Sugar tax
 

The idea of imposing a sugar tax on sugary drinks has reared its ugly head in Australia. Not sure if such a tax is already on such drinks in the UK yet, I know it was in the pipeline. Has this subject already been discussed on Accyweb?

Putting in my two-bob’s worth, isn’t it time that people accepted some responsibility themselves for what they put in their mouths. The best way to not suffer the consequences of drinking sugary drinks is not to drink them…simple as that! Or is that solution just too simple?

As for politicians, they seem to think that taxes are the answer to everything.

Re: Sugar tax
 

all kids like sugary drinks or pop as we called it then. problem was in the late 40,s and 50,s yer mam bought a couple of bottles a week and had to last you. now its a never ending an amount for em through the day. think if they did cost more there would be a decrease in there untake.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Best remedy is to only drink something where all the sugar has been turned to alcohol.
[emoji481]

Re: Sugar tax
 

Only problem wi that less, is the fact "Many" kids are stupid now! giving em alcohol will only make things worse.:D

Re: Sugar tax
 

I used to like an occasional bottle of 7 Up...This was not something I drank on a regular basis.
It was a drink I enjoyed and until recently had not be contaminated with artificial sweeteners.
7Up proclaims that it now contains 30% less sugar...It has been sweetened with a steviocide.
....one of the better sweeteners...But the taste has been ruined for me.
I now read all the labels of the ingredients on soft drinks....nearly all of them have sweeteners...so I do not buy them.
Even most cordials have sweeteners in them.
I avoid those that contain acesulfame K and aspartame....these are metabolised into a formaldehyde like substance(which is what they use to preserve tissue samples and embalm bodies).
For forty years I have had saccharin in my tea....and I am used to that.
If we use 2lb bag of sugar over the course of the year, then we are going some.

I do not want anyone to decide what I eat or drink.
I am an adult...Quite capable of making my own choices.

The problem of childhood obesity is multi faceted....and a one size fits all approach is faulty.

Remember in the 80's when we were all told that butter and cheese was bad for us....that animal fats were a no-no.
The scientists now know that their studies were flawed and that if we had continued to eat natural foods, rather than chemically concocted margarine, then we may be seeing less type 2diabetics right now.

I eat what I like....and in moderation.
I am active, I get out and about and usually get my ten thousand steps per day...so for goodness sake leave me alone!

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;

I eat what I like....and in moderation.
I am active, I get out and about and usually get my ten thousand steps per day...so for goodness sake leave me alone![/QUOTE]

could not agree more margaret. i,m in my early 70,s, out with my dogs a hour and a half at least every day, still referee sunday morning mens football and will continue to eat what i like too. my mother lived to 100 doing the same thing and my ex mother in law reached 98 with the same idea on life. might be a cynic but i have always wondered if a certain item of food is only good for you if there is a glut of that food on the market and the opposite if its bad for you.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Think you are on the ball there, monkey hanger. I'm a cynic also and I reckon there's a glut of coffee at the moment as we are presently being told 6 cups a day will stop you from dying early - not long ago too much coffee was bad for you.....

Re: Sugar tax
 

I have a bag of sugar in the house, not for me but for the occasional guest that uses it, this isn't a health thing I just don't use it in my coffee.
Most of the time I'm a savoury sort of person when snacking but once in a while I just fancy a purge of toffees and go through a sweet phase, I don't think it does any harm, because I also have the occasional vegetable attack, I suspect that what happens is the body tells you what you are lacking through your taste buds, an example of which is a month or so ago when i went shopping I couldn't leave the supermarket without a bag of Radishes now I don't even give them a glance as I walk down the veg eisle.
Other than that my diet is always alot of what you fancy and stuff the experts and so called 'healthy' diet.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I think, what I'm trying to say is that the interfering busybodies that tell us what and how we should eat/live our lives should just mind their own business and leave the majority of us alone to get on with our reasonably sensible lives, too many government grants are wasted on idiotic food research that causes panic in the non thinking only for it to be disputed in yet another government grant a few years later.
Most of us eat sensibly, don't interfere with that, just make it difficult for the overfeeding morons to get mobility scooters so they don't run over my foot when I'm having a healthy walk. Then if they have to walk they might watch their diet.

