Obesity in Ireland, What's goin on?

[thebigfella]

"Look at your man out for a run. Dick!"

"Look at your man out cycling. Dick!"

"Look at your man out for a walk. Dick!"

"Look at your man going to the gym. Dick!"

"Look at your man playing tennis. Dick!"

Who says that? It's fairly obvious you haven't lived in Ireland for a long time Eamonn. The amount of walkers, runners and cyclists on the roads is huge these days.

No one says that. 

Look Eamonnca1's made another post. Dick!

[muppet]

I think the stats might show we have a problem, but the amount of 30+ years olds, 40+ and even 50+ taking up running, cycling etc shows that Irish people knew this instinctively and lots are already trying to do something about it.

Regarding the sugars in drinks. I spend a lot of time in the States and am shocked at the amount of sugar in drinks over there. Since I started on the running thread here, my awareness of these things has increased a lot (blissfully unaware was my starting point). I will accept 7g of sugar (saturated fats) in a small bottle of say 150mls. In Ireland you regularly see up to 17g but in the US I have seen 50g in the same size bottle.

Ironically I think the morbid obesity you used to see everywhere in the US is (thankfully) being reversed. I have no idea what might have changed things but you certainly see plenty of joggers and cyclists, maybe that is it.

[Tony Baloney]

Teenagers say that a lot about everything I think the adult population has never been so aware of the benefits of those sort of exercises, and I'd bet the participation rate is massive compared to 10 or 15 years ago.

Childhood/teen obesity might be a different matter alright. Any child not involved in regular sport, GAA, soccer, rugby is probably at risk because of the foods we are all eating.

I'm only a new parent so I don't know the craic but do kids go out and play anymore? God we used to leave the house at 9 on a Saturday down to the tennis courts to play football all day only coming home for a quick bite and then straight out the door again. The courts have been empty for a long time!

I wonder is this a product of kids not wanting to play outside as much with the dawn of video games or parents being ultra cautious in not letting kids out unsupervised like it used to be back in the day.

All of the above plus with the greater range of crap american tv programs kids can become very lazy and sit and watch TV.  I would be a bit freer with my willingness to allow the kids latitude but she isn't.  It's a shame though as this has a bigger impact n terms of their motor skills development etc. Our childminder is good though as she has a forest at the back and the beach is 2 minutes from their house and her kids and ours go out there any day that it is dry.

Electronic games is getting to be a serious issue in our house now to the point that they have to be put under lock and key as were going to bed at night only to see the glow coming from under a bedroom door at 11pm!

My wains play a good bit outside but certainly not to the extent that I or my generation did. My eldest is doing cyling proficiency at school and wanted to ride his bike home afterwards and the missus was having none of it. It is only a mile or so and I told him to go on ahead but at 10 y.o. I would have been around country roads for hours on my bike with nothing said.

[Bingo]

Electronic games is getting to be a serious issue in our house now to the point that they have to be put under lock and key as were going to bed at night only to see the glow coming from under a bedroom door at 11pm!

My wains play a good bit outside but certainly not to the extent that I or my generation did. My eldest is doing cyling proficiency at school and wanted to ride his bike home afterwards and the missus was having none of it. It is only a mile or so and I told him to go on ahead but at 10 y.o. I would have been around country roads for hours on my bike with nothing said.

Its a total different culture now regards what passes as "playing outside".

Was talking with a couple of mates recently and we remembered cycling up to Carrickmacross from Blayney on the N2 (which was a poor road for cycling in parts at the time) as their was a shop that had great ice cream or so we believed. We reckoned we were about 13 or so at the time. Doubt anyone missed us or even asked where we'd been for the half the day.

[muppet]

Electronic games is getting to be a serious issue in our house now to the point that they have to be put under lock and key as were going to bed at night only to see the glow coming from under a bedroom door at 11pm!

My wains play a good bit outside but certainly not to the extent that I or my generation did. My eldest is doing cyling proficiency at school and wanted to ride his bike home afterwards and the missus was having none of it. It is only a mile or so and I told him to go on ahead but at 10 y.o. I would have been around country roads for hours on my bike with nothing said.

Its a total different culture now regards what passes as "playing outside".

Was talking with a couple of mates recently and we remembered cycling up to Carrickmacross from Blayney on the N2 (which was a poor road for cycling in parts at the time) as their was a shop that had great ice cream or so we believed. We reckoned we were about 13 or so at the time. Doubt anyone missed us or even asked where we'd been for the half the day.

I have a 6 and a half year old. He still hasn't been allowed out on the street where we live in Dublin. I regret this big time but don't see it changing anytime soon. When I was his age I used to walk 2 miles home from school unsupervised bringing a neighbour's 5 year old with me. But that was in Mayo.

[brokencrossbar1]

Electronic games is getting to be a serious issue in our house now to the point that they have to be put under lock and key as were going to bed at night only to see the glow coming from under a bedroom door at 11pm!

