Will this really help with the "obesity epidemic" hitting kids?

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Why would you *want* homemade gelatin, corn flakes, etc?

Because then you know what's in it. Jell-o contains gelatin, yes, but it's also got lots of sugar, artificial flavors and artificial coloring agents in it. Kellogg's corn flakes contain both sugar and high fructose corn syrup in large amounts. So does ketchup.

I grew up with a Mother who didn't like to cook. We ate a typical American diet, with lots of packaged foods. We ate plenty of vegetables from our garden and fresh fruit from the store too, but we also had things like taco seasoning packets, packaged breakfast cereal, Jell-o pudding, commercially packaged sauerkraut/pickles/jam/mayonnaise/mustard, chemically processed peanut butter, instant cocoa, etc. So did everyone else I grew up around. This was absolutely normal and I never questioned it.

In my early twenties I spent some time in Europe, then in Mexico, then in South America. I lived in people's homes and ate the local foods and the one thing I noticed, more than anything else, was how little packaged, processed food other people ate. I had never seen anyone whip up a bowl of mayonnaise before, or toss mustard seeds in a jar with some vinegar, honey and flat beer to make into mustard the next day. I'd never seen anyone ferment their own pickles, or make vinegar from fruit peels, or make a rich broth from a bird carcass. None of these things are all that difficult or time consuming to do, but the packaged versions of these products are so ubiquitous here that few people know how to do them, or want to.

These experiences really opened my eyes and after I came back I did some reading and discovered that Americans eat more processed, packaged foods than anybody else, and that the major food corporations wield an incredible amount of power in Washington. There is plenty of evidence that the techniques and chemicals used in the over-packaging and processing of foods has a negative effect on the nutritional values of the foods, and that the chemicals and sweeteners used in a lot of packaged foods trigger the same sorts of responses in the brain that drug dependence does. Food corporations, however, put a lot of effort into keeping that information from the public, or discrediting it entirely.

But to address the original issue, local governments are doing this sort of thing because people are learning that big food corporations consciously and specifically target children. American children are bombarded with ads for junk food and fast food from the moment they leave the womb, and giving out toys along with the food is a very calculated action designed to cause children to associate their food with fun and toys. Yes, it is irresponsible on the part of parents to let kids eat tons of junk and fast food, but most parents have no clue how sophisticated the manipulations of food corporations are in getting us to eat food which is layered with fat, sugar, and salt and not much else. They have spent millions of dollars over the years figuring out how to layer the fat, salt, and sugar in packaged foods in order to override our brains' satiety signals, which cause us to eat more of their product, which makes them more money.

[AdminAssistant]

Because then you know what's in it. Jell-o contains gelatin, yes, but it's also got lots of sugar, artificial flavors and artificial coloring agents in it. Kellogg's corn flakes contain both sugar and high fructose corn syrup in large amounts. So does ketchup.

I grew up with a Mother who didn't like to cook. We ate a typical American diet, with lots of packaged foods. We ate plenty of vegetables from our garden and fresh fruit from the store too, but we also had things like taco seasoning packets, packaged breakfast cereal, Jell-o pudding, commercially packaged sauerkraut/pickles/jam/mayonnaise/mustard, chemically processed peanut butter, instant cocoa, etc. So did everyone else I grew up around. This was absolutely normal and I never questioned it.

FYI, organic ketchup does not contain HFCS, just tomatoes, water, and sugar. But you gotta read the labels.

I was lucky as a farm kid, to know people who made homemade pickles, jams, jellies, puddings, etc. I also knew exactly where food came from, which tends to squick a lot of people out. The BF and I were watching Food, Inc (interesting but heavyhanded documentary), and there was a scene from a small, independent farm owner. He and his crew were processing chickens and showing how clean and sanitary their process was versus Tyson. BF kinda got ill, but I was like, "What? At least it's quick."

I can see part of the logic behind banning the toys, but parents just need a kick in the rear. A peanut butter sandwich and an apple is cheaper than a happy meal, more nutritious, and actually requires less work.

Also, I pray to God that my child will never see or taste a chicken nugget. My sister went down that path with my nephew, and now it's a literal fight to get him to eat anything else.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

A peanut butter sandwich and an apple is cheaper than a happy meal, more nutritious, and actually requires less work.

And unless you make sure to buy the bread that does not contain sugar, and the peanut butter that does not contain sugar and preservatives, and the jam that is not full of HFCS and artificial flavor, you're still feeding them the same things that are found in soda pop and nuggets.

I agree with you, people need to read labels more, but figuring out how to read labels correctly is an education in itself, and most people don't have the tools to figure out how food companies manipulate what's on the labels.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

And unless you make sure to buy the bread that does not contain sugar, and the peanut butter that does not contain sugar and preservatives, and the jam that is not full of HFCS and artificial flavor, you're still feeding them the same things that are found in soda pop and nuggets

Albeit dramatically less than in pop and nuggets. In the end, is it better to have less peanut-butter overall that's a little bit healthier or lots of peanut-butter that's less healthy? The biggest things with processed foods is over-abundance of sodium and sugar. Even there, it's only truly egregious with some processed foods (in my experience, some super cheap stuff and a lot of the name brand stuff) and all it takes is to keep an eye out/not be stupid.

As for the preservatives and other bits and bobs, most if not all of them have either slight (as in just over statistically negligible) health detriments or only exhibit when ingested excessively.

I get too many people just bent on removing all trace of processed food from their lives and convinced I should too because of a few bad examples. What with the bullshit going on in organic food (much of which is packed with natural sugar, not really an improvement, or coated with some pretty nasty organic pesticides.) it's really a matter of choosing in which way you have to be vigilant.

At the end of the day, if you keep an eye out for worst cases, combine fresh products with processed food, and make sure to eat each individual item in moderation, you'll be fine.

[Fashion Lad!]

Can we just not call it an epidemic???

Oh and as far as the toys, that's the bonus for parents bringing their children to fast food restaurants. Not only do they not have to cook, but their kid gets a toy out of the deal. So, this little plan will not work.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Having fast food as a treat will not hurt a child; what makes kids obese is the attitude that their parents have towards cooking, exercise and spending time with their kids. If they always plonk their kids in front of the TV rather than take them to the park or to the swimming pool, then the kids will develop bad habits later on. If the parents never cook, but instead feed their kids with takeaways and fast food, then they can hardly be surprised later when they have an obese child who refuses to exercise or eat anything healthy.