Facing Fat

Obesity: The New Scourge of Britain...?

Junk Food Hero by Pat Swindells

You are what you eat...?

It seems that fewer of us than ever enjoy our essential 5-a-day of fruit and veg.

Britain currently has one of the highest rates for overweight children in Europe , with 1 in 3 adults predicted to be obese by 2012. The implications for our next generation are worrying to say the least.

At present, 9,000 adults die an early death each year because of illnesses related to obesity and being obese puts you at far greater risk of suffering from high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, a stroke and some forms of cancer.

Present estimates put 43% of men and 33% of women as overweight.

All in all, none of it makes for pretty reading.

The (increasingly chubby) finger of blame has been pointed at everything from convenience food to computer games but the way I see it, clinically recognised conditions aside, the buck has to stop with individuals and families.

I also believe that if we are to reverse this alarming decline in our nation’s health then we need to attack it early on by better educating our children and ensuring they adhere to a more balanced diet.

Pat Swindells is an established author who has written a number of different books covering a wide range of subjects. Her novel “When The Death Penalty Came Back”, which she co-authored with her husband, was listed number 1 top thriller by the Daily Mail and her educational books for teenagers and short stories have reached a global audience. Pat was a former English and Music teacher and spent many hours in the presence of children, so she is well equipped to debate their issues and subjects of interest.

At the tender age of 82, Pat has now released “Junk Food Hero”, a book for teenagers which address the problem of teenage obesity in a compassionate, thought-provoking and above all, humorous way.

I was intrigued to know what inspired Pat to write “Junk Food Hero”.

“I became and remain, deeply concerned with the problems arising from obesity and the fact that many parents and children fail to recognise or acknowledge that this is a life-threatening condition for which they are responsible.

“Grazing on crisps and fizzy drinks in front of the television every night is not the way to build a sturdy child. Children will often mimic their parents and their eating patterns. If they are brought up on a diet of burgers and fries then they will accept this as being the norm.

“It’s easy to hold our children responsible but we are the ones raising them and the people putting the food on their plates.

“We are laying weaker and weaker foundations for each generation to come. It’s like building skyscrapers on thin sheets of ice. At some point, the weight of our failures could very well come crashing down upon us.

“The message is a simple one: eat well, live long because a poor diet will bring you nothing but an early grave”.

Junk Food Hero was released in April 2009 and is based around anti-hero George, a boy who is aged 13, weighs 17 stone and is still growing in all directions!

When a TV chef brings healthy food to the school dinner menu, George demands his right to chips, chips, and more chips. But his teachers won’t budge and they set George thinking…perhaps his family’s devotion to fast food could be the reason they’re all getting bigger and bigger? Following a nightmarish encounter with himself as a grown up, George seizes control of his life and embarks on a journey of discovery where he takes the giant step from living to eat to eating to live.

Having just completed the book I have to say it is a wonderful, compelling read that entertains and informs in equal measure. As parents I think you should insist that for every hour your children spend on their Playstations or Xboxes this week, they devote an equal amount of time to reading Junk Food Hero.

It could just change - perhaps even save - their lives.

Junk Food Hero is published by Aurora Metro and is the eighth book in their international series of teenage fiction. The books examine teenage issues that are both contemporary and cross-cultural, such as parental strife, drug taking, eating disorders, and the morality of war. Above all, they display excellent story telling with a strong narrative underpinned by subjects that encourage the reader to explore and challenge their own perceptions.

For more information check out their site at www.aurorametro.com

Poppy Watt
Free Junk Food Hero book to win, click here.

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Fri, 06/05/2009 - 15:05 — Poppy Watt

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