My wains play a good bit outside but certainly not to the extent that I or my generation did. My eldest is doing cyling proficiency at school and wanted to ride his bike home afterwards and the missus was having none of it. It is only a mile or so and I told him to go on ahead but at 10 y.o. I would have been around country roads for hours on my bike with nothing said.

Its a total different culture now regards what passes as "playing outside".

Was talking with a couple of mates recently and we remembered cycling up to Carrickmacross from Blayney on the N2 (which was a poor road for cycling in parts at the time) as their was a shop that had great ice cream or so we believed. We reckoned we were about 13 or so at the time. Doubt anyone missed us or even asked where we'd been for the half the day.

Don't talk Bingo,  we used to cycle down to Black's Island and go out on the canoes then back up the main road to Roche Castle for a picnic and then take the back road down home.  We were no more than 14 and thought nothing of doing that.  My eldest lad would do it if he's at his mates house.  Need to loosen the leash a wee bit more

[Bingo]

Electronic games is getting to be a serious issue in our house now to the point that they have to be put under lock and key as were going to bed at night only to see the glow coming from under a bedroom door at 11pm!

My wains play a good bit outside but certainly not to the extent that I or my generation did. My eldest is doing cyling proficiency at school and wanted to ride his bike home afterwards and the missus was having none of it. It is only a mile or so and I told him to go on ahead but at 10 y.o. I would have been around country roads for hours on my bike with nothing said.

Its a total different culture now regards what passes as "playing outside".

Was talking with a couple of mates recently and we remembered cycling up to Carrickmacross from Blayney on the N2 (which was a poor road for cycling in parts at the time) as their was a shop that had great ice cream or so we believed. We reckoned we were about 13 or so at the time. Doubt anyone missed us or even asked where we'd been for the half the day.

Don't talk Bingo,  we used to cycle down to Black's Island, get beat round the place by the Blayney Boys and go out on the canoes then back up the main road to Roche Castle for a picnic and then take the back road down home.  We were no more than 14 and thought nothing of doing that.  My eldest lad would do it if he's at his mates house.  Need to loosen the leash a wee bit more

Corrected that a bit for you 

[Canalman]

The definition of "obesity" is laughable if it weren't taken so seriously. It would amaze you  how little it takes to be categorized "obese" nowadays.

[The Iceman]

There is a food documentary on Netflix called "fed up" it would open your eyes to the whole subject.

Looking around facebook you see posts all the time, in getting sweets with the kids, ice cream, buns.....  I know one family who say their eldest boy refuses to eat anything but crisps and mcdonalds so guess what he gets every day? I think you have to take a strict stance with the kids. They won't know any different. I didn't let any of my crew near sweets for 3-4 years. They love the veggies and fruit and I keep them all active. Bed at 7.30pm every night and 20 mins of computer games a day.
There is no problem with kids-  there is a problem with parenting, or lack thereof.

We are here to protect and nurture their spiritual, physical and emotional well-being...

[brokencrossbar1]

There is a food documentary on Netflix called "fed up" it would open your eyes to the whole subject.

Looking around facebook you see posts all the time, in getting sweets with the kids, ice cream, buns.....  I know one family who say their eldest boy refuses to eat anything but crisps and mcdonalds so guess what he gets every day? I think you have to take a strict stance with the kids. They won't know any different. I didn't let any of my crew near sweets for 3-4 years. They love the veggies and fruit and I keep them all active. Bed at 7.30pm every night and 20 mins of computer games a day.
There is no problem with kids-  there is a problem with parenting, or lack thereof.

We are here to protect and nurture their spiritual, physical and emotional well-being...

That's well and good for you Holy Joes but what about the rest of us heathens!!!

[The Iceman]

There is a food documentary on Netflix called "fed up" it would open your eyes to the whole subject.

Looking around facebook you see posts all the time, in getting sweets with the kids, ice cream, buns.....  I know one family who say their eldest boy refuses to eat anything but crisps and mcdonalds so guess what he gets every day? I think you have to take a strict stance with the kids. They won't know any different. I didn't let any of my crew near sweets for 3-4 years. They love the veggies and fruit and I keep them all active. Bed at 7.30pm every night and 20 mins of computer games a day.
There is no problem with kids-  there is a problem with parenting, or lack thereof.

We are here to protect and nurture their spiritual, physical and emotional well-being...

I never mentioned the good Lord once
we're all "spiritual"

In fairness I did notice how fat people were in general the last time I was back which is strange because there seems to be about 20 gyms in every town

That's well and good for you Holy Joes but what about the rest of us heathens!!!

[omaghjoe]

J70 your spot on the problem is not the type of sugar but sugar itself

Its literaly a great big fat merry-go-round in the US between these food companies and the health industry. This is how it works:

• Food company saturates kids programming with sugar loaded convenience food
  
• Convince parents they are better off buying processed convenience food than cooking real food
  
• Soon the whole family will be eating sugar loaded food for every meal and wanting more, and even better since sugar is addictive needing more and more!
  
