The government has got on its high horse re: child obesity ...?

Question

Who agrees that healthy foods should be fairly priced so everyones child can receive healthy meals ,fresh fruit , veg & fish etc .
Good quality food is pricey ... I know you can get shops own value brand but not all of it is appealing .
Not wanting to be offensive but its the parents with less cash who`s kids diet may be suffering here . . No abusive answers please ...

Thanks for all answers , it is not about myself i am happy to say i have 4 healthy well fed , slim , children . I was trying to be supportive of the less fortunate

Answer 1

Trying hard not to be abusive - just have strong opinions!!

A kilo of FRESH potatoes is cheaper than a kilo of frozen chips....a couple of chicken breasts are cheaper & healthier than a dozen McNuggets.

I can & do cook over 90% of the meals for my family from scratch. It is FAR cheaper, healthier & tastier than buying a load of frozen pizza, fish fingers, beans to pander to your kids...and destroy their health in the process.

It IS possible to eat well on a budget without resorting to 'value' brands that are just junk / filler by being selective. Buy cheaper cuts of fresh meat...no need for Sirloin or Fillet for a stew!!, buy vegetables in 'bulk' - a 15 / 30Kg bag of potatoes or onions will keep very well in a cool cupboard & costs MUCH less than buying a couple at a time. Avoid pre-packed fruit - buy loose. Frozen veg is cheap & plentiful and nutritionally very good if steamed and not boiled to virtual soup. Rice & pasta is as cheap as it gets - mixed with some other ingredients is excellent.

In closing healthy foods ARE fairly priced - it's just the lazy masses that demand unhealthy, so-called 'fast foods' and have a false sense of value. I'd rather serve up a smaller portion of food KNOWING that it's good quality than twice the amount that is one grade above dog food.

Don't be so blinkered - look at the produce out there...get in the kitchen & make something of it!!

Answer 2

I think it really depends on where you shop. If you go to a specialty shop like "Whole Foods" then prepare for a veggie sticker shock. For those who maybe strapped on cash, but still want quality fruits in veggies they'll have to look a little harder and have to except the fact they will have to buy "in season" produce. I know where I am at I can go to a local farmers market and find all kinds of great produce at a cheap price. I may not be able to find tomatoes in December, but I can adjust to what's in season and plan meals accordingly. If you stay away from pre-processed foods and make healthy meals at home you actually save a lot more money, so those who are strapped for cash shouldn't be worrying. I don't think money has a lot to do with children's diets suffering, I think it has to do with more parents trying to make something quick and easy and relying on other companies to do that for us. I understand it's easier to stop at McDonald's and pick up a Happy Meal than prepare a healthy meal. In the end companies just want your money and don't really care what goes into your kids.

Answer 3

Usually the courts have a formula that is based on how much YOU make and they could care less if u have another child on the way. U had this child first and the courts say this child is entitled to the life they would have had if u and the mother stayed together. Also, u may have gotten a degree, but u clearly haven't grown up! Calling ur child's mother a "loser" or any other name is absolutely CHILDISH even if she is! The courts will most likely tell u "u chose to have another child KNOWING ur financial situation with this one. Another child shouldn't affect this one. This one DOESNT get any cheaper and shouldn't lose out because u have another on the way." That's exactly what they told my father (my mother had a damn good job/my stepdad did too), then they raised the child support. If anything, u should be worried about getting an attorney and getting custody of ur daughter. Or can u not afford to get ur daughter (which should be your FIRST priority) because uve got this new baby coming? Oh well! This child came first and is in a bad situation according to you, therefore SHE should be your FIRST priority right now! EDIT: I'm sorry then. Just worry about getting ur kid out of that situation.

Answer 4

How about food stamps being used towards healthy products only? You'd be surprised at what garbage is an allowed item on food stamps programs.