Re: Sugar tax
 

who actually are these experts and what is a healthy diet. the latter might be which day of the week you are reading the facts.

Re: Sugar tax
 

They don't take their scooters to the fast food shop - they ring-up and have it delivered. After all what's on 'tele' is too important to have it interrupted.

Re: Sugar tax
 

years ago these scooters were for people who were disabled and only available from places that provided em for these unfortunate people. seems nowadays its a must for any fat sod who takes pleasure into driving into the back of us normally built folk.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Ah yes, but we've progressed, the lazy fat slob is no longer the lazy fat slob, we have to sympathise and empathise and understand what they are going through.
We know it's a struggle for them, hell I'd find it a struggle lifting XXXL large underwear off the ground no wonder (by the smell), they only have one pair.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Less, I agree with much of your observations.
I think that we are all old enough to make the choices for ourselves...and if those choices are good one our children usually follow the pattern that we have created.
Personally, I resent the government and the experts who fail to give me the credit for being able to regulate my appetite.

And who is to say that in the not too distant future someone will come up with the idea that is an environmental factor that has cause the obesity crisis....that and an increasing sedentary lifestyle....where much work is not a physical as it was years ago.

As for the 'lazy fat slob' in the wheelchair or mobility scooter....well, I am reluctant to judge because it is a huge generalisation...and it could just be wrong.

My daughter has had a healthy diet all of her life...for much of it she was semi vegetarian...she was active, played sports, walked her dogs... went out to work...then she was struck down with bowel cancer.
The drugs which killed of the cancer have affected her very badly.

She is now seriously disabled and is reluctant to leave her home because she knows that people who do not know of her struggle with ill health will level that criticism at her...without knowing the true reasons.
She can no longer eat the salads she loved, the broccoli, the kale...you know..all that healthy stuff.
She stuggles now to walk...can only eat certain foods that do not irritate her stoma...and of course she has put a lot of weight on...this despite the fact that she eats very little.Not cakes, not biscuits, not sweet stuff.

So before you make the 'lazy fat slob' judgement, give a thought to those who are obese because of the drugs they must take to keep them alive

Re: Sugar tax
 

Uk Governments don't tend to ban items that they feel people shouldn't eat/drink/use/own etc, they tax them knowing that many of the people who purchase the item will continue to do so thus raising more funds for the exchequer.

As for the lazy fat slob generalisation and the many kids are stupid one, I cant say that these comments are true or untrue as I don't know the people involved. I suppose an obese person may be that way because they are unable to walk or have limited mobility and have therefore put on weight. I am not sure where "many kids are stupid" comes from, if the writer has decided this by looking at the news reports re offences committed etc, I bet I could find an equivalent number of "stupid adults". My opinion, as the other writers are expressing theirs.
Mark

Re: Sugar tax
 

Well look at it this way if yer aint sure, then either yer one yourself or yeh never go out and encounter some.:rolleyes:

Re: Sugar tax
 

Mark, it is very easy to generalise because many people can see far better than they can think....and it is easy to point out what you think might be their problem...and that is that they eat too much.

In my daughter's case this is far from the truth.
Her problems are created by the drugs which she needs to control her pain and to stop her from being sick.
The very fact that all the fruit and vegetables create digestive disorder for her, but carbs do not....so her diet is unbalanced for reasons beyond her control.

She does not have a high sugar diet, eat sweets, biscuits or crisps....but people who look at her and make the judgement that she is a fat lazy slob are very wide of the mark.

Children are impressionable and because they have limited life experiences, they may make unwise choices.
The fact that many families do not cook, but rely on either ready meals or takeaways may have a bearing on the obesity problem.
So maybe we should make more effort to bring cookery classes for all children....starting in primary school.
As I said in a previous post, the one size fits all solution rarely works....and rather than denying those who can control their appetites, maybe we should be looking at different solutions....not giving so many licences for takeaway businesses might be a good start.

