Fast food outlets to be restricted?

[jeral Profile]

http://www.lbc.co.uk/haringey-to-restri ... ttle-55136 Breaking news being discussed on the radio programme. I love the typo in the article which refers to reduced life expectancy supposedly due to obesity, then goes on to say that fast food outlets shouldn't be sited within 400 years(sic) of schools.

Seemingly part of the plan is to encourage fast food outlets to provide healthy salads (yawn). Is this another Big Brother move? I don't mean that, I mean an interfering Nanny State move - by local councils of all people!

Edit PS: Here's what the Mail said: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tancy.html

[cooksalot Profile]

Maybe if folks have to walk a bit further to get their fast food fix, it will help them lose weight....?

[Wokman Profile Website]

Is that 400 years on the Gregorian Calendar or light years

Even if they mean 400 yards, do they expect obese children to get half way and then collapse in the street because they can't make the distance?
"C'mon guys, just drag me the extra 200 yards so I can have a burger too, or better still bring me one on your way back".
When you think of it somebody is getting paid to come up with these ludicrous ideas, and if it too far for a family to go they simply have it delivered.
The article also said that some deprived familys need these kind of outlets just to stay alive as there are a lot of people who can't afford real ingredients to make thier own, and even if they could they wouldn't have a clue how to do it.

[jeral Profile]

I'd be surprised if the restrictions are applied in this borough as planning applications for empty shops are welcomed, given the council earns none of its exorbitant rates on empty shops and empty shops themselves give a run down impression, so a downward spiral. Indeed some here say that permission-granting is decidedly loose, i.e. the gentrification brigade don't like nail bars, cheque-cashers etc "lowering the tone" (let alone more fast food outlets), although their objections don't seem to carry much weight.

In fact I'm surprised that councils don't put up Chinese walls and step back since the cost of obesity will land on the NHS not local council tax receipts, so they'd be better off spending money on actual services rather than administratively wasting it on bureaucracy tilting at windmills.

The other question I don't know the answer to is whether the more regimented schools become about lunches/lunchboxes and ramming nutrition info down kids' throats, the more the kids can't wait to have the forbidden fruits of a bag of chips or a burger - i.e. does the psychology inadvertently work in reverse?

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I put in this comment:
"It's exceedingly naive to think that, by cutting out fast food, Haringey will be able to tackle child obesity. There are so many other factors involved: lack of exercise, lifestyle, home cooking, prepackaged meals, etc. I think the plans are a total waste of time and money. Like Jamie, I believe we need to change lifestyle completely. Banning McDonalds isn't going to work; unless it means that the obese have to walk an extra 2 miles to the next one!"

which is really just a soundbite. There are soooooo many factors which cause obesity; not even an expert on the subject could successfully propose a definitive programme. Haringey? Well they've been just the same ever since I was at Goldsmith's in the 70s - always seeking out something trendy, effervescently socialist, ever attempting to make headlines by being innovative. The problem is, they're doing it again; locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
If only everyone taught their kids to :
Eat meat and plenty of fresh vegetables
Eat only at mealtimes
Eat only until you're satisfied - not until you're bloated
Eat fruit
Eat fried food - but also roasted, boiled, poached and grilled!
Avoid fizzy drinks like the plague
Exercise regularly - that means WALKING to the corner shop, not going in the car.
Get plenty of fresh air.
Get plenty of sleep - but not too much.

The list could go on for ever, I suppose.We've all got our secret formulae for how to live longer and better. There's no magic solution, although I highly commend Jamie Oliver for his efforts!

[Global_Worming Profile]

The list could go on for ever, I suppose.We've all got our secret formulae for how to live longer and better. There's no magic solution, although I highly commend Jamie Oliver for his efforts!

I concur but do you think the number of people smoking would have fallen over the last 20 yrs but for government intervention.I take it you use the seat belt in your car but do not use a mobile when driving.The Scottish assembly has brought in the 50p a unit law to try and curb binge drinking, is that a bad move?
To try and educate our way out of child obesity will have about as much success as Sex education.
Why do fast food outlets target streets with a high footfall of school kids? http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... icken-boom
Obesity is costing the NHS dearly, why should my tax be spent on self inflicted wounds.
This article is interesting but the last para goes to why the authorities should get involved,I wonder how many calories are burned by a brisk 4 mile walk? http://www.time.com/time/health/article ... 97,00.html

[Capt_Lightning Profile]

It's not that people don't have access to "healthy food", it seems that they don't know / don't want to prepare and eat it... BUT... you are not going to stop that by moving the food outlets a bit further away...

