One in 10 deprived inner-city children visits a fast food outlet every day, research suggests.
Researchers found that half of schoolchildren living in poor urban areas may be consuming fast food twice a week.And who published this ground-breaking ‘research’?
Data published in the online journal BMJ Open showed that 54% of these children bought food or drink from a fast food or takeaway outlet at least twice a week.Aha! Well, I’m sure they picked their data to be scrupulously fair…
The authors quizzed 193 pupils aged 11 to 14, living in Tower Hamlets, London, about their weekly fast food preferences and habits.
They attended two schools which operate an "open gate policy" at lunch time.Well, they’d pretty much have to, wouldn’t they?
Two-thirds of the children were entitled to free school meals.And didn’t eat them? I guess we can safely ignore the ‘Guardian’s’ clamouring for more of this, then, as they clearly aren’t in such desperate need as it thinks…
One in three was overweight or obese.According to what measurement? The now-thoroughly-discredited BMI?
And…how come it’s suddenly OK to profile?
Seven out of 10 children from black ethnic backgrounds and more than half of those from Asian backgrounds purchased fast food or drinks more than twice a week.Dangerous waters, there!
The key influence for buying such food was its taste, with 92% of children saying they enjoyed eating meals from fast food outlets.Having seen what gets dished up in school lunches, who’s surprised?
They also said fast food products were readily available and they bought such products due to peer influence.And the conclusions? Well, c’mon, I could probably write them, knowing the mindset of these people and the way they’ve conducted their ‘research’:
The authors write: "These schoolchildren are exposed to an environment that is likely to cause obesity, and it is not surprising that in this situation, many of these children are already overweight or obese and will likely become obese as adults.
"Clearly, actions need to be taken to either limit the ability of these children to access fast food outlets or to change the foods they purchased at these outlets."Or, alternatively, we could just ignore it as the product of interfering doom-mongering nannystaters that it is?
Julia, I'm sure I read somewhere* that at the bottom of this report, (or possibly a similar one) was the exciting news that the kids who didn't eat 'Fast Food' were more likely to be obese than those who did.
ReplyDeleteFunny that the summary never actually mentioned that.
*probably someone on your blogroll but there are so many who do such good work in this area that I can't be sure which one it was.
The only problem here is that tubby kids just *might* turn into clinically obese adults who A) cannot work and provide the state with taxes and B) drain NHS and welfare benefit resources.
ReplyDeleteA) may be resolved by denying access to B). Maybe.
If it could be guaranteed...and they could get away with it...then TPTB would definitely do it.
I work not far from an Islington school which probably has a similar BME population and no doubt has a high percentage of pupils who qualify for fee-school meals.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that most of the pupils at this school get their lunch from the local sandwich shops and supermarkets but the vast majority are not overweight, let alone obese.
Kids going through puberty eat a lot. They need to eat a lot as their body is burning it up at a rate of knots. If they don't eat then their growth is stunted.
Therefore this is a non-story designed to make money for rent-seekers.
The study did come up with one interesting finding, however. The kids who went to fast food outlets the most were the slimmest, and the ones who never went at all were the heaviest.
ReplyDeletehttp://velvetgloveironfist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/stay-skinny-with-mcdonalds.html
It will, of course, be halal meat the wandering darlings are eating, so you cannot question their choice in case people go purple with rage screaming 'Waaaaycism!'
ReplyDelete"The authors quizzed 193 pupils.."
ReplyDeleteI'll see your research sample of 193 and lower you to 20 :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9259826/Egg-breakfast-could-help-you-lose-weight.html
Sponsored by the American Egg Marketing Board?
I can't see the problem ..
ReplyDeleteJust let the thin kids eat the fat kids ..
Easy .. ;)
So it's not a problem with the weight of the whites but BMEs with high BMI
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Funny that the summary never actually mentioned that."
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
"I work not far from an Islington school which probably has a similar BME population and no doubt has a high percentage of pupils who qualify for fee-school meals."
If I catch my usual train, I'm usually in the same carriage as a group of black schoolgirls from one of the Southend schools, almost every one scoffing fried chicken from the takeaways.
None of them are huge, but they are loud, rude and contemptuous of authority, should someone tell them to behave themselves or pick up their litter.
"I'll see your research sample of 193 and lower you to 20.."
GAH!
"So it's not a problem with the weight of the whites but BMEs with high BMI"
That could well be how this 'research' gets interpreted... ;)
XX Seven out of 10 children from black ethnic backgrounds and more than half of those from Asian backgrounds purchased fast food or drinks more than twice a week. XX
ReplyDeleteThe families of the same number probably OWN the shops, so "keep it in the family"?
"The families of the same number probably OWN the shops, so "keep it in the family"?"
ReplyDeleteQuite!