By all means limit the amount of sugar in drinks....making them less sweet might help to re-educate palates.
Many of the sweeteners used still create surges in blood sugar and so then you get a dip which makes the body crave a sugar hit.
The only one that does not have this effect(to my knowledge) is Stevia....which is replacing some of the ones that could have health implications.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I totally agree with you Margaret about good home-cooked meals as against those ready-made ones. If the word obesity had been used when I was a child growing up, when meals were prepared from scratch at home, I reckon people would have had to look it up in the dictionary to find out what it meant. Fast food would have referred to eating what was on your plate quickly on the odd chance there were any leftovers to share.

Life can be very cruel and I feel so sorry for your daughter and condemn those of the public who make judgements on others without knowing the facts – although it’s got absolutely nothing to do with them anyway even if they did know.

I do cringe, however, when I see very obese adults feeding their faces with double helpings of fatty and/or sugary food and drink and giving their children the same, knowing how their own obesity interferes with their standard of living and the problems they encounter through it. Not my business of course what they do with their own bodies, but personally I think it is a form of child abuse when they bring up their children in the same way. Certainly not good parenting.

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkingto...not giving so many licences for takeaway businesses might be a good start.


could not agree more. every other day we get a menu shoved through the door for some pizza or burger joint. where i live in keighley which is similar to accrington in size we have over 30 of these places plus chippies. so many that i know a lass who does not have a cooker but a microwave only . her and her partner do work but a night job and just eat takeaways all the time. god help their kids if they ever have one.

Re: Sugar tax
 

The following quote:-

Was not a generalisation against all the obese people in the world, the majority, just as bad backs are genuine medical problems, it was a direct observation about fat lazy slobs.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I took your point Less, but it still sounds like a 'value judgement' to me.
Without knowing those that you consider to be 'lazy fat slobs' you cannot make that comment/observation without it being a generalisation.

Food is not unhealthy unless you over indulge in it.
I think we must also feel cynical about the experts as these are the ones which helped create the current situation by telling us that certain foods are bad for us...They have been proved wrong.

I also wonder about the chemical additives that have found their way into foods over the years.
Maybe they have some kind of depressing effect on the bodys' appestat (that is the mechanism which tells you to stop eating because you are full)....or maybe there are some environmental factors which have affected the appestat.

Another undeniable factor is that children do not 'play out' from sun up to sun down....they do not play skipping games, they do not play hop scotch or Tag....all the busy active pursuits that punctuated our childhoods.
Instead they are in their rooms holding onto media consoles....burning out their brains but burning no calories.

So Less, I agree with you...I want authorities to stop meddling in my ability to make choices...after all, I didn't get to be an irascible old bird without being able to look after myself.

Re: Sugar tax
 

How is it a generalisation? It is aimed at exactly the people mentioned and they need no defence (they know who they are), also because it isn't aimed at the genuine medically obese they do need defending because they aren't mentioned in the observation.

The 'lazy fat slobs' are exactly that.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Margaret,I agree wholeheartedly with what you say.There maybe some folk who use mobility scooters because it's easier than walking but MANY people have no choice,if they wish to be out and about.I say to people who complain when I'm on my scooter," YOU take my health problems and see how you cope".

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1214768]

Another undeniable factor is that children do not 'play out' from sun up to sun down....they do not play skipping games, they do not play hop scotch or Tag....all the busy active pursuits that punctuated our childhoods.
Instead they are in their rooms holding onto media consoles....burning out their brains but burning no calories.

not sure if its the kids who do not want to play out or the parents that stop em and prefer em to be indoors. there seems a fear of there being child molesters lurking on every corner and its rare to see even groups of 10 year ols going to school on their own without parents being with em.

