I am so angry after listening to the radio this morning. Once again a group of experts have concluded that children should only be allowed to drink water at breakfast instead of fruit juice and that a jug of water should replace a jug of juice at the dining table. Apart from the irony that it was not so long ago we were told that fruit juice was an acceptable form of the now discredited 5 a day campaign, which has since been updated to 10 a day, my question is, when and where will this nanny state end? I am fed up with being continually told what I should and should not be doing. I take my children to school and am told what I am allowed to put in their packed lunches. I am told when I cannot take them out of school. I am even told by the council what to and what not to recycle and if I don’t comply I will be fined with a sticker of shame put on my wheelie bin!
Professor Susan Jebb, from Oxford University, has said: “I’d prefer to get sugar out of drinks altogether; a shift to low or no calorie drinks, and preferably water.” This come after figures showed us Brits are the second fattest in Europe after the Maltese, with 22.1% of men and 23.9% of women now obese. I understand that we are becoming an obese nation with child and adult obesity at record levels, not to mention diabetes. However, does this give the government and so called experts the right to continually dictate to us what we should and should not eat, especially as their advice changes from one minute to the next. Last time I checked, low calorie drinks and low-calorie artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharin are linked to skyrocketing obesity, diabetes, various neurological or behavioural problems. Therefore, if this is such a minefield topic with contradictory opinions and findings, then don’t dictate or legislate.
On top of that, introducing a so called ‘fat tax’ would only penalise those of us who I think are more than capable of making the right choices about what we choose to eat or drink. I would argue that most people know that a can of coke is far worse to drink than a glass of water, but for whatever reason, they still make that choice. My advice would be – deal with these people directly, penalise them directly, rather than tar us all with the same brush. If I decide to give my children a one off sugary treat, then that’s up to me.
Yes, I believe more should be done to educate the less educated public about the minefield of what we are eating and drinking. Yes, there should be precautionary measures to let us know what is needed for health requirement and a healthy lifestyle. And yes, sugar, both natural and added is the main culprit. But surely, this patronising, nanny state approach is the wrong way to go. It starts with water today and perhaps ends with which type of branded water we should all drink tomorrow? Furthermore, if we all consume water with our meals and our meals are still filled with high sugar or salt levels, the issue is not being addressed fully. People will still buy high sugar related products that are often cheaper than the healthier options.
I’m not saying it’s easy being a parent. Our children are either fussy eaters or we are continually bombarded with unhealthy adverts that put further pressure on us. So are these also to be banned? I cook healthy meals everyday for my family, but every once in while, if I feel like a takeaway with some juice, then surely the choice should be up to me. And who’s to say that the juice I give isn’t freshly squeezed or watered down? Again, the choice should be mine.
I choose to live in the UK because it’s a democracy and I like having the freedom of choice. The issue, as ever is not to become a heavy-handed nanny state. It comes down to sensible eating and drinking habits which as always should be built on a basis of sound parenting; where kids are taught that they cannot have everything they want including gallons of sugar laden drinks. Therefore, if my children drink water 90% of the time, yet I allow them an occasional bar of chocolate, or take them to McDonalds, does this make me a bad parent? Well, if so, then so be it, but at least it will be my choice.
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