do you think most of nation got db2 i do the young need to b screened i know they more active than groaning grandad but i worry for them

[pauluk60]

i think theres epidemic with the kids/teens going on now especially the girls i apologize if i upset anyone but i am a "fatty" but was as fit as bleep at kid/teen ages i know i am going on but thats what i think over to you

[sylvi]

I am sure if all young people had a medical every five years with full blood tests that might pick up a lot of things.xxx

[Hidden]

It took me a while to figure out what db2 meant. Slow this morning!

I think when we were kids there wasn't a so much cack food about. Actually in my family there wasn't much food at all. My poor ma struggled to feed five kids as a single parent. We often went to school with empty bellies. We weren't picky about school meals as kids...We inhaled them!

Lots of kids don't seem to get as much exercise as we did either. We were literally thrown out the door and told to go play. I notice the young mum's near me never seem to take their kids to the river, or the local stream. There are some lovely walks round here. Rarely see them picnicking in the meadow or blackberrying, or any of the free stuff we got up to as kids.

I used to spend a lot of time outside with my son when he was growing up. I've got a fond memory of him sitting up in an old silver cross pram all bundled up on a winter day. We were sitting by canal eating sandwiches and watching the boats and water fowl. We were always outside. I used to put him out in the garden to sleep in his pram too. People don't seem to do that any more.

Too much junk food and not enough fresh air and scraped knees...Maybe!

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Yes.... what I find saddest is that all these people are damaging their lives so seriously when it is something that most of them can cure themselves. As this report says, its only around 15kg of weight that makes the difference between being DB2 free or suffering the horrible consequences.

nhs.uk/news/diabetes/more-p...

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

Yes interesting. Thankfully I'm not diabetic, but could certainly do with losing more weight. Something to get on with. In my favour I do walk approx 6 miles a day. Much more if feeling chipper.

I used to work with young families years ago. Part of my job was to teach healthy lifestyles. Initially, I'd take them shopping to see what types of food they were eating and feeding their young babies. Invariably the types of chosen foods were heavily processed, high in fat and sugar. Very little fresh fruit and veg. Totally different to the types of foods we had as kids. Not their fault, it's what they had been brought up on.

I should add, not all families were like this. However the families I supported had many social issues. There is a lot if processed crap out there to be sure.

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

And easier for health services to give people pills than spend the time on encouraging, supporting and funding people to change lifestyle.

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

Very true. I worked for a charity...We lost our funding. Families left high and dry. Sad.

[pauluk60 in reply to Hidden]

hi netti makes me a despondent that you had show the girls how to shop but cant say a lot my daughter more or less abandoned her three boys but they weren't going to no home so here they come hard work for wife but i loved it mite be a bi taway from things but did you get the news of Manchester couple tied there child to cot threw duvet over top of her breaking my heart telling this all for the sake of asking for help a beautiful young girl so sad would have loved her to bits

[Gigi71 in reply to helixhelix]

Thanks HH very good to see this on a NHS site, have seen many reports on health programs stating this. I had a blood test this summer due to having an ulcer to see if I had diabetes, I'm not overweight. My blood levels were very good and the end statement concluded I was low risk for type 2 diabetes. I'v always had circulation problems in my legs since a child despite being active. X

[pauluk60 in reply to Hidden]

brill my life my mum all rings a bell we had the quarries nearby how no one died buried in sand or drowned on canal falling of our raft mam took me miles in bluebell woods

[Gigi71 in reply to Hidden]

We used to spend the school holidays over the park, with the other children in our road. we had to ask the Parkie what the time was to go home for tea. We used to play in the road too, did live in a close, only one couple had a car so was safe. My sons used to go off on their bikes, we used to picnic over parks all good fun. My sons used to sleep in there prams in the garden too. It was unusual to see fat children in those days. I went to a convent school and had to eat the school dinners, scarred for life with lamb spew and milk puddings. Too much much junk food available now. X

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

What I notice is children are driven to school when they could walk there in 15 minutes .....& not because Mum needs to then drive to work......most of them are in Costa Coffee by 0915!

I live 3 minute walk from a school. Between 0845/0900 it's chaotic with Mum's blocking in resident's cars. If you ask them to move......you are very brave!

It's a whole new world!

I also notice the fattest kids have the fattest mums! Bu you mustn't say that or you will traumatise them for life.

I walked to junior school,& rode my bike for half an hour to high school! I'm not overweight & I don't have Diabetes...but of course when I was a kid the only fast food was fish & chips & most families only had one car.....& that was Dads Car!!!