However, when it comes to 'health issues' such as wearing a seat belt in you car - that's sensible, but imposing a minimum cost on alcohol is NOT. That is simply punishing the innocent as well as the guilty. By the same argument, not everyone who enjoys a burger or fish & chips is unhealthy, so you also inconvenience them. You are not going to get people "on board" by trying to force them down a particular route.

As for avoiding fizzy drinks like the plague - WHY??? I assume it's OK to drink pure fruit juice with 400+ Kcals in various sugars per litre, but not a diet cola !!

[Nigeepoo Profile Website]

If only everyone taught their kids to :
Eat meat and plenty of fresh vegetables
Eat only at mealtimes
Eat only until you're satisfied - not until you're bloated
Eat fruit
Eat fried food - but also roasted, boiled, poached and grilled!
Avoid fizzy drinks like the plague
Exercise regularly - that means WALKING to the corner shop, not going in the car.
Get plenty of fresh air.
Get plenty of sleep - but not too much.

If only! This doesn't happen enough, therefore steps must be taken to prevent children from becoming too fat.

Fat cell hyperplasia (an increase in the number of fat cells) is highly likely in growing children who over-eat. Once fat cell hyperplasia has occurred, losing fat mass becomes more difficult, as an excessively-large number of excessively-small fat cells under-secrete leptin. Hypoleptinaemia increases appetite and reduces metabolic rate - permanently.

Fat cell hypertrophy (an increase in the size of fat cells) without hyperplasia prevents the above problems, but usually results in Type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it's a lose-lose scenario for fat children.

N.B. Sugar-free fizzy drinks are O.K. It's drinking loads of calories (this includes fruit juices) that's fattening.

[jeral Profile]

The time.com article was interesting (ta Global Worming) about friends mirroring each other. I'm sure from my experience I'd agree with that as it certainly applies to things like fashions in clothes, computer games, activities and the like so why not food (so effectively body weight), which would give it a higher level of influence in teen years than would almost anything that an adult might say. This is different from general peer pressure and god forbid bullying.

I don't understand why the theory only extends to three degrees of separation, since if it reached the third, wouldn't the third effectively be the first in his/her own sphere? On the other hand, one or other of two friends will probably be more dominant with the other being a copycat, knowingly or not.

Quite how that could translate usefully into fast food outlet regulatory terms, including supermarket readymeals I'm not sure...

[hungryhousewife Profile]

I concur but do you think the number of people smoking would have fallen over the last 20 yrs but for government intervention.

Yes, you are right GW - but do you think it is mere coincidence that the decrease in smoking has been inversely matched by the increase in obesity over the same period of time?

Personally, I think it all comes from the culture we have developed whereby we feel 'we have a right to have it all - if we want'. People have lost their sense of self control, and they haven't instilled it at all in their children.

Perhaps it comes partly from the fact that more often than not both parents in a family go out to work to make ends meet - so they overindulge their children with quick and easy 'feel good' snacks. (I know I am being extremely broad here - but I know very many - perfectly intelligent people who think nothing of handing their kids a bag of crisps when they're feeling peckish!!! <horror>)

We ought to go back, IMO, to old fashioned values - where a treat is a treat - not an everyday indulgence.

On the subject of fizzy drinks, I am totally with KK - they fill people up with a sugary solution that has no nutritional value other than to give a quick sugar high - low cal even worse IMO, as I am sure sweeteners are not good for us. My dentist told me the other day that even fizzy water is awful for your teeth and your gut. Only exception is Champagne for me - but that is still a treat here!!

HH

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Tell you what, GW: if the government decide to be as aggressive, dictatorial, implacable and discriminating towards obesity as they have been towards smoking, there's no doubt in my mind that obesity will descrease. Of course, we will have lots of nannies screaming "OOOhhh let's not hurt feelings!", which didn't happen with smokers, even though they were treated as 4th class citizens.

And still are!

