let’s go dutch
The other month a primary school head teacher was widely reported chastising parents who largely ignore their offspring. Signs were whacked-up around various school entrances entreating the smartphone-addicted grown-ups to “greet your child with a smile, not a mobile”. Poetic quality apart, by all accounts it’s worked a treat, at least within a radius of about 200m, and the conveniently-sized universe of wonder and source of modern enlightenment and self-esteem have been consigned to either back-pocket or glovebox. Name & shame, call ‘em out and lead by example. Who’d’ve thought it was all so easy!
In a similar vein, Amsterdam, that most liberal of cities, is taking the lead on attempting to reduce childhood obesity and improve their health, attention-span and wellbeing, by being a little more intrusive and instructive. And apparently it’s having an immediate impact by keeping it ever so simple: tap water, good food and getting some kip.
The programme, with the full backing of the mayor and senior politicians, refuses sponsorship bribes & dirty money from the likes of Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Monster, McDonald’s and Burger King, bans sugary drinks, juice & squash from schools, builds water fountains, enforces home-economics & cooking classes and proactively works with parents to advise and counsel in a supportive manner. Every parent wants slim, well-balanced, healthy, fit and attentive children and this is not about money, this is about time and doing the right thing by your kids. Much as we love to complicate everything, this ain’t rocket-science, it really isn’t: food, water, exercise, sleep. And get off the mobile.
Realising the writing is on the wall, and seeking to avoid any planned tax levy on those sugary drinks, Coca-Cola has silently started reducing the number of calories in some of its products, specifically Sprite & Fanta, and guess what? No-one’s either noticed or minded. I am confident this will be another ‘smoking-indoors’ issue in that future generations will look back in horror & disbelief that we allowed such blatantly and obviously unhealthy drinks to be proactively marketed and consumed by society. I’m all for ‘Health by Stealth’ as it’s been called and we’ve now seen in several instances how initial moral outrage & indignation against a ‘nanny-state’ very quickly morphs into quiet & rational acceptance.
