Seaside donkey rides

[teapot]

This (above).

We weigh children when they come to hospital appointments and some parents even claim doing that is unacceptable and they are being 'victimised'. We see an ever increasing number of obese children (with no other medical problems) who can't jog, let alone run, can't stand on one leg and who are out of breath walking the very short distance to the assessment rooms. They are referred by their GP because they are presenting with problems usually seen in middle aged and older patients, including back, hip and knee pain, and type two diabetes. Up until 2000 type 2 diabetes was unheard of in children, it is now rife.

Parents (and those working with children) need to understand that whilst fat shaming/name calling is unpleasant (and bullying can be deeply so) it really is the least of the child's problems regarding their obesity. The saddest thing is that if parents don't help their children maintain a healthy weight that child will find it far, far harder to do so once they become an adult.

At work we see children with serious disabilities and illnesses, and those who are victims of horrific events such as accidents or strokes, but the obese children often seem the most tragic as their conditions (eg diabetes resulting from their weight) could have been prevented.

We see hundreds of very overweight children per year for illness stemming from obesity, we also see all children in our area with diagnosis that can cause obesity (such as Prader Willi Syndrome), but they only account for single figures. Almost without exception the parents of the children with syndromes such as Prader Willi are successful at keeping their children a healthy weight by weighing food and calorie counting, so it is possible.

So well done to the donkey owner, he may well improve the welfare of a few children as well as his donkeys.

I was allocating 14.2-15.2 cobsajobs into kids beginner lessons over five years ago now because of how heavy the kids were then, so I can only imagine post Covid et al just how bad it's got, and as you say so much of it is preventable. Some parents would question why their darling wasn't on one of the smaller speedier ponies...

Same for the children's dental lists I saw when I volunteed in the NHS. Kids and teens having their adult teeth removed because their diet and dental hygiene were both appalling.

 

[SilverLinings]

That is heartbreaking @SilverLinings

It is, it's just so sad because it is mostly preventable. We have seen teenagers with heart problems caused by their being significantly obese since they were toddlers, and those sorts of conditions used to be unheard of in anyone under about 50yrs of age- we are talking about health problems that will cause early death, and that could have been prevented. I agree that we (society) should 'be kind' and not call people names, but obesity in children shouldn't be ignored or treated as though it is 'normal', or treated as though it is no one's responsibility.

And as @teapot points out poor diet and hygiene is also causing an epidemic of dental extractions. I saw one of our patients last week who is 10yrs old and she has just had surgery to have two metal molar teeth implanted as she has already had to have some adult teeth extracted (she had all of her baby teeth extracted due to decay).

The mainstream press are really missing the point about the donkey owner, he is dealing with a problem society has created in children, he is not causing the problem. And society in general need to realise that our feelings/desires do not come before animal welfare.

 

[Kaylum]

Computer games and not interested in going outside. Dad made us walk for miles when we were little we hated it but it was good exercise.

 

[silv]

And why shouldn't he look after his donkeys the way he wants to? I applaud him for thinking of their welfare. Perhaps the parents of the overweight children need to do the same?

Well said!!

 

[Glitter's fun]

Good for him
The 'Won't they think of the children?' brigade should have enough sense to realise that this is all about animal welfare, not fat shaming
No one is forcing kids to present themselves for a ride anyway so those likely to be above the limit can just give it a miss
Well done Mr Nuttall for looking after his donkeys

eta I remember doing ridden donkey classes in the 1970s there was a weight limit of 8 stone; I don't know if anyone was ever weighed though

Like I said, our beach always had a limit but parents just had to take it from the donkey man when he said you had got too old. (Not "too heavy" - it was 'a good thing'- you were growing up, just like when you went from a trike to a 2-wheeled bike, or from a swing with a cage round it to a scarey flat seat! Upsetting for a while but you sucked it up because the adults said it was right.)
Sadly I think the introduction of actual weighing will have become necessary to try to stop parents arguing with a donkey owner who is just saying 'your child looks too big'
As has been said, if you weigh your own child & tell him yourself when he is too grown up for donkey rides there is no shaming.

