Fat kids

Interesting report here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5003766.stm about "fat tests" for young kids at primary school.

The report says "From next year, parents of any obese four or 10 year olds can expect a letter telling them their child faces long-term health damage unless they lose weight. "

Erm do parents need a letter from the Government to tell them their kid is fat? Are they blind? They should bloody well SEE and KNOW that their kid is fat!

I marvel when I see families walking down the street towing their waddling kids behind them, or feeding them McDonalds or a huge ice cream, or letting them suck on a can of Coke. I marvel when I'm at the supermarket and I see that sort of crap that parents buy in their weekly food shop. Ready-meals, frozen mechanically-separated chicken nuggets, sugary milkshakes, bags of Wotsits, bottles of fizzy drinks, and just for good measure, a bag of carrots.

It must be a sort of blindness where they don't really SEE that their kid is fat, or they think it's "puppy fat" and that it will melt away miraculously as the kid grows up. But there's a huge difference between puppy fat and just plain FAT. "Parents don't know what the correct weight of their children should be" says the article. Maybe so, but they should notice when their kid starts to waddle and grow a belly.

Why do they turn this blind eye and continue with the unhealthy crap they feed their family? Is it that they just can't be bothered with the endless fighting and moaning if they tried to make them eat healthy? Is it because they "don't like cooking" and would rather spend an hour in front of EastEnders than an hour in the kitchen preparing a lovely homecooked healthy meal? Is it because they want their kid to love them, and fighting with them about food choices will "make them hate me"?

If you don't want your kids to whinge about having to eat healthy food then don't get them hooked on junk food in the first place! Start them off on healthy food and they will know nothing BUT healthy food - bingo, no problem.

Or just learn to say NO and put up with the crap that is thrown back at you. Tell your kids that if they don't eat the tea you've prepared then they go to bed with an empty stomach (then lock the door to stop them sneaking out to McDs).

The article also says "A Department of Health spokeswoman said: 'We feel this is a real chance for parents to play a more active role and to be aware of the health risks to their children of being obese.' "

Erm a chance for parents to play a more active role in their children's health? Shouldn't they be doing that ANYWAY as a parent??

And finally the do-gooders step in and preach that these Fat Tests will lead to "overweight children being bullied". Well DUH? If their kid is fat it's likely he will already be getting bullied. Are they trying to say that a fat kid will be ignored in the schoolyard until his test announces that yes, "he is fat" and then suddenly the bullying will start?

Fat kids will always get picked on at school, just as ginger kids will, kids with jamjar glasses, kids with acne, kids with frumpy clothes, kids with dorky parents - any kid who is different from the "norm" for whatever reason. It's a fact of the schoolyard, and fat tests will make sod all difference.

This constant nannying by the Government needs to stop, and parents need to be fed a good dose of common sense, have their blindfolds removed, and open their bloody eyes to take a good hard look at their fat kids. Then make changes.