08-29-2011, 06:24 PM
I do not know whether any book, however well-written, will have any significant impact on a problem of huge, and epidemic proportions--- and, btw, it is by no means confined to girls.
There are some odd aspects, though. These children and young folk have as their principal role-models celebrity singers and waif-like models, and active, very rarely overweight (save in Sumo) sports-stars. I can guarantee that the poor ENORMOUS children I see regularly, in the environs of Pizza Hut, will have a celebrity mag on them. So they look, but how do they relate it to themselves? Seemingly, not at all.
Then again, we live in an age where TV cooking and gardening fairly dominate the air-waves. Yet the response of those with gardens, has been too cover with a patio, or decking (rat-shelter,you might say), and to pave over the front garden, even while retainiong a wall, so that there is no question of using it for a car. Have I ever made something based on a TV recipe? No. Perhaps some friend has, but if so, I don't know. Is it helpful to the poor? No, TV chefs seem to indulge in food-abuse--- assmbling perfectly good ingredients, jumbling them up chopping and dicing and liquidising and mixing , and throwing in some real cream here, aaand insisting on goose-fat there -- crikey! I do not recall any programme setting out to teach people how to cook cheaply, and healthily. The others offer the excuse when challenged : 'Of course, a dish like this is not for everyday!'
What we did have on our screens here in the UK was jamie Oliver, trying to produce healthy school-food, and training-up the staff. What happened? A classic cameo of mothers who went to the school to poke junk food through the wire-mesh to the kids. That made me think Leanne-like thoughts about treating this as abuse, in the way that persistent neglect is.
The problem,I suspect, is that if someone tells your child to say 'nothing' instead of 'nuffink', there is an implied criticism of you,Parent, and since food is so important, the idea that what you might hjave been giving your child 'to feeed him up' what more or less toxic, also offends you, as Parent. So some careful, but robust speaking and teaching is in order.
Then there are the bloody supermarkets, and supine governments, to feeble to direct that they cease and desist from selling every single thing, chock full with, fat, sugar and salt. Aaaaaah!
There are some odd aspects, though. These children and young folk have as their principal role-models celebrity singers and waif-like models, and active, very rarely overweight (save in Sumo) sports-stars. I can guarantee that the poor ENORMOUS children I see regularly, in the environs of Pizza Hut, will have a celebrity mag on them. So they look, but how do they relate it to themselves? Seemingly, not at all.
Then again, we live in an age where TV cooking and gardening fairly dominate the air-waves. Yet the response of those with gardens, has been too cover with a patio, or decking (rat-shelter,you might say), and to pave over the front garden, even while retainiong a wall, so that there is no question of using it for a car. Have I ever made something based on a TV recipe? No. Perhaps some friend has, but if so, I don't know. Is it helpful to the poor? No, TV chefs seem to indulge in food-abuse--- assmbling perfectly good ingredients, jumbling them up chopping and dicing and liquidising and mixing , and throwing in some real cream here, aaand insisting on goose-fat there -- crikey! I do not recall any programme setting out to teach people how to cook cheaply, and healthily. The others offer the excuse when challenged : 'Of course, a dish like this is not for everyday!'
What we did have on our screens here in the UK was jamie Oliver, trying to produce healthy school-food, and training-up the staff. What happened? A classic cameo of mothers who went to the school to poke junk food through the wire-mesh to the kids. That made me think Leanne-like thoughts about treating this as abuse, in the way that persistent neglect is.
The problem,I suspect, is that if someone tells your child to say 'nothing' instead of 'nuffink', there is an implied criticism of you,Parent, and since food is so important, the idea that what you might hjave been giving your child 'to feeed him up' what more or less toxic, also offends you, as Parent. So some careful, but robust speaking and teaching is in order.
Then there are the bloody supermarkets, and supine governments, to feeble to direct that they cease and desist from selling every single thing, chock full with, fat, sugar and salt. Aaaaaah!