I'm pleased to see that Honey We're Killing the Kids has moved to prime BBC 1 TV from the less available BBC 3.
This programme gives a fascinating look at how the children of the families featured will change up to age 40 based on their current habits - and how their life expectancy is being drastically reduced. These families are literally killing their kids. (And yet frighteningly you will recognise elements of every family in the Western world there - busy parents trying to make it up to children with treats, too many takeaway meals and not enough fresh food, too much TV and not enough active fun).
The programme uses the same method as the Missing Persons Helpline to provide a detailed portrait of how kids will look as middle-aged men and women. The grim view has parents ready to dramatically change their lifestyles - to stop smoking, to eat more healthily, to ensure the kids get enough sleep, to limit TV and to pay more attention to discipline and family time.
What is fascinating is that the changes come about not just with better food and more exercise that most people think of when it comes to health. You see also how much happier the whole family is when the children learn to become more confident and disciplined, and their self-esteem and social skills improve.
Making sure your kids eat well is only part of the picture.
Catch it if you can
Janice
Hi, I'm Katy, i'm 13 years old, i really enjoy watching your programme because it helps me realise that i should do more, i'm almost 11stone, i'm just over 5ft"4. I live with my dad (aged 50) and my sister (aged 16), The Both smoke, and its really hard for me, because i hate them smoking, i nag them every day and have done for a long time, because it really annoys me, anyway, but seeing your programme, makes me really worried that i'll turn out like one of the other kids on your programme, before they started to change there lifestyle to a healthy way, i was just wandering if maybe i could meet up with somone, with my dad, and then take some tests for however long, to find out what i will look like at 40, and maybe get some advice on how to be healthier, because i dont want to turn out to be some spotty fat person that people look at as if they're disgusted, i'm not obsessed with being healthy, but i'm just worried because i dont want to become fatter and ugly as i get older... if i could get a reply from this comment it would be much appreciated :) well, thanks for reading, contact me soon! if you want to talk to me across phone or anything, if u send me a reply i will send you my mobile number :) thanks for reading this.
yours sincerely,
Katy Dear xx
Posted by: Katy Dear | March 25, 2006 at 04:35 PM
Would someone please send me a snail - mail address that I can send a copy of my newly published book (April)Preferably the Producers of "HONEY WE'RE KILLING THE KIDS."
THANK YOU.
Denny Miller
web-site denny-miller.com
Posted by: Senny Miller | April 04, 2006 at 06:13 AM
Doesn't it seem a little ridiculous how they're just making the parents go on how they're kids will (unrealistically) look in x number of years? Yes they end up learning better eating habits, etc, but based on the fact that they're trying to use a scare tactic on the parents that their kids will look a certain way in the future, NOT just because of the health aspects, and the heart problems, physical problems that come about from being overweight. It's mildly offensive.
Posted by: Tina | April 12, 2006 at 03:19 PM