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I have just read

gustavski profile image
18 Replies

something quite disturbing. It seems the UK has the highest obesity statistic in the EU and one of the highest in the world.

But to me what is even more disturbing is that one third of children in the UK are overweight.

What's happening?

It sure didn't happen when I was a child during after the war. I honestly can't remember an overweight child in my school.

gus

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gustavski profile image
gustavski
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18 Replies
pergola profile image
pergola

I am overweight. During my 40s, I had no trouble in losing weight, but nowadays, it is hard. Think my breathing would so much easier if I could lose some.

gustavski profile image
gustavski in reply to pergola

It is true. It is harder to lose weight as one gets older.

gus

mmzetor profile image
mmzetor

I don't suppose there was then with rationing ect , and also kids went out side to play , not sit in their bedroom playing on computers, games machines ect all day long stuffing them selfs full of junk food and drinks ,

gustavski profile image
gustavski in reply to mmzetor

All very true.....rationing was in full swing and yes almost all children played in the street not so many cars you see. I am talking about a big city I don't know what kids did in the villages.

Btw I read a report that says that in spite of the rationing people where healthier food wise. But obviously there where some awful diseases around at that time diphtheria, meningitis, poliomelitis to name just a few.

gus

mmzetor profile image
mmzetor in reply to gustavski

I suppose they where healthier not so much sugar , fats ect with rationing and plenty of fresh veg , my dad grew up as a village child during the war granddad was a cowman he said they live well during the war years food wise as they had milk from the farm , had their own chickens for eggs , kept a pig at the bottom of garden for meat and granddad wasn't against going an shooting a rabbit or pheasant at times , most of the village kids had to help out on the farms at busy times of year , schools turned a blind eye to it ,

Robert_Helton profile image
Robert_Helton

It's the modern diet, fast lane lifestyles and simple lack of knowledge that have brought about the obesity problem.

Rationing severly limited the intake of processed, manufactured foods, leading to a healthier population.

My fathers family hail from western North Carolina, where they grew up on farms eating what was produced, very little shop purchased foods. Grandpa was 95 when he passed and Grandma is still here at 103! The foods eaten during childhood have a major effect on a lifetimes health and longevity.

gustavski profile image
gustavski in reply to Robert_Helton

That could be true. My mother and father died within 2 months of each other at 93

Maybe the powers that be should introduce rationing again.

Did I just hear a Noooooooooooooo from the big four supermarkets.

Just a thought.

gus

Ergendl profile image
Ergendl in reply to gustavski

We could set up a petition for the re-introduction of rationing for health reasons. But I don't think it would get enough signatures, and even if it did, it would not succeed because of all the vested interests in the food industry that abound in those who would consider the petition. It might cause a 3 day wonder in the press though. "Old Timers demand return of Rationing" or something similar...

gustavski profile image
gustavski in reply to Ergendl

Rationing in Britain began at the start of the war in 1939 and did not end until 1954. The war ended in 1945 so why it continued God knows. The reason for the rationing was because (a) food was needed for the troops and (b) because merchant ships were being sunk by U booten.

Little known fact.... more merchant seamen were killed during WW2 than all the allied soldiers put together.

I was a merchant seaman, thank God not during the war.

gus

Ergendl profile image
Ergendl in reply to gustavski

My grandfather was a merchant seaman engineer in WW1. My brother recently discovered in some family papers, a log he had compiled of a voyage to Australasia from Portsmouth in about 1916. Very tense reading.

katieoxo60 profile image
katieoxo60

When I was young I was a mere 6st, now I am twice that and struggle to loose weight due to health issues. It is frightening to see all these overweight children , its got to be to do a little with our modern Western diet surely and less active live style.I know mine is, plus the usual once a decade increase of growing older. I know I would feel a little fitter if I could loose a little weight.

onamission profile image
onamission

when I went to school we did 6 hours a week sport 3 double lessons we didn't have McDonalds, Burger king or a Chinese takeaway on every street corner.

we did not have money to spend on chocolate crisps or biscuits I had breakfast a cooked dinner at school l and a cooked meal at home.

we only had fruit and veg that were in season and supermarkets' where you could buy cloths nd household goods were unheard-of

hufferpuffer profile image
hufferpuffer

I think we can attribute most weight gain to today's lifestyle. Trans fats used to preserve food shelf life. Sugar and less physical activity. Children these days are glued to computers and phones....you just don't see them playing out all day like when we were youngsters because parents fear for their safety more these days......school's should allocate more hours to cross country running and ball games, sports...etc., it really is a cause for concern.😕

jjnanna profile image
jjnanna

When I was young we ate our fruit and veg daily, no fatty crisps and Pizzas, drank our milk daily had Orange from the milkman in little bottles which tasted lovely not like those nasty tasting Fruit Shoots..... We most often walked 1.5 miles to school and back 5 days a week and had P.E. at school more than once a week, you were encouraged to join the netball or Basketball teams and went ballroom dancing if your folks could afford it and Tap and Ballet even Piano lessons. We played outside mostly every day, no electronic equipment. We went to bed at set times and always fell asleep at once.... worn out no doubt...... How many kids live that life now .... certainly not many that I know .....That is why they are FAT .... yes that is what they are x

Buzzytruk profile image
Buzzytruk

There was no fast food outlets like adorn our shopping high streets. There are dozens of these places in each town .......we did have a chippy ,. But no Chinese,curry,pizza , and coffee cafes,and a good many more of the same

We had proper shops like Home & Colonial & Maypole.........where dry groceries ,bacon butter ,cheese came from. We had butchers and green grocers and proper markets........not a supermarket in sight. Girls had cookery lessons at school ,we had a whole afternoon in a purpose built kitchen plus the annual cookery prize ..... But most of all we had mums who spent their days cooking ,and making wonderful pies and pastries who were taught by their mums.......now we eat so much processed food with heaps of additives,and are piling on the pounds.

All our excess weight we got rid of walking to school ,catching the bus was often not an option. Only the very posh had a car........Today no one wants to work as as our parents worked. We don't want to walk and exercise as we did back then. .......We all want an easy life ...With an easy life over the years we can all see the results.

Jo.

P's......I am now just as bad ...!!! Although no fast food .

peege profile image
peege

Sugar!

. Feeding kids crap, mollycoddling driving to school, lack of exercise, government cuts to school PE & sports, TV, obsessions with phones, tablets........ . Even fruit has been modified to be grown sweeter.

Makes me want to spit nails

undine profile image
undine

Hi Gus I know what you mean - was discussing the same thing with my cousin the other day - we can remember having a plump or fatish child (always one fatty) but certainly none that were obese in our classes - I blame it on the food manufacturers with all the added sugars etc. and the general change in diets - all the processed foods and drinks etc. xxx

scorpiolass profile image
scorpiolass

I can only remeber one child who was on the large size & I think she had a gland problem. As for the rest of us, well sweets were on ration until my teens. Plus, we walked to school. Mum, worked in the home, looking after the spouse & children. Each meal was home made, plain but tasty cooked meals. The only exception was a monthly treat of fish & chips. The schools had playing fields & we played sport & went swimming. We didn't have TV, videos, computers etcetera, so we played games outside with other children. We were more active & healthly fed.

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