under 16s with compulsory smoking lessons in school we may get somewhere.

 

[strings]

Overheard at the tills of asda Wolverhampton on Monday night, by me.

"oh well. My kids always get their five a day. They are having pizza and chips tonight, so thats pineapple and potatoes"

No word of a lie.

 

[The Large One]

You mean 'Domestic Science' ? At my school that was ONLY for girls whilst the boys did Woodwork. Mind you that was forty years ago and the school dinners where shite then.

'Home Economics' round our way.

An inedible Shepherd's Pie (as it was called - it was really a Cottage Pie) was the sum total of my cooking experience within D8 at Dorothy Stringer.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I hate the fact that we get told what we can and can't eat. Personal responsobility is where it is at IMO

 

[The Large One]

I hate the fact that we get told what we can and can't eat. Personal responsobility is where it is at IMO

They're called 'advertisements'.

Seeing as some people need educating about the concept of personal responsibility AND healthy eating, you're caught between Iraq and a hard place. In other words, you'd rather someone not TELL you what you can and can't eat (which, incidentally, no-one is, apart from advertisers), and instead someone TELL you about personal responsibility?

'Won't someone spoon-feed me some responsibility while I watch Big Brother, it goes down well with the turkey twizzlers...'

Meanwhile those who do eat crap end up becoming a drain on the NHS.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

If e could get our four year old to eat at all it would be nice!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I hate the fact that we get told what we can and can't eat. Personal responsobility is where it is at IMO

Who tells you what you can and can't eat ? If people are telling you anything, it is to educate you on what you "ought" to be eating. At the end of the day it's your choice - but you need the information to make an informed choice.

 

[Gwylan]

Actually getting people to eat lard may well be part of the Governemnt's longer term strategy to reduce the imending pension deficit crisis.

I typed that and deleted it as I thought it might be deemed a bit cynical. Glad I wasn't the only one struck by the thought.

 

[Cromwell Road Gull]

I think lack of education, laziness and money come into play. Some friends of ours have a 3 year old daughter and the only food she eats in beige coloured - so basically chips,waffles,cheap chicken nugget's, crisps and bread - and ive never seen her eat more than 2 bites - she basically gets her energy from the 3/4 bags of sweets she has during the day.

When i asked if she ever eats any veg or fruit they say she doesnt like it - now there is no way you can tell me a little kid doesnt like starwberries/banannas with a dollop of custard for example. Even veg can be tarted up for kids - for these friends personally i think its beacuse they dont have much money so fresh food is way down the list - but also they just dont have a clue how to cook anything other than ready made meals.