Wanted: Fat Children
AS Prince Charles talks gut rot, the Sun looks at the fat kid.
Look at her. Isn’t she big! Isn’t she fat! Waddling around with a waggle and a quack.
Samantha Hames is front-page news. She’s nine years old. She’s a “massive” 14 stone. She is a size 18.
Good news, you may suppose. The nation’s children are blossoming with success. Food is plentiful. Clothes are too. Life is easy.
No need to worry about young girls being brainwashed into anorexia and dieting by images of skinny women. The Sun says Samantha weighs the equivalent of two Victoria Beckhams. This is surely progress. This is surely good.
But Samantha is not being paraded as a sign of the UK’s wealth and good sense. She is the epitome of child obesity. Indeed, if you know of a “worse case of child obesity” you can call the Sun’s newsdesk on the advertised number. “Don’t worry about the cost, we’ll call you straight back.”
So while neighbours and classmates picks up the phone and tell the paper of this fat kid who would look good on the Sun’s cover page – a page that can be pinned to lockers, backs and lampposts – we read on.
We work our way through Samantha’s daily menu. Eating begins at 7am with a mix of Coco Pops, Frosties and full-fat milk.
Samantha eats up all her school dinner at noon. On the way home from school at 3:30 she eats a family-sized bar of Galaxy chocolate (500g). This is chased with a bag of sweets.
Half an hour later and Samantha is munching on a Pot Noodle and two rounds of sandwiches. At 5:30 it’s supper (Indian takeaway/roast beef/pasta and pudding).
Another Pot Noodle and more sandwiches at 7pm. And at 11:30pm, Samantha’s tops herself up with twelve yoghurts. All is washed along its way by seven glasses of orange squash.
While people in many parts of the world look on with envy at the UK, a land flowing if not with milk and honey then custard and ice cream, Angela finds time to speak between mouthfuls.
“I’m just not interested in spending my money on DVDs, toys or pretty clothes like other little girls [Angela gets £10 a week pocket money]. From the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed I think about Galaxy bars.
“I know I’m addicted to it but it’s so creamy and yummy that I can’t stop eating it.”
While Angles might not be fittest child and experts warn of heart, lung and joint problems, it’s hard not to like Samantha.
She is the girl living life as she wants. She’s not hiding but happy to appear on the Sun’s cover page. Others will mock but Samantha doesn’t seem to mind. She eats what she likes. She doesn’t worry.
She enjoys.
December 16th, 2007 at 8:59 am
hey this is my friend you are talking about! she doesn`t eat all that junk food ……..your`e just making it up! i hang around with her every day and i can tell you what she really eats now! the standard breakfast and a piece of fresh fruit ! lunch : healthy school dinner of a piece of meat , mashed potatoe,peas or carrots and another piece of fresh fruit ! dinner : potatoes , green beans,salad and a piece of meat or somthing fresh ! So STOP making up lies ! she didnt want to be put in the paper ………. So just LEAVE HER ALONE and STOP MAKING HURTFUL COMMENTS coz people these days arnt as skinny as they use to be ……… and i bet whoever made up this report aint so healhy themselves!