Todays front page news headline of the Daily Telegraph screams “A Big Fat Problem” and the concept of the article is how young girls are getting fatter and fatter with reportedly 1 in 3 girls between the ages of 9 and 13 considered to be overweight or obese.
Now, I am definitely not going to deny that part but here’s where I draw the line.
Unfortunately the online article in the link above doesn’t have the same graph that is included with the article in the paper today because I would love to have shown you why young girls are getting fatter.
Sure, they eat too much junk food and don’t move enough but half the problem is the so called ‘healthy eating tips’ that are included.
If people are to follow what is recommended in the paper they are guaranteed to put on weight so they are being set up to fail in the first place.
This is what is recommended as part of a “Healthy Eating Day”. I’ll list it as it comes in the paper then pick it to pieces afterwards.
Breakfast: Cereal with low fat milk, piece of toast
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Chicken and salad sandwich. Drink lots of water throughout day.
Snack: Handful of nuts and yoghurt
Dinner: Fish, chicken or steak with vegetables
Snack: Fruit and crackers.
At least 30 minutes of exercise daily.
We're Supposed to Eat this Crap?
Wow. No wonder why we have an obesity epidemic when the dunces that call themselves nutritionists preach that sort of rubbish!
People are set up to fail.
What’s wrong with this plan? Well out of a total score of 8 given for 6 meals and 1 water tip plus 1 exercise tip I score it as a miserable 4 and one of those gets an asterix.
Let me pick it to pieces step by step below.
Breakfast: A big fail. This is probably the worst way to start the day. Cereals are processed excuses for candy bars. See this War Against Breakfast Cereals to explain why. Adding bread to the mix is just another killer.
Snack: I call this a fail. Yes fruit is a great snack but where’s the protein? Protein fills you up so you don’t need to go crazy and overeat at the next meal. Some nuts or seeds should go with this piece of fruit. It is easy to buy portion controlled packs from the supermarkets that can easily be added to the kids lunchbox.
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NOTE FROM DAN:
As rightly pointed out by reader Kellie below nuts aren’t allowed in schools and rightly so due to allergies. There are plenty of protein rich options like half a can of tuna, boiled egg, hommus with some carrot sticks. Just make sure you pack an icebrick in your kids lunchbox to keep that stuff fresh.
Save the nuts for when they’re at home (provided they’re not little toddlers of course)—
Lunch: Another fail, as this War Against Wheat video shows – and even multigrain bread is included here because it is processed and has wheat in it.
The only tick this box gets is because they recommend to drink lots of water.
Snack: Handful of nuts and yoghurt – I gave this a tick but with an asterix. The yoghurt has to be Greek or Natural Yoghurt because it is less processed and has way less sugars then normal flavoured yoghurt which is really just going to add inches to your belly.
Dinner: The first big tick and the only category that I totally agree with
Snack: Fruit and crackers.. You’re kidding me right? Crackers? Far out. Fruit yeah, I even like to go the frozen fruit at this time of night for something sweet but I always use a good natural protein source like seeds, nuts or ABC (natural nut) spread. Crackers are just another bunch of processed rubbish trying to be passed off as food.
Stay Away From This Rubbish Unless You Want to Be Overweight
With regards to the exercise component I think 30 minutes for teenage and young girls is doable. As they get older and have more responsibilities in life it becomes less so but seeing as these recommendations were aimed at young girls I agree with it.
Really it should not be hard for parents to get their kids outside. When I was a kid I had to be dragged inside to do my homework and yes I played computer games but I would rather have been outside with a cricket bat or footy.
Girls should be out with a netball or just running around doing active stuff with each other. Ride a bike or something. But move and be outside. It’s not rocket science.
I feel for the youth of today with this sort of advice being shoved down their throat.
I can assure you that as a parent, if you get your girl, or young boy for that matter, to follow this advice that it will work.
So what do you think? Am I wide off the mark? Am I the moron for having these views and should I just jump on the bandwagon with the rest of these clowns pedalling this bad advice?
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Nice post Daniel. It’s unfortunate that so many worthless articles like the one you site make it past the editors just to fill up space in the paper. Doubly unfortunate is that most people will think because they read it somewhere that it must be accurate advice.
It’s a never ending battle, but we just have to keep plugging away to get the truth out.
~Dave
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I saw that headline on the Telegraph and walked by the newsagents in disgust. I agree, what rubbish!
There are very few overweight children at my childrens school. Those that are overweight also have overweight parents. Hmm, something must be happening at home, do you think?
I also agree with your critique of the suggested diet. But, I don’t think it is enough food, especially in the first half of the day. Morning tea definately needs some protein like a hard boiled egg. Also, most schools are ‘nut free zones’ due to so many kids having allergies. Yes nuts are a good snack, but not at school thanks.
cheers Dave – with people like us leading the charge at least there is some hope!
@Kellie – true point on nuts – My bad on that behalf – Us adults can go to town on them but leave em out of the kids bag. You’re right.
I agree with plenty of other options like egg or even throw some hommus in a container with some carrot sticks. Throw an ice pack in there to keep it cool. Gee even half a can of tuna for a kid would be great.
And spot on – overweight kids have overweight parents. And guess what – it’s not genetics! You eat the same crap you get fat. It ain’t rocket science my friends.
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