http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle4543279.ece

There have been some reported cases where children under 10 have weighed up to 14st (89kg) and a three-year-old has weighed 10st – putting them at a high risk of diabetes and heart disease. Only last week a 15-year-old girl in Wales was told by doctors that she could “drop dead at any moment” after tipping the scales at 33st.

the fat kids should be given (re-enforced) bikes and told to ride non-stop till they are thin again

maybe if it were safe to ride to school

why isn't it safe to ride to school?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlEcGHxfltE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CBgI...eature=related

rep!

hey check out the "deadly facts" bit at the end of the article. Reads like something from Viz!!

Weight can spiral out of control but you have to be a serious glutton and almost totally inactive to gain this kind of weight (duh that's not particularly insightful). When it's kids it's some form of child abuse, no doubt about it.

how exactly does taking them in to care help them lose weight? Classic example of our intellectually challenged social welfare nanny state dealing with the symptom, rather than the problem.

We have an incredibly two dimensional attitude to risk in this country. We do not assess, manage or mitigate risk, we simply avoid it. So rather than helping the parents to become better parents, we take their kids away. Ok, something has gone wrong when a 15 yr old weighs 33 stone, but this is one headline, not a statistic or a trend. If you don't retrain the parents, then either this kid spends the rest of it's childhood in care (highly damaging, almost all kids are abused (emotionally as well as physically whilst in care), or forcibly adopted.

I work for Walsall council at the moment - and its my role as "Active Lifestyles Officer" to promote activity for our younger generation, and can i just say, parents need the kick up the ass (or in the head), as they are freakin' oblivious to what they re feeding their children, and how little time they devote to encouraging any physical activity.
I will try and only post on this thread once, as i get crazy on this subject............

^+1 Fred. Well put

i blame society/the media/videogames/fast food companies/the taliban.

choose as appropriate.

now how fucking interesting straight from the horses mouth so to speak

so hey dude what's your strategy?

I tell you what. I just got back from a holiday in Menorca. It was full of Brits obviously, but it was a lovely place etc etc. Anyhow, I could not believe how fucking fat all the British kids are. I would say that 80% of them are overweight if not obese. It was absolutely outrageous.

This promted a few discussions between the wife and I about possible causes. I think it is far too easy and lazy to blame computer games. When I was growing up as kid ( 7 - 12 ) the Atari games console had just come out. Nothing like it had ever been released before and it was absolutely awsome, and owning one was kind of a big status thing. It would have been easy for me to stay in all day playing on it with al my friends. However, every day during the school holidays I was out in the park climbing trees, riding my bmx, playing football, fighting etc. Or I was going swimming or down to the adventure playground. Whatever. I used to play on the Atari for about an hour or so a day, or if it was raining.

This lack of console playing though, wasn't due to my parents putting a limit on the amount of time I was allowed to spend on it. It was due to my desire to be outside and being active. There was just so much stuf to do. However, going towards my teenage years, the local council slowly started shuttng down these possibilities for outdoor activities. Both local swimming pools were closed. One an indoor one was shut to make some shitty flats. Another, and this was a real tragedy, an amazing art-deco open air pool ( Finchley Lido ) was knocked down for a fucking cinema, bowling, fast food complex.

Then, the council banned playing football in the park, closely followed by cycling. Then the field which we used to use ( albiet illegaly ) for football was sold of to a bunch of of toffee-nosed cricket fuckers. Then the tennis courts were knocked down for a shitty housing development.

I suppose what I am getting at is that the fault cannot be apportitioned to one particular thing but a combination of factors. The local councils do not make it easy for kids to get out and do stuff like they used to be able to. Parents don't really seem to give a shit. And I dont accept that thing about its not safe for kids to be outside anymore. Thats just bollox.

There was a local pervert in Finchley, well known to every parent. When we used to see him we used to chase after him on our bikes throwing sticks at him, some times we would catch him and try and beat him up. It was all part of the fun. I remember another pervert came running towards us with no pants on. Again, we stormed after him. He must of got the shock of his life! Trying to scare us like that never really worked. Also, the big kids used to come down every now and then and beat us up! Yeah we got a few black eyes and bruised ribs etc, but it was all part of it. They never stole our bikes or our trainers though. Actually I did have my walkman stolen once. But I guess if you send your kid out with a £150+ ipod and mobile phone, then there is more chance for this kind of thing. I am not sure how wise it is to do that though. But I dont have kids so I ma be wrong here.