Re: Sugar tax
 

The children have not been brought up to 'play out' for many years.
I suspect that parents have a lot to do with this...and yes, they do fear child molesters.
There are other pressures too....drug dealers target even very young children...and you do not want children to be exposed to such dangers.
I can really understand the fears that parents have and I am thankful that I grew up when I did....playing street games....running round, climbing trees.
Children of today have missed out, but they do not know they have missed out.
How sad!

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1214781]The children have not been brought up to 'play out' for many years.
I am thankful that I grew up when I did....playing street games....running round, climbing trees.

plus still a few old bomb sites around for me as well. wonder what the health and safety geeks would have thought about that. hope you wore your high vis jacket when playing out plus your hard hat when tree climbing.

Re: Sugar tax
 

No problem with the many people that have no choice, being out and about my problem is and I must confess it's getting a little tiring repeating this, the 'lazy fat slobs' that use them without caring about the people they are willing to inconvenience, just the other day I nearly got mowed down by a prime example of this,
I was walking along a narrow footpath some 30 stoner in track suit heading towards me at max speed ignoring all around her as she unwrapped her emergency mars bar, what am I supposed to do to avoid her?

Jump into the road in front of the cars or shout to draw her attention?

I shouted, she cursed and carried on unwrapping her much needed snack at full pelt, there was just enough room to squeeze myself against the wall and avoid the two choices of being run over, her or a car.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Less I know what you mean. I feel very sorry for the people that can’t get around under their own steam through medical problems and I have a couple of friends in that category. However, some of the owners of mobility scooters seem to think they have the right of way wherever they are, footpath, shopping centre, etc., etc., and woe betide anyone who gets in their way.

I have often stepped out of the way to let them pass and very seldom have I had a ‘thank you’, even from older people – you know, the ones who condemn the young people for their lack of manners.

Re: Sugar tax
 

It's a pity that Stocks or Stantons don't go round every week selling the stone flagons of sassparilla and dandelion & burdock etc. I'm sure that there was all that much suger in them. Although I do remember as a child drinking almost half a flagon in 1 go and it nearly blow my navel off.

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Less;1214787]No problem with the many people that have no choice, being out and about my problem is and I must confess it's getting a little tiring repeating this, the 'lazy fat slobs' that use them without caring about the people they are willing to inconvenience, just the other day I nearly got mowed down by a prime example of this,

i have had similar problems too with the so called mobility scooter brigade. the thing is in my experiance is a lot of people with mobility problems do not use these things but stick to wheelchairs as they feel there is a stigma now attached to these things. they are a very good idea which have been taken over somewhat by the lazy fat brigade. when i lived in hemsby norfolk one of the amusement arcades were actually loaning the things out to all and sundry. mind you in summer the place is ocupied by many who would throw the salad out of their numerous burgers feer they lost weight.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Remember at school there was always a fat kid. The rest of us were like racing snakes because we were given proper home cooked food. Not this processed ****e which is full of chemicals and also actually has a little bit of real food in it somewhere.
Then there are the over paid egg heads sponsored to right studies to produce the death knell of the week. And this week oily fish yup omega 3 is now officially no good for you. ****** Ive been eating the stuff for years oily fish and salad, love the stuff. Despite having the heart of a lion I've been wasting my time. All the years I've been doing my bit to keep the ticker well oiled and now some poncey egg head in a white coat lacking vitamin D says I've been wasting my time. he could have told me forty years ago! But then water , salt , newspapers , breathing was bad for you. I just wish they had said so then and I could have had my fill of crap food, loaded with junk. By now I could have been clinically obese with my own council go kart complete with popemobile for me to drive it into, I could be claiming all sorts of benefits off the raddish and still have had the heart of a lion albeit a dead one.

Re: Sugar tax
 

me and my sister were both fat kids when we were 8 or nine. once into our teens we both stretched and became slim. they would have sent us both to food boot camp nowadays and for what. think if there is a world wide glut of certain foods they will be good for you and bad if there was a shortage. never believe owt experts say.