• Once hooked on these foods they eat more and more, and buy more and more of the food company's products so the food companies profit handsomely!
  
• When the inevitable diabetes comes calling, in rush the healthcare industry to save the day with their medicine costing on average $8K a year!
  
• Meanwhile said family continues to eat the same processed rubbish emptying more and more of their disposable income to feed their sugar addictions and guarantee they are stuck with diabetes for life and guaranteeing both the food company and the healthcare company a customer for life!

The tobacco industry were amateurs in comparison to this shower!

In America with a privatised healthcare system there is no incentive for governments to do anything about it.

However European governments and the EU need to take a stand, as an obesity and diabetes epidemic will destroy the efficiency of their public healthcare systems.[/list]

You've pretty much nailed it. I'm not sure if they're all in cahoots together as part of a deliberate conspiracy, but they might as well be since the outcome is the same.

Yep, its always someone elses fault. Usually big business.

Agreed.  There's enough advertising and info out there regarding the dangers and promoting the need to eat healthy.  People need to accept responsibility for themselves.

I am sure you will have no bother explaining this then..


http://www.theguardian.com/society/2003/apr/21/usnews.food

[macdanger2]

The definition of "obesity" is laughable if it weren't taken so seriously. It would amaze you  how little it takes to be categorized "obese" nowadays.

I recently heard (kinda) the opposite of this - that we're so used to seeing / being overweight people, we don't realise what overweight means

[muppet]

There is a food documentary on Netflix called "fed up" it would open your eyes to the whole subject.

Looking around facebook you see posts all the time, in getting sweets with the kids, ice cream, buns.....  I know one family who say their eldest boy refuses to eat anything but crisps and mcdonalds so guess what he gets every day? I think you have to take a strict stance with the kids. They won't know any different. I didn't let any of my crew near sweets for 3-4 years. They love the veggies and fruit and I keep them all active. Bed at 7.30pm every night and 20 mins of computer games a day.
There is no problem with kids-  there is a problem with parenting, or lack thereof.

We are here to protect and nurture their spiritual, physical and emotional well-being...

I never mentioned the good Lord once
we're all "spiritual"

In fairness I did notice how fat people were in general the last time I was back which is strange because there seems to be about 20 gyms in every town

That's well and good for you Holy Joes but what about the rest of us heathens!!!

I think that more about the egos of the property boom rather than any indication of a healthier Ireland.

[omaghjoe]

It's too easy to blame the government and the multinational corporations. Yes, they should definitly be doing more. The fact that checkouts are still surrounded by sweets is a joke. Sweets should be in the far corner of the shop and not at the checkouts.

However, when I see an obese child the person I hold responsible is the parent(s). It's up to the parent to make sure their child is eating the right balance of foods, excercise and getting enough sleep. The hard part isn't knowing what to do, it's doing what you know.

We live in a society where we feel the requirement to point the finger of blame.  I take full responsibility for my children and their health as they are a product of their environment and it's up to me to ensure that they get the required balanced food, exercise and rest.  There has always been processed food and there has always been fast food.  The difference is our lifestyles have changed.  When we were younger the majority of us had a mother who stayed at home cooking a balanced dinner from food generally bought locally from the local grocer and butchers.  The majority of this was reasonably freshly grown and people shopped on a 3-4 day basis as opposed to doing a 'big shop'.  The convenience food was there but the fact that we had someone from a different generational mentality preparing it meant that it was a 'proper' cooked meal. 

Also there is a fiscal rationale behind it as well.  Many of my parents generations did not have the money to buy 'luxury' foods and multi packs of crisps etc were rare and generally the stinking Yellow pack shit so we ate less of it!!  We ate smaller meals and less often as there simply was not the same level of food in the house.  Much of our current eating habits are based on habit and availability.

I agree that its a personal choice however when you have impressional kids (and impressional adults) being bombarded with junk food advertisements then the choice is being heavily weighted in favour of oneside.
Especially when half these junk adverts tell us that we will be more cool, more popular, more fashionable AND MORE HEALTHY. We have to be informed fully of both sides to make a choice and that's not happening.
Look what happened when we were given proper warning with tobacco products

Processed food was not always around and in fact its emergence in post WW2 year is also seen the emergence of so called Western diseases such as heart disease diabetes and so on.
Fats got the blame for these diseases based on studies of low fat diets such as in the Med where the diseases were absent. But ignored their absence of traditional high fat diets such as the Eskimo/Inuit diet.
So the food companies started to put less fat but food tastes like crap without fat so the food companies add sugar to their foods and guess what? People get even fatter and those diseases get worse and worse

However your point about a Mum being at home arranging healthy dinners is an interesting one, the way out of it is to stick to our traditions eat the food your parents and grandparents ate, it has served us well for generations.
All we gotta do is eat food

I used to be skeptical of food fads and fashions (still am actually) until the wife forced me to read this book "In defense of food" by Michael Pollan, which basically says eat REAL food and you'll be alright.