Anyway thats my tuppance. I believe a whole new strategy is required. Back to scratch as it were. Much like the drug laws in this country. They dont fucking work. Legalise all drugs, will sort out some of the problems in this country. Anyway thats another issue. But yeah, I also blame the Taliban, and Iran. Perhaps we need another war. What about conscription. Now theres an idea!

Great first post on your return, mikec. Depressingly accurate picture of the change in attitudes around civic amenities.

In Islington there's a load of initiatives going on, redeveloping parks blah blah. The trouble is, it's all ornamental, and some landscaper's wet dream, but there's fuck all 'plain' green space where kids can just run around, ride bikes, kick a ball, climb a tree etc. Thankfully Hampstead Heath and Highgate are only a bus ride away, but it still doesn't fulfil the on-your-doorstep requirements of local kids, particularly those who've yet to reach the stage of just sitting around drinking alcopops and eating fried chicken.

I reckon thats a factor too, chips shops/fried chicken absolutley everywhere. Open every day till the early hours, or 24hours like my local!

The fried chicken industry is one of the fastest growing in the country I believe with a 100% success rate if I remember correctly.

Just put the fat fuckers to work sweeping the streets and get rid of those stupid motorised sweeper/vacs. Job done.

I forgot to mention: what little green space there is is* compromised by inconsiderate dog owners turning the turf to turd and just leaving it there to fester.

Hmph.

*warm glow due to double 'is' :)

loving your work here, Bring.

Just don't have children.

I wish people would fucking stop having children!

selfish fucks are overpopulating the place like shit.

no good can come of this, we will all die horribly in a pit of filth and sin.

You're right.

FOR SALE: 1 boy, approx 2 years old, manufactured by Parker & Buck of Islington, pale cream finish, striking blue decals, very rigid and responsive, would be great on the track, tight clearances, no brakes as far as I can tell. It's an 86cm, but that's a compact measurement, would probably suit someone roughly Sano's size. I've got all the documentation to prove he wasn't nicked, and can bring him down to polo if you want.

+1 anything but the actual people involved directly. They are not to blame, they have no self-control nor ethics because government manages those things for them.


FYI- That fat 15 year old.... 4 and a half times my size!!!! that's intolerable and her parents should be fed like the ducks that make foie gras

jesus Roxy, that's fierce. but thanks for posting it up.

+ rep and bookmarked.

Best not to watch that video if you intent to keep eating Fois Gras and the like

"keep eating Fois Gras"

???

No chance.

right, i'm feeling olympic and all that, so i'm off to the gym.

it really is that simple.

Ah, but if WE* had children they'd be different!**



* By 'we' I mean 'we cyclists', not me and RPM.

** And of course, this delusion is probably the only reason the species survives. 'Oh yes dear, but our children would be different'.

yeah, I think that covers the middle classes. but the upper and working classes don't give it a moment of thought, they just produce.

I'm a Mail reader living in urban London - I'm not having kids cos I wouldn't want them to mix with the kind of rabble I see on the streets these days.

what I don't get is all the "well done" drivel that people come out with when someone produces a child..

yes, yes, how brave and clever that you've managed to do the one thing that the human race does instinctively (apart from dying).

"Well done" when you win Olympic gold or climb K2, yes.

so you spunked up and didn't use contraception, big deal.

my son has only ever eaten proper healthy food because his mum (8stone) is a bit of a food Nazi funny thing is if you feed them proper they grow up big and strong with non of that hyper activity that you see in some of the other kids don't get me wrong I ain't trying to be holier than thou just that food doesn't just affect your weight it also affects your mood and behaviour and the more I learn about eating for nutrition the more that is something I want for my boy

The RPM diet:

Breakfast: grapefruit; toast, no butter.
Lunch: anchovies with lime. Ryvita
Dinner: beef. One chip, served off the shoulder.

To drink throughout the day: freshly squeezed lemon.

you're on the list