Re: Sugar tax
 

BJ..I think you have to console yourself with the fact that you are still here...So what you are doing has to be the right thing for you.
( We are all individuals, so the one size fits all approach is wrong straight away)
I take absolutely no notice of research because I know it(in the main) is flawed.

You have to ask yourself WHO did the research? (did they have a point to prove or a product to sell?).
WHY was it done?
HOW was it done...meaning what was the criteria for inclusion into the study(the criteria will ultimately affect the result, as will the exclusion of some participants).

Way back in the 70's we were told to avoid fat...especially butter....we were advised to avoid dairy products and eggs.
Now we are told that had we consumed the natural products then the level of type 2 diabetes may not have burgeoned in the way that it has.

What is an expert anyway. It is usually someone who has invested themselves with this titler because they feel their university education permits it.
In my book X marks the spot and a spurt is a drip under pressure.

I will continue to eat what i like....when I like, but in moderation.
I know this is the right way to go about things...well, it IS for me.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I have always ate what i like, am not the worlds biggest eater,so suppose that constitutes moderation? expert means expert at separating people from their money, in my book. they are full of crap which many fall for.;)

Re: Sugar tax
 

I think most of the surveys are a bit of a joke – though not a funny one. Whatever the flavour of the month is – or what there is a glut of, the so-called ‘evidence’ shows it is good for you irrespective of the fact that next week you’ll read that you shouldn’t touch it with a bargepole.

On a serious note though it’s sad to think of all the money spent conning gullible people (and there’s plenty of those) about the merits of whatever manufacturers want people to believe. Money that could be better spent, for instance, in research for medical cures rather than so-called research on what we should be putting into our bodies.

I will now finish off the Cadbury’s bar that one week last year (or was it the year before?) was given the thumbs up as to its healthy properties. Now I really did believe that research….and as for the research that assured me wine was a good thing, well I’ll drink to that.

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=dotti34;1214958]I think most of the surveys are a bit of a joke – though not a funny one. Whatever the flavour of the month is –

the problem with these expert findings is that i suppose many believe em all. feel a bit sorry for em really having to live their life in constant fear of eating or doing the wrong thing just incase it reduced their time in a care home.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Did anyone see Mondays Panorama entitled get rich or die young. Based in Stockton which is only a couple of miles from me where because of poverty you will die 20 years younger. Test case a guy in his forties, overweight, heavy smoker, junk food eater, suffering from emphysema, type two diabetes, hernia, given six months to live. Has eight kids and what are they tucking into for dinner kebab, pizza and chips!!! If you havet seen it worth a watch.

Re: Sugar tax
 

So if he wins the lottery within the next 6 months, will that save his life?

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=Big Joe;1215378]Did anyone see Mondays Panorama entitled get rich or die young. Based in Stockton which is only a couple of miles from me where because of poverty you will die 20 years younger.

think this has always been the case but for different reasons nowadays. those who did hard manual labour were old before their time. lack of money meant their wives were always scrimping and saving on everything. there was not the modern day fast foods around but i knew of kids who had their best meal when they were at school. funny though the pubs never shut down then and i remember queues waiting for opening time on sundays. has junk food taken over from ale for those who are poorer.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I did not see this show.
Shows like this infuriate me...they manipulate the facts, choose a subject that will illustrate the assumption perfectly and some viewers will swallow whole what the program puts out.

This man has made some bad life style choices....and he perpetuates these in his offspring.

Are there no budget supermarkets in Stockton?
You know...Aldi(good fruit and veg at cheap prices) Lidl....who also do budget ranges of healthy food.

It is about being too idle to buy in food that requires preparation...preferring to buy ready cooked stuff(with god knows what additives in)...so the power is in this man's hands.

Good Morning Britain had a similar section this morning....about putting scary labels on 'bad' foods.
They think that putting scary labels on unhealthy food will change eating habits....they think it will reduce childhood obesity.
It won't.
The only thing which will have any effect on Childhood(or any other types of obesity) is to get back to cooking good wholesome food. Stopping children from glugging down fizzy drinks at every opportunity(even the low sugar and no sugar versions are bad).
Parents taking responsibility for what goes into their children's bellies.
Making sure that children get active is also a factor.
Food is only unhealthy if you over indulge.

