Think before you eat!

Say no to drugs; don’t talk to strangers; look both ways before crossing the road. Sound familiar? At one point or another we’ve all heard these slogans as children and if you have children of your own you’ve probably used them yourself; the reason being that they work.

Yet the chances of children being hurt or even dying due to the above is far less than the chances of them suffering from the effects of childhood obesity which is closely associated with cardiovascular disease as an adult, diabetes type 2, not to mention low-self esteem, poor body image, and depression.

It may be time to add to our slogans: Think before you eat!

Top 3 things to think about before you eat:

1) Can I pronounce it? Chances are if you can’t pronounce what is on the label then you probably shouldn’t be eating it. Words such as: Sodium propyl para-hydroxybenzoate (E217) a type of preservative; and Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides (E635) a flavour enhancer which is commonly found in packaged foods such as crisps, instant noodles and pies are both banned in some countries. If it is banned in some and not in others do you know if you're living in the one where it's approved?

2) Do I know what’s in it? Read the label. If you’re not sure what’s in your food then should you be eating it? Often when buying frozen meals such as beef burgers or chicken nuggets the ingredients will claim to contain a percentage of beef or chicken (example 57% chicken), but where is the remainder of the meat? It’s often made up of water, fat, skins, and other bi products.

3) Does it look too perfect? Our need for the perfect shaped and coloured fruit has pressurised farmers into using excessive fertilisers and pesticides. So much so that fruits lose their flavour and nutritional value. Unless it’s organic or local it is very likely that it has been sprayed. Have you thought of what these chemicals may be doing to you and your children?

‘Think before you eat’ is a slogan that needs become a reality for modern day parents, especially, in a society where 30% of boys and 40% of girls are estimated to be obese by 2020 (School Food Trust).

The slogans mentioned at the beginning of this article are important and not meant to be made light of. They are simply mentioned to prove that ‘think about what you eat’ is just as important. Parents need to lead by example as it’s proven that children are twice as likely to become overweight if they have overweight parents. Parents must protect their children to the best of their ability; by knowing what their children are eating and educating them to limit the amount of preservatives and additives they are consuming; not doing so will put the futures of their children at risk.