Consumer Affairs

[Panthera tigris FC]

the problem isnt the food its the lack of exercise.my kids arent allowed to ride their bikes to school due to "duty of care".schools should be able to sell what they want in a canteen.my kids get a healthy lunch packed everyday ,and i dont see why they shouldnt be able to have a four'n'twenty,followed by a cpl of dimmys washed down with a sunnyboy every cpl of weeks if thats what they want..the food nazis have forgotten about balance..and i feel for the fat people of the world when noone smokes and its socially acceptable to vilify fatties like it is smokers,cause its starting allready

I don't see it as a 'this or that' situation. Clearly exercise is an issue, but the explosion of quick-fix fast food and high-sugar supposed 'healthy' foods are also contributing to the problem. We aren't talking about adults or vilification of individuals with weight problems. We are talking about encouraging children to eat healthy food. This should be done in conjunction with encouraging exercise.

I agree that it is about balance. It just appears by the epidemic of childhood obesity and type II diabetes that such a balance is lacking.

 

[Six Pack]

It is amazing how many kids get driven a few hundred metres to school.

 

[Liverpool]

I certainly think it is my business what the canteen at my childrens' school sells. I see no reason to encourage the fat frenzy that is feeding the obesity/diabetes epidemic in this country by selling these foods to children at their places of education from the age of 5 years old.

Read my post again.
If the school wants to sell only 'healthy' food...that is their business.
If you don't agree with what they are selling and want your kid to have a homemade sandwich, or take Maccas or pizza to them during lunch...then do that.

What I am saying is that I don't think the parent has a right to demand what the canteen sells......and likewise, the school can't demand what type of lunch the parents give their child in the lunchbox, or what food the parents buy and take to their child during lunch break.

You surprise me Liv, supporting buying Maccas. This means the kids are allowed to LEAVE the school grounds, which I understood is still prohibited in most schools. If parents want to fatten up their kids fine, but schools should not be encouraging the process by allowing kids to leave school grounds or by selling junk food in the canteen.

Who said anything about kids leaving schoolgrounds?
I said this:
..but schools shouldn't have the right to stop parents giving their kids biscuits and chocolate to take to school, or a bag of Maccas at lunchtime.

If parents want to take Maccas up to the school to give their kid, it has nothing to do with the school.
If the school only want to sell healthy rabbit food, then that has nothing to do with the parent.......if they don't like what the school sells, make lunch for them or take lunch up to them yourself.

There is too much interference these days.

Schools exist to educate....not be the 'moral police' on parents.

 

[Six Pack]

At some schools the parents have to report in to the office, get visitor's passes etc. They just can't rock up and see their kids in the yard. If the school has a rule against maccas being brought in it should apply to everyone.

 

[Liverpool]

At some schools the parents have to report in to the office, get visitor's passes etc. They just can't rock up and see their kids in the yard. If the school has a rule against maccas being brought in it should apply to everyone.

I have no problem schools having all vistors reporting to the main office before seeing any student in their care.
That should always happen and should be strictly enforced.

But once the parent's identity has been proven and that parent wants to give Maccas to THEIR CHILD for lunch....then that is none of the school's business.

 

[Six Pack]

I think in this case the parents should understand the issue and abide by the spirit of it. Having said that if they go thru the correct process then they can do what they like. during the school day though the school has a duty of care.

it would be better they signed the kid out and took them down the street in this sort of case.

 

[Liverpool]

I think in this case the parents should understand the issue and abide by the spirit of it. Having said that if they go thru the correct process then they can do what they like. during the school day though the school has a duty of care.
it would be better they signed the kid out and took them down the street in this sort of case.

The parent's don't have to understand or abide by any 'spirit' or anything of the sort.
At the end of the day, the child is ultimately the responsibility of the parent....for example, if the parent doesn't provide lunch, or lunch money....the kid goes hungry.
The school doesn't provide free lunch, does it....and why doesn't it? Because it is NOT the school's respponsibility.
It is the responsibility of the parents to provide the resource, whether that be money, a homemade lunch, or lunch brought to them....and hence, if the parent decides to give Maccas, then that is parent's right, and none of the school's business.

 

[Six Pack]

i think you know what i mean, Livers. not worth arguing about.

 

[jb03]

Fair dinkum what a lot of hoo hah about nothing. I actually agre with Livers ot this. What a nanny state/society we live in now. We all know maccas is bad for you but if I want my kids to eat it every day, all three meals a day, I will let them. Bloody tofu eating vegetarians! Myself and my kids will eat what we want, not what they want us to. No point living longer if you don't enjoy the life you are living.

Remember, if you jog one hour a day, every day for 50 years and it allows you to live 2 years longer than you would have otherwise, then you are still short changed on the deal.

 

[Six Pack]

ah, yes, blame the vegetarians!

 

[jb03]

Yep, I blame them for everything, including Richmond only having two finals appearances in 25 years.

 

[Disco08]

We all know maccas is bad for you but if I want my kids to eat it every day, all three meals a day, I will let them.

That's child abuse.

 

[poppa x]

Is the problem childhood obesity or is it anti-capitalism latching on to an issue that everyone agrees is a problem?

 

[Six Pack]

Poppa do you think there's some sort of organised conspiracy against capitalism?

 

[jb03]

That's child abuse.

No, making your kids barrack for Richmond is child abuse.

 

[Disco08]

Well played.

 

[poppa x]

Poppa do you think there's some sort of organised conspiracy against capitalism?

I simply asked the question and you've provided a possible answer.
Thanks.

 

[Tiger74]

I simply asked the question and you've provided a possible answer.
Thanks.

The Bolshi answer is wrong. If they wanted to replace junk food with brown bagging, you may have an argument. But the majority are wanting restraint or better options for what the tuck shop sells, which is just capitalism operating within a given framework (like it already does with all food sellers to some extent).

Also dont ignore the roles of companies in this. I worked for a dairy, and some in the company were sweating bullets about the "traffic light" rules brought in by NSW (old memory here, but green light sold any day, yellow light on rotation, red light banned). Reason was we sold flavoured milk, which everyone thinks is good for you. If you read the NIP however, they usually have as much sugar as soft drink. The traffic light system was going to expose this. Other companies however, competing with us had healthier products, so they actively endorsed and promoted this system. This gained traction with the Mums, so we modified mixes to make our product a bit healthier.

Food companies are not always pure and innocent. The main people lobbying against roo meat being legal in Victoria for harvesting are not the animal rights lobby (who are new comers to this campaign), but the farmed meat industries, who for years perpetuated the myth roo meat was bad and full of pests.

 

[Six Pack]

i eat a lot of roo. high in protein, very low in fat and good for you if u are cholesterol challenged!

 

[Tiger74]

What everyones view on the beer companies sneaking in the 330ml stubbies instead of the traditional 375ml while keeping the price the same?

Personally I would rather pay more than drink out of a damn "mini" - they just feel wrong when you hold them

Also how about the issue of imported beers now mostly being made locally? I have no issue with this, but would like a bit more price relief as its no longer "real" Heineken or Stella.