Re: Sugar tax
 

No...not a chance...well I cannot see him spending the money on a personal trainer or gym membership.
He is far more likely to order a larger pizza and an extra bag of fries.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I agree wholeheartedly with all you've said, one of the so called 'slimming' ads on TV really gets my goat, good wholesome ready meals delivered to your door, no, don't give in to such twonk, get off your backside peel a few veg and have a 20 minute walk around your kitchen cooking, better exercise than just opening a cardboard box and microwaving isn't it? Maybe then you'll have some self worth and consider why your known as fatties.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Well I ain't rich and I'm fast becoming not young, maybe there are a few porkies being told about idiots and their lifestyles?
Mine wouldn't suit everyone but it does at least include the occasional sensible meal prepared by me in between my visits to the pub.
Let's be honest, the documentary makers need these losers, it would be as boring as hell for them to follow me around for a few days, better to have an extreme that we can all say I'm glad I'm not that bad.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Lets put it bluntly! Its all about "Couldn't careless Parents" in my book.

Re: Sugar tax
 

It would be even more boring if they followed me around Less.

We are all individuals. Grown ups.
I do not need anyone to police my lifestyle, let alone regulate what I am permitted to eat and drink.
If I want a sugary snack....I will have one(but I won't make a habit of it)
I have a very large Easter egg on my kitchen counter....it is unopened...but if I wanted to scoff it, then I would.....and sod the consequences.

Re: Sugar tax
 

That is spot on.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Glad some people agree, these parents are also past masters at "Passing The Buck"

Re: Sugar tax
 

It seems to me that it is always someone else's fault.
What the heck is wrong with telling your children 'NO' now and again.
Giving in to 'pester power' is always the wrong thing to do.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Summed up very well.a department i am lacking in, i tend to go straight fer the jugular.:D

Re: Sugar tax
 

funny how most of us who were kids during the time of food rationing did not have the problems todays kids have. most of us went through the puppy fat stage also.

Re: Sugar tax
 

too lazy and easier to give in to the kids. mind you plenty of parents aint good role models for kids either.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Regarding parents and parenting – who’s in charge these days? What has happened to parental control? Spot on, Margaret, they should learn to use that word ‘no’ and mean it.

We all know that some companies target young ones with appealing marketing tools such as cartoon characters to sell their less-than-healthy food, after all they will do what they can to sell their goods, that’s what their business is – but it doesn’t mean you have to buy.

It’s the same with other things. There are parents who complain about how much time their children spend on phones, computers, and the like. Who pays for these? The parents! Solution to this is take the gadgets away from the children when they are using them too much. Take control. Spend some time with them. Go outside with them. Don’t continually blame society for what is a parent’s responsibility. Or is that the easy way out….

…and for ‘goodness’ sake (literally) give the family some good wholesome (and, dare I say it, home-cooked) food.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I hate to see children in prams munching on a pasty, or a sausage roll.
What is wrong with feeding your child a breakfast of weetabix or porridge....or if they must have something to eat while they are out, what is wrong with an apple or a banana?
Children will eat what parents provide(if they don't then let them go hungry, they will not allow themselves to starve)...if you start off with them young, they WILL eat fruit and veggies.

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=dotti34;1215476]Regarding parents and parenting – who’s in charge these days? What has happened to parental control? Spot on, Margaret, they should learn to use that word ‘no’ and mean it.



It’s the same with other things. There are parents who complain about how much time their children spend on phones, computers, and the like. Who pays for these? The parents! Solution to this is take the gadgets away from the children when they are using them too much. Take control.

this has been going on for years though dotti. with all this techy stuff coming out its just made it harder for parents. when no means its a start to a discussion when they are at school its not easy for parents to discipline their kids when they get home. too much wishy washy thinking at schools for me is as much of a problem as lazy parents. the only thing i was limited doing was playing out time when it was dark but its harder for em now.

