Thursday 25 April 2013

If only every child was brung up proper to always be a good boy or girl like Anna

Plain-speaking Anna Soubry accused them of tempting children with large syrup-laden coffees topped with marshmallows and cream – followed by an enormous muffin


Who "them" ?

She said the proliferation of coffee shops such as Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero on Britain’s high streets were making the problem worse, because they were popular with young people.
And
The minister has previously attacked bakeries for selling cakes and croissants which were too large, and has called for supermarkets and restaurants to do more to reduce portion sizes.

OK, so “they” are the guilty … anyone else at fault ?

During a Parliamentary debate, Miss Soubry also turned her fire on today’s parents who she accused of no longer bringing up their children not to eat between meals.  She recalled that the concept of ‘snacking’ simply did not exist when she was young, and that she was told in no uncertain terms by her mother and father that she should only eat at mealtimes. Miss Soubry said child obesity was such a problem because youngsters were much more likely to eat between meals than those of her own generation.

 ‘Let us talk about something that did not exist when I was young—the concept of snacking,’ she said.  ‘I was positively told not to eat between meals. If we now look in the real world at how young people live and at what they feel is acceptable, it includes going into the many coffee shops that exist'.

Now that is odd, because I am older than good girl Anna and I distinctly remember from my childhood a certain product that promoted itself as "the sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite" - thus ensuring the possibility of being so stuffed on "snacks" that you couldn't "finish everything on your plate”  and the consequences of that wouldn't arise, and given that the word "snack" is reckoned to have been in common parlance since the 14th century that does tend to suggest “snacking” clearly was a concept that existed when Anna was a young, but obviously good girl, who wouldn't have dreamt of doing it;  any way .....

‘I have no problem with coffee shops,
(here comes the "but"
but young people go in and have a large coffee—not a small one—which has syrup in it. It might have marshmallows on top, and then perhaps another little dollop of cream, because it is just a snack, a treat or elevenses. “And by the way”, they say, “I think I’ll have one of those very nice muffins.” They do not know how many calories that is.’

Pretty familiar then with the menu in these terrible places, our Anna; sort of makes you wonder if she has finally stopped being "a good girl" 

11 comments:

A K Haart said...

"the sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite"

Yes, I remember that one. Plus lots of sweet shops, chip shops and ice cream vans. It was no different then, but we had less money. Maybe that's what she really thinks should be rationed - money.

Bob E said...

AKH - "but we had less money. Maybe that's what she really thinks should be rationed - money".

Good point, it had completely escaped my attention that Anna hadn't also accused all these terrible coffee shops of making their poisonous wares available at 'pocket money prices' but maybe Anna is sufficiently aware of what is on offer and how much it costs that she thought that would be stretching credibility . :-)

Robin Smith said...

Couldn't agree with her more. Food today is Drugs... For slaves.

She is right but does not now why.

Kj said...

So, the second generation not being threatened by starvation in any meaningful way, check. Yes, horrible stuff this is.

RS: My favourite is belgian waffles with maple syrup and black coffee to wash it down with, slaveolicious!

Mark Wadsworth said...

She's mental. These "coffee shops" are heinously expensive. You'd have to spend a fortune in them to actually get fat from their (indisputably delicious) wares.

I prefer the narrative about "Fast food shops selling cut price fatty crap to poor, stupid people who are too lazy to cook", that might be a downright myth as well, but you could sort of imagine it is true.

As to "snacking" she is double mental. The idea of fixed meal times is a very artificial and cultural concept, different people in different countries eat different things at different times.

For example, has she never heard of "elevenses" (which people don't eat any more) but they must have done at some stage or else the word would not exist.

Bayard said...

I think the children are simply another human shield. She's obviously a Puritan who disapproves of anyone eating anything that tastes nice. What's wrong with good old bread and water?

View from the Solent said...

Wasn't (isn't?) high tea just a cream cake snack between luncheon and dinner?

Graeme said...

Anna must get a lot of pocket money to afford a large cappo with marshmallows etc plus muffin - that must come to about £10?

She would do better to browse some wifi porn:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10019617/School-pupils-should-be-taught-not-all-porn-is-bad-advise-experts.html

Sarton Bander said...

The obesity rise is mainly caused by anti-biotics upsetting the gut flora upsetting the rest of the immune system.

Anonymous said...

And indeed "afternoon tea". With cake.

Bob E said...

AC I think, given the upbringing she hinted at having received, in Anna's book afternoon tea with cake is probably perfectly ok - it is the sort of thing decent people like the parents who took pains to drag Anna up proper and who wouldn't dream of ever becoming mildly overweight did, part of our cultural heritage, and that, and which fully deserves to continue. Which is why she felt no need to refer to it. Whereas this Coffee and Muffins lark - it is just so vulgar and bad - it has to be, look where it springs from .. :-)