 

[misst]

Parents of overweight children seem to be blind to it. If I ever dare mention it at work in the surgery (not in front of the child if they are old enough to understand) they are amazed that I think their child is overweight.

One 3 year old weighed over 6 stone!! He could barely walk and the rolls of fat were horrendous. He was tall for his age and his parents were both very tall. I gently suggested his dreadful asthma would be helped by weight loss and offered a referral. She declined as she "knew" he was " a big boy" but they were a "big family". She said they ate healthily and she cooked from scratch and she couldn't understand why he might be overweight. Turned out she was super proud of his appetite and the fact that he ate the same sized (healthy meal) portions as his 6ft 4inch Dad (who was also overweight). He was referred to paediatrics for his asthma management but this was flagged as a weight related problem. I never saw her or the child again - they changed practice It may have been my frustrated comment in answer to "I watch what he eats". I was all out of sympathy and replied "no you watch him eat" which was probably unhelpful but sometimes I just despair....

 

[maisie06]

They were talking about this on the radio. Some nutritionist type was all this is not a way to tackle obesity... The poor dude isn't even a bit interested in childhood obesity it's about animal welfare. The parents should know what the kids weigh and protect them from being "shamed" if it's potentially damaging to them

It's about time parents were told and not sugar coated that their children are too fat/obese. It does damage later in life, I know, I was brought up on a very poor diet (despite my parents smoking 40 a day so they could have afforded good food) their issue was neither of them could cook unless it involved a deep fat fryer, the veg was terrible and only "english" veg i.e potatoes were acceptable, now I cannot shift weight, I have tried every diet going, I'm at the point of ordering slimming pills soon.

I totally agree with the donkey man and good on him for advocating for his animals over making money.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

We were at a hotel in Spain and a family came and sat opposite us with 2 boys both quite over weight, the minute they sat down they ordered burgers and chips ate those then they had multiple big bags of crisps all with huge glasses of coke.

I then heard one boy ask for ice cream so up to the snack bar once again massive ice creams more huge coke's.

They then got up and left leaving the place in such a state food everywhere all over the sun loungers and the floor, I just couldn't believe how much they consumed in such a short amount of time.

I felt so sorry for the hotel waiter who had to clear up the mess I can't believe they just walked off and left it like that.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I cannot tell you what heaven it was - my daily ride in Littlehampton. Though I have been told this pic shows a mule. May be I was too big for a donkey. The man led you in walk to the next breakwater and then trotted you back.
View attachment 142081

We went to Blackpool pleasure beach when I was very young. I'm not sure if the man led the donkeys my sister and I were on or not but my eldest sisters donkey cantered off with her

Computer games and not interested in going outside. Dad made us walk for miles when we were little we hated it but it was good exercise.

I lived at the bottom of the Ochil Hills growing up and I was forever going up them. I regret that I'm not as fit and healthy as I was then. We cycled all over town including to a woodland park up in the hills, splashed through the streams, swam in the pools near the top of the hills and played games with all the kids in the area - british bulldog, tag, red rover etc so always running and skipping or doing handstands and cartwheels.

It's a shame that some people cannot be honest and realistic about weights and what is healthy. (I am overweight, I know it and I will not ride my horse if I've over a certain weight. I need to get my weight further down before I'll consider even sitting on my young horse).
We've seen it posts on here when people mention weights and %of horses weight that there were a few advocates saying heavier people should still be able to ride. NO, not at the cost of another's wellbeing.

A massive well done to this man for looking after his donkeys wellbeing first.

 

[cauda equina]

Presumably donkey ride businesses have to have some sort of licence - from the local council maybe?
It would make sense to have appropriate weight limits a condition of being able to operate

 

[Velcrobum]

I am glad he has done this and good for him putting his donkey's welfare over an obese child.