Re: Sugar tax
 

It can be the other way round as well, monkey hanger. Some parents do take the easy way out by letting their children rule the roost at home, always giving in to them, with the outcome they then think they can do the same at school.

Teachers’ authority has been eroded over the years with the result that they are very restricted in what they can and can’t do….and students are well aware of this.

Schools are expected to incorporate more and more subjects and so-called experts are often the ones who dictate how these should be taught. I guess what might seem a wishy-washy way of doing so to us is what modern-day thinking (especially of these so-called experts) deems to be the right way.

Boy, how times have changed since I was a schoolgirl (and not always for the better!).

However, at the end of the day it’s still the parents who should be in control.

Re: Sugar tax
 

[QUOTE=dotti34;1215631

Teachers’ authority has been eroded over the years with the result that they are very restricted in what they can and can’t do….and students are well aware of this.

students, thats another one. at school you used to be a pupil so why are they students nowadays. still think the problem started at school with the lack of discipline which then spilled over when they got home. add lazy parents to this and then problems really arise.

Re: Sugar tax
 

'Student' is just another wibble word, kids are still educated to the minimum standard at a price the Government can get away with, unlike 'pupil' it was only used for those that went onto higher education, now instead of throwing money at it to improve the situation, just change the name & make it seem like things have improved.

Re: Sugar tax
 

With respect, monkey hanger, we will have to agree to disagree on this point. I think it’s a bit of a cop-out for parents to blame school, social media, and everyone else, for the fact that their child is lacking discipline. This, along with respect, should start in the home and continue there and elsewhere.

Still we all have a right to our own way of thinking, and I do respect yours.

Re: Sugar tax
 

yes dotti i think we,ll have to call a truce. just one final thing on the subject and its something i have heard for years from different people is that he or she were fine till they got to school. could be the mixing with other kids i imagine. like getting a second dog into your house. they only pick up the bad habits from each other never the good.

Re: Sugar tax
 

As far as i'm concerned parents have a moral obligation to instill "Respect @ Good Manners" into their kids, that should continue at school, these days many parents are too bone idle to do so, also too busy beggaring about with their mobiles, so they dont even instill road safety either,

Re: Sugar tax
 

the over use of mobiles is the curse of the century for me.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I totally agree with you monkey hanger that it is a curse. Overuse of mobile phones has destroyed social interaction. It’s definitely gone down the gurgler. The other day I visited Zombie Land. Actually it was our doctor’s waiting room. There were a number of people in the room and at least 22 of them were staring zombie-fashion at their phones. No reaction when anyone came in or went out, no greetings, no smiles, (okay so we WERE in a doctors’ waiting room). Completely disconnected from anyone or anything around them.

Old people, young people, a tattoo that was hiding a man somewhere under all the head-to-toe ink, two mothers completely ignoring their children, even three very young children with their own phones. All looking like they were in a trance, absolutely mesmerised with the small screen in front of them. I think that besides him and me, and the two children who were being ignored, there were only a couple of others who didn’t have a bit of technology in their hands.

I find this very sad.

Re: Sugar tax
 

I agree Dotti, think its Pathetic the way people play with mobiles all the time no interaction. many dont even look where they are going, about a fortnight ago, one silly cow walked right in front of my car texting or summat, i was on Blackburn Rd, doing around 28 MPH.:eek: If i had knocked her down, no doubt mummy and friends would be blaming the motorist.:(

Re: Sugar tax
 

i know some football matches can get boring at times but some spend most of the game playing with these bloody phones from the kick off. this mobile phone business is the biggest disease we have for me. think there was a film years ago called i married a zombie. didn,t know it was a documentary of the future.

Re: Sugar tax
 

Sorry, I can't agree, the use of a mobile is wonderful for avoiding getting caught in a conversation with someone over-using chewing gum, especially someone that hasn't got enough motor skills to chew with their mouth shut.
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/ea...bubble-gum.gif