[pauluk60 in reply to AgedCrone]

i think i am running on the past always out we did have the local not wright in head guy but he never bovered us more us annoy him but what you did

[Gigi71 in reply to AgedCrone]

I went to a RC school and that was in town, a twenty minute bus ride. My mother only took me to school the first day aged 5. I then went with the boy over the road also 5 and his big sister aged 8. My mother didn't work but had my younger sister at home. She went to work when I was 11 and in the winter I used to have to come home and clean the fireplace and light the fire by holding newspaper to draw it. Getting to sound like a Monty Python sketch lol !!! X

[pauluk60 in reply to Gigi71]

a left footer just like me yep lit fire many time like that used shovel to support paper the "GOOD OLD DAYS"

[AgedCrone in reply to Gigi71]

But that is how life used to be Gigi, & most of us have survived mentally intact. (well I think we have!)

I honestly think a lot of the childhood mental health problems we read about today could be being caused because children are growing up being privy to subjects that they can't understand, & they internalise (good old American word) them but cannot understand them,& it worries them they are somehow failing, because they think they should understand.

They have been allowed to grow up not being given simple responsibilities like crossing roads & walking to school alone...& even laying the table & lighting the fire, because how many families sit down to eat together these days?

But they are often included in inappropriate conversations far beyond their years.

I recently told an 8 year old (from I thought a good family) to take more care of his bike ...a wiz bang top of the range model ....because his Daddy worked hard to pay for it. I was speechless when he told me his parents were probably getting divorced soon because Daddy hits Mummy & she's fed up with it. No emotion...just a fact....that is surely not good for him to deal with?

I could hardly pop round the corner & ask mum if it was true,but the parents are now separated.....but does an 8 year old need to have to carry that around in his head? No wonder some children are troubled eat junk food, get fat & live on their phones & tablets.

But who is going to tell parents "children are children" who need protection & to be prepared to deal with more than the "nasty man" in the park?

[pauluk60 in reply to AgedCrone]

i had a set feral kids the tales they would come with and there normal talk was utter filth and that was from 3 5 7 when first met the latter went on to kill his mothers boyfriend at 15 and 2 other young lads could see something major going to happen for years but never that and he got away with it double family came from irish travelers roots dont mean to offend but thats where they came from i am half irish was ashamed

[Gigi71 in reply to AgedCrone]

The sad fact is he most likely thought this was the norm. Our WI charity is for a woman and child refuge. We have had a speaker explain what they do, they are brilliant, but it's still heartbreaking. I think when we were young we had a lot more responsibilities, but were still very grounded but children too. My own grandchildren have been very cosseted. So much done for them. I will say manners have always been instilled into them, so they are thoughtful and loving, but not always Angels. Fortunately they all have a focus in life so I am proud of them. My eldest granddaughter is a student nurse and she has been thrown in the deep end, a real eye opener but she has taken to it. X

[pauluk60 in reply to Gigi71]

nice to hear gigi hope gets on your so on pins with them when starting new job

[Nessa28]

I think a lot of the time parents are to scared to let the children go out to play as we did when we were young . The fact that child abuse is plastered everywhere is part of the problem . I am definitely not saying it is not happening but because of the constant reporting . Parents don't allow their kids to go to park etc or ride their bikes on their own or with friends . Sad this also takes away their ability to risk access . So yes unless we can show parents the world is not such an evil place and your kids will be fine if you let them go and play football on the park we will continue to have a nation of overweight and unfit children . The other bugbear is they walk nowhere,dropped by car to school etc . Scotland have a mile a day fitted into the school day where the kids have 15 minutes to run or walk the mile results have been amazing . It has been adopted by 30? Countries not England though . It such a shame the outside is a marvellous place for children 😢

[Hidden in reply to Nessa28]

Yes I saw that. Great idea!

I don't know it's an odd thing. I live in a pretty safe village, although there are some treacherous roads. I live in a close, quite safe. Folks drive slow due to families.

There is a park literally two minutes away. No busy road to cross. It's a mixed estate with some social housing, some private. Really quite nice. Everyone knows everyone. Rarely see kids out playing. And rarely see them in the park! I don't know how parents cope. I'd have gone mad stuck inside all day with a bored kid!

We had no tv or stuff like that though. I still don't have a tv.

[Nessa28 in reply to Hidden]

I like you live in a rural location we have a excellent park here and up the town there is a prom and parks . We have sea rivers canals amazing walks . In the summer it's busy . Now the weather is closing in it's so quiet I can take the dogs and not see anyone . My kids had an amazing childhood but now as a grandparent I'm seeing how restrictive they are and I'm really not seeing a more dangerous world just scared people . It's such a shame 💐I agree the roads are frightening but we have cycle paths leading from the village up to the towns and main routes .

[pauluk60 in reply to Nessa28]

im not rural in salford media city but live in the irwell valley so lots of walks canals old industrial sites my pit so it did keep me busy no walk/run the same if i wanted yes the day of jam butties scraped knees the magic plaster butter for the bruises i had the fastest 3 wheeler always beat the snotty mob the bogey stripping the old prams for me WHEELS

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

But the kids aren't bored Nettie....as well as TV they have their phones/tablets & a lot of Mums let them sit & play on them all day long.

