Children are eating like squirrels before winter
sir – Expecting children to lose weight in our current environment (Leading Article, May 31) is like expecting a squirrel to lose weight in autumn.
Our kids are being fed harvest foods at every meal. They are eating autumnally every day, preparing their bodies for a winter that won’t come. Processed carbohydrates and refined sugars make things worse.
Squirrels are very active in autumn yet still gain weight; likewise, with the wrong diet, active people can struggle to slim down.
Children should be told to eat for spring and summer. Not eating carbohydrates in every meal would help bring their intake of them down to 40 per cent of their diets – the recommended amount.
Cian Foley
Butlerstown, Co Waterford, Ireland
sir – The attitude among many people today is: if it’s available, why shouldn’t I have it?
Self-discipline seems to be unheard of. Yet there was a time when schoolchildren were encouraged to practice it. What happened?
Alan M Pardoe
Malvern, Worcestershire