National Assembly for Wales

Children and Young People Committee

CO 18

Inquiry into Childhood Obesity

Evidence from : Spinal Injury Charity

I am very worried about the level of overweight and Obesity in children in Wales. Its an absolute disgrace and a shame on our society because the result will be ill health for the next generation including my own family.

I do not believe that the current school meals menu are suitable to reduce their intake of carbohydrates which are what they eat most of and which lead to the production of insulin which produces fat cells and then diabetes.  See proof http://www.zoeharcombe.com/and also http://www.theobesityepidemic.org/introduction/ but your so called experts should already know that.

The school meals have apparently been adjusted but I have seen them printed in the Cardiff Times and the Monmouthshire and Gwent websites.

I have seen that they still contain pizza, chips, pasta, pasta with everything, baguettes (huge portion of bread), and not forgetting good old burgers, with another big lump of bread!!!  Why not serve them with vegetables or better still salad.  They are still served stodgy sweet puddings daily instead of fresh fruit also very little protein which they need to grow strong.

Sugary drinks I believe have been removed but I think they are still able to buy them.  The next generation of children are the future of Wales.  It would be prudent to keep them fit and strong and healthy.  A good diet would keep them fitter, slimmer, more alert and so would also relieve the Health Service from so many problems in the young and in particular diabetes and heart problems.
The next issue to relieve the problem is more gym teachers to keep them active and fit and replace the damn computer games and now Facebook and Twitter.

It is not just the food it is also the level of sport and activity.  Once a week is not suitable, it needs to be once a DAY!!.
Like in the old days.
Every one played outside in those days and I know that is not often possible today. Nevertheless what we need is to continue that regular daily activity, in a safe (possibly school ) environment. The slim children are usually the ones involved in a sport or activity which they do most days.

My last comment

--there were no obese or even overweight children when I was young.  If someone was obese it was a phenomenon in those days, even in the circus !!!  We all grew up normally, not on these processed carbohydrates but on, all meats and vegetables cooked or raw.  Most became decent citizens now good grandparents in fact some of us are living to be over 100 years!!  I trust the Welsh Assembly to do their duty and look after the diet and welfare of our children for their robust health in the years to come.

My final comment is that sorting the food for children is needed and so is decent food for patients in Hospitals - it cannot be beyond the wit of all the diet experts surely to get it right.  I sometimes feel that I could do a better job myself.

Gerri Blundell