I live in a beautiful part of the country with rivers & a canal, but I don't think a lot of the local children ever see them.

Kids phone the kids next door instead of going out & shouting over the garden fence & they live on junk food because their parents are of an age when no sort of " Home Economics" ( it was cookery when I was at school) is taught.......so they never buy raw food to cook....it's takeaway or ready meals......and very little fresh fruit/veg.

I do have young neighbours in their 30's who do cook & have seemingly healthy children, but sadly most of kids do live on rubbish.....proven by wheelie bins overflowing with takeaway containers & ready meal packaging.

But I guess that's what "they" call progress?

[AgedCrone in reply to Nessa28]

You are right! There are many reports that child abuse has not increased...it's just that with all the media around these days we hear about the horrors that do occur.....which makes it very difficult for parents to decide how how far to let their children roam.

There also used to be Youth Clubs where teenagers could gather & "do their thing", but funding has been withdrawn & even Church Youth Clubs have disappeared .....often because adults are too nervous of being left with young people after widespread stories of club leaders being dubiously accused of unacceptable behaviour.

And we can't forget drugs......we see in our local paper the least likely people are involved in introducing drugs to very young children.

[pauluk60 in reply to AgedCrone]

everything over reported for the kids to be able to be able to play out safe scares me the mention of drugs and children "THEY" did not like me as i was not far away from g/kids lot of feral kids took everything from them footballs bikes you name it they took it saying i only borrowed it mister just about got rid of em thank god used to take a gang on quarry jumping off edge and things great shoes full sand but peeps started murmuring things as they all sat outside house drinking all day terrible for the kids well hopefully all moved on now

[Hidden]

Also noticed no picking of local free fruits. The folks that do pick it are the ones that probably need it least. We have an abundance of fruit trees, nuts , blackberries, hips, nettle, pig nuts and shrooms (I can understand not picking shrooms). From a free fruit point of view we do really well! My freezer is stuffed with stewed apple and blackberries.

Folks also leave big buckets of fallers outside their house. I appeared to be the only one raiding the buckets. I have no money, and I know these young mum's don't. I pointed out the bucket of apples to a youngun the other day. Great cookers, she walked right passed it. I'm not sure what that's all about. Blackberrying with mates was ...And still is a favourite past time.

I think many folks have lost the love of food, and have become disconnected from the land. I personally do a fare bit of bartering. I'll walk a neighbours dog for free range eggs. The other day I got those carrots I posted...and some chard in exchange for walking a dog . I have to walk mine anyway.

I get huge satisfaction from making say a soup out of free stuff. Foraging is much more fun than supermarkets. And the local fruit and veg store is great!

If you get out and about you start to notice where all the fruit trees are. I think often people don't know what's around them. Quite sad really.

[pauluk60 in reply to Hidden]

good read netti another that the kids don't get to see is animals livestock there was a couple of smallholdings pigs hens horses and the like rhubarb patches and barmy jack used screw the head of chicken and let it run about sos for being gruesome but that's what happened

[AgedCrone in reply to Hidden]

I got hauled home to Mother by the really old local bobbie for scrumping gooseberries at about 6 years of age...we weren't all angels back then! He'd apparently done the same with my father !

But I did the washing up for ages as penance! Yes at 6! No DW in my youth.

But you are right...my young, affluent, 30's neighbours were amazed I actually made curry. They couldn't understand why I bothered when I could just pick up the phone & order it.

I have just made a weeks soup from the veggies left in the fridge , the last tomatoes from the garden + a few herbs.

It's a different world Nettienet!

[nanapat61]

My abiding childhood memory of 'playing out' with friends was our mums telling us to make sure we came home when the street lights came on. That must have been quite late in the summer! We roamed all over the place, climbed trees, paddled in streams, played in the park or 'down the rec' for hours, even swam in reservoirs - and survived! We always walked to primary school on our own but there were no main roads to cross. When I got to high school, which was three miles away, parents gave me bus fare but said I could keep the money if I walked it there and back, so that is what I did of course. Also, school prefects who rode on the buses used to report anybody caught not wearing their full outdoor school uniform on the bus, including blazer in summer, gaberdine in winter, and beret at all times (because it brought the school into disrepute to do otherwise) but walking through the back streets and paths meant I could shove my hated beret into my satchel - LOL!

[Hidden]

Paul you talk sense and can listen to common sense and flights of fancy and have the intelligence to know which is which. I don’t think you need to apologise. *Everything* has the capacity to be misunderstood and taken the wrong way on the internet and all these people need to get over it

The only tools we can communicate with here are words, which can only fulfill around 4% of total communication. No wonder it can go pear shaped if words on their own try to express anything other than deadpan straight talk. Just keep being you, that’s good enough for me 😊. I’m interested in getting “useful” out of this marvellous forum - I’m not looking to have people make me feel all fuzzy and warm inside.