I don't think it's so much the money as it is the choices people make. I did an experiment in which one week - I purchased one weeks worth of food, garbage items such as frozen dinners for lunch at the office and dinner at home, potato chips, etc. The following week, I purchased fresh items, fresh/frozen green beans, broccoli, chicken cuts, beef cuts, etc, that had to be prepared - I didn't spend significantly more for the healthy choices. Some choices, such as rice, beans, etc, are dirt cheap and a good side dish, and it stays good just about forever.

What you usually end up spending the money on is fancy items such as steamers and so forth to steam your vegetables. Easy way around this - Metal colander and a pot with a lid. Cheap, easy to clean steamer.

If people would spend a little more time thinking rather than being influenced by advertising and marketing, people would see there's easy ways around spending money on fancy items.

To the guy below that says he hardly sees obese children, then you aren't looking hard enough. I see quite a number of excessively overweight children and adults day in and day out, and this is in Florida, the "Good Looks Come First" capitol of the world.

Answer 5

I too dont think its only the food we eat but our society in a whole. Parents work long hours leaving less time to prepare "meals from scratch" Kids are hungry at 6.00 not 7.30 -8.00 . Kids get driven to school and sports etc they dont walk anywhere. Computer and playstations keep kids on their butts all day long. Kids dont seem to go outside and kick a footy anymore or ride bikes. Parents are also too cautious about kids roaming the streets on there own so they make them stay indoors. And parents are too tired after work to go anywhere with them. Yes food is expensive too especially quaily meats,like beef and lamb. Eating processed cheap sausages with thre frozen veg isnt too healty really. I try to prepare healthy meals 6 nights outof seven and have takeaway once a week. I take the kids to the park,they are of healthy weight, but I can understand why society is getting fatter.

Answer 6

Children only suffer because parents are lazy and do not care about their children's health. Processed foods are not really good for children. I have always thought that any parent who feeds their own baby junk foods should be accused of abuse.

Obesity is caused by parents. Fresh foods are not at all expensive. They cost the same as any other. You see people going to Pizza hut, McDonalds, and such like or buying ready meals.
Its a scandal that nobody is caring about. The government is not the parent. Why should they care if the parent does not?

Answer 7

Healthy food is cheap vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, onions, potatoes etc, rice and pasta are all cheap. You only need a small amount of meat or fish etc. to get all your nutrients.

This is how my parents brought me up a few generations ago, on a very tight budget and without a ready meal in sight.

I personally, eat an extremely healthy diet for approx £10 per week.

Answer 8

In many respects it is possible to eat pretty healthily and on a budget. I know because I did this as a student.

The problem is my diet was terribly dull!

Junk food gets marketed and promises a little pizazz for very little money. To get the same effect with much healthier options often appears to take a lot more money and / or effort.

People do make silly choices and our relationship with food these days is pretty strange compared to 30+ years ago. Many people barely know what a vegetable looks like and people's skills and willingness to cook for themselves is deteriorating.

Plus there's the indulgence aspect - people indulge their own whims and those of their children.

It's a complicated picture and we need to lean on the supermarkets to price their products.

Answer 9

I think when most Americans think of "healthy" food, they think of the pricey organic stuff from places like Whold Foods. However, as has been clearly indicated here, there are plenty of other options for eating better w/o resorting to the Yippie* foods from the organic stores. Regular stores offer plenty of options to eat healthier, however these options are not going to be prepared in the microwave, will not come out of a bag ready to eat, and will require some thought and motivation in order to turn the raw foods into healthy meals for your family. Something clearly lacking in many circles in America.




*Yippie: Modern yuppies. Take a little hippie add in a giagantic duel income and sprinkle in a healthy dose of smug and you've got a yippie.

Answer 10

Families on low incomes, sometimes have other problems related to being financially disadvantaged e.g. unemployment, housing, education, family issues, health. Some families eat low priced comfort foods to cheer themselves up e.g. pizza, chips, cheap biscuits and cakes.

I have heard that obesity surgery and Xenical (slimming tablets) are being considered for Obese children. If this helps the child loose weight and stops the child from being bullied at school and the long term consequences of being bullied, then these options should be considered.