You?d have to have been in a cave somewhere to miss the recent attention on obesity, and the government?s plans to reduce it ? especially in children. And in doing so, someone has to cop the blame for turning out these super-sized kids. And surprise, surprise, it?s usually mum!
According to a recent study by the Institute of Child Health at University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital, families with an income between ?22,000 and ?33,000 are 10% more likely than poorer families to have overweight children. Those with an income greater than ?33,000 were 15% more likely. An increase in obesity was registered where mothers reported long hours at work, where no connection was found with the fathers’ hours.
A recent government study predicts that by 2050, about 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children in the UK will be obese. The associated chronic health problems are projected to cost society an additional ?45.5 billion a year and reversing this trend will take several decades.
Living life in the fast lane is not only taking its toll on our health, but also on our families, says Gill Levett, founder of www.1click2cook.com, a website designed to help busy people plan meals and shopping effectively.
Gill, 46, says:
“As a mother and businesswoman, I didn’t ever envisage having to work so hard for so long in my life or think that the pressure to be perfect in all areas of my life, would be so tough!
“Sit-down family meals are such a great way of communicating with the kids, that as a society, we should be doing everything we can to help and encourage even the smallest amount of family interaction every night.”
Gill’s comments follow the results of the Top Sante survey that claim the vast majority of women in their 30s and 40s are stressed out and have to snack their way through the day because they don’t have time to eat properly. The research also states that family meal times are fast becoming a thing of the past.
Gill started her business to tackle the problem of choosing suitable food for her family and to find an easy way to plan her own weekly shop.
She adds:
“My children are now young adults, but we have a very open and easy relationship with them and this has largely been borne out of a simple 15-minute meal around the table a few times a week.
“A mum with younger children can cook a simple meal and organise the children to help with setting the table. It’s a routine that everyone comes to enjoy and it is so simple to do, once you take the plunge.”
1click2cook is aimed at time-poor Mums, taking away tedious menu decision-making and generates a detailed shopping list to take along to the supermarket.? Weekly e-mails sent direct to a member’s inbox means their weekly menu is bought to them – just click and cook.
To make it easier for members to work out the nutritional value of each meal, Dawn Waldron, 1Click2Cook?s nutritional therapist, has rated each of the recipes against nutritional standards: low fat, low carb, low salt and high fibre. She has also rated each recipe against the all important five-a-day target for fruit and vegetables.