[Global_Worming Profile]

It's not that people don't have access to "healthy food", it seems that they don't know / don't want to prepare and eat it... BUT... you are not going to stop that by moving the food outlets a bit further away...

Do you have any proof or is that just gut instincts

However, when it comes to 'health issues' such as wearing a seat belt in you car - that's sensible, but imposing a minimum cost on alcohol is NOT. That is simply punishing the innocent as well as the guilty. By the same argument, not everyone who enjoys a burger or fish & chips is unhealthy, so you also inconvenience them. You are not going to get people "on board" by trying to force them down a particular route.

Not everyone who smoked or drove a car without a belt suffered harm, laws in a democracy are made for the voting majority.... why should I care about the minority.
I remember the idiots who claimed the drink driving laws were unfair as they drove better after a bottle of vodka.

As for avoiding fizzy drinks like the plague - WHY??? I assume it's OK to drink pure fruit juice with 400+ Kcals in various sugars per litre, but not a diet cola !!

I only drink Louis Roederers Cristal because of the bubble distribution so I bow to your knowledge.

[Global_Worming Profile]

Tell you what, GW: if the government decide to be as aggressive, dictatorial, implacable and discriminating towards obesity as they have been towards smoking, there's no doubt in my mind that obesity will descrease. Of course, we will have lots of nannies screaming "OOOhhh let's not hurt feelings!", which didn't happen with smokers, even though they were treated as 4th class citizens.

And still are!

I concur, we should take a leaf out of Thatcher the milk snatchers book re the Pole Tax law and test future draconian laws out in Scotland deep fried mars bars anyone?

Ps how many do you smoke a day?

[karadekoolaid Profile]

GW: gave up in 1997!!

I was actually working for Philip Morris, Inc. at the time. My wife and kids were giving me hell for smoking (we got 2 CARTONS - ie 400 ciggies -free per week) so I just gave up.

Took them 3 weeks to realise I wasn't puffing any more

[Capt_Lightning Profile]

Sorry, Global Worming, when Scotland is independent, your incompetent government will have to try out draconian laws on the English & Welsh. We'll have our own incompetent government to come up with daft ideas.

I'm afraid that the government here is too keen on 'scatter gun' approaches. It's a case of punish everyone , innocent and guilty. At least, we do have the benefit of excellent food for those of us who want to eat it.

[Sakkarin Profile]

400 years!!!

I thought I'd check out my old primary school courtesy of Google Streetview (Southfield Junior School, Acton), and spotted, horror of horrors, "Plum Duff Patisserie", just 150 years away!!! Poor wee kiddies, such temptation



P.S. Just watched "56 up" on iPlayer, and had to take this screen grab of the open sarnies one of the featured people was preparing for her grandchildren. This was actually probably the healthiest of the tableful of junk food she was serving up!

[Wokman Profile Website]

That bottom picture of the bread with sprinkles is something you see in Holland all the time, they also have plain or milk-chocolate sprinkles for on bread too. Another favourite for the Dutch kids is a slice of compressed coconut, either pink, white or a mixture of both.
I remember them eating Nuttella over there many years ago, but now it seems commonplace here in the UK as well.

[Sakkarin Profile]

I guess there probably aren't that many more calories in them than in the Nuttella, but the Hundreds and Thousands* just look so wrong!!!


* Olde English for Sprinkles

[Global_Worming Profile]

GW: gave up in 1997!!

I was actually working for Philip Morris, Inc. at the time. My wife and kids were giving me hell for smoking (we got 2 CARTONS - ie 400 ciggies -free per week) so I just gave up.

Took them 3 weeks to realise I wasn't puffing any more

I gave up a pack of marlbro reds a day 5 month ago

[Global_Worming Profile]

Sorry, Global Worming, when Scotland is independent, your incompetent government will have to try out draconian laws on the English & Welsh. We'll have our own incompetent government to come up with daft ideas.

I'm afraid that the government here is too keen on 'scatter gun' approaches. It's a case of punish everyone , innocent and guilty. At least, we do have the benefit of excellent food for those of us who want to eat it.

Capt I don't think either of us we see an independent Scotland, you has had your own incompetent Gov for twelve yrs so what difference will it make ?
My government!!!! its not my government, I'm a social anarchist who like's and respects George Galloway MP .