VERYSTORMY Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-15/mixed-aracy-report-card-on-youth-wellbeing/4574294 60% of young people are sedentary. So much for the out doors / sporty life A third are over weight or obese. So much for the healthy lifestyle 1:5 use drugs. So much for less social problems Teen pregnancy rates are some of the highest in the developed world. So much for kids not growing up as fast here Youth unemployment is an issue. So much for better opportunity. It's not surprising. Oz is no different to any other developed country. It has issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I agree Oz has issues like anywhere else, but I can say my children are so much happier here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest16631 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 .........I think the gap is closing .......between the uk and Australia..........20 odd years ago..........the difference was huge.... ...........now ime............there are a lot more similarities.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 Having lived and worked around the world, I think the developed world has similar issues. Oz, doesn't escape them. Regarding happiness. The happiest kids I have ever seen were in the DRC. They had nothing. Lived in mud huts with no running water or electricity and a life expectancy of 42. But they would be all laughing and grinning all the time. The most popular toy was an old bicycle wheel that they would run with pushing it with a stick. A treat was a piece of sugar cane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucia Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Very interesting! I'm tempted to send this to my in laws, in the UK, who believe that kids are better off in Oz because of the, "healthy food, outdoor lifestyle and aaaalll of the free things to do". They never believe me when I tell them it's not really like that...they think I'm just a whinging pom with homesickness!...there may be some truth in that though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Well my son goes to a fab school one that we could never dreamed of affording on the UK. My son and my grown up girls are all slim, my son is not as active as I would like however he does get a lot at school with fitness sessions on the beach and a Camp coming up. So I do still believe we've made the right move for our children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpodom Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 To conclude from this report that Aus kids are worse off would be as stupid as assuming that Aus kids live more healthy outdoorsy type lives than their British peers. Obviously there is more going on beneath the surface than just the headline grabbing points. Re obesity, I'd say the biggest determining factor would be socio-economic class, just like it is everywhere else in the developed world: poor people are fat, eat bad diets and don't get enough exercise. The middle classes tend to be the opposite. I don't know how you'd go about bucking that trend but that is the way of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Having lived and worked around the world, I think the developed world has similar issues. Oz, doesn't escape them. Regarding happiness. The happiest kids I have ever seen were in the DRC. They had nothing. Lived in mud huts with no running water or electricity and a life expectancy of 42. But they would be all laughing and grinning all the time. The most popular toy was an old bicycle wheel that they would run with pushing it with a stick. A treat was a piece of sugar cane. Yep fully agree. Same in Cambodia and other poor developing world countries.One thing I note is that kids have the freedom of movement. As houses don't tend to be fenced off everything is open.Great life to be a child providing no illness and enough to eat of course. Does make life seem restrictive in the West though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 I think kids can be just as healthy and outdoorsy in either country. Growing up in the UK I was never in. Did loads of sport and camped all summer. Literally. I see some of the neighbors kids here who never go out. Taken to school in the car, brought home and play computer games / watch tv seven days a week. I think it's all up to the individual and has little to do with country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Very interesting! I'm tempted to send this to my in laws, in the UK, who believe that kids are better off in Oz because of the, "healthy food, outdoor lifestyle and aaaalll of the free things to do".They never believe me when I tell them it's not really like that...they think I'm just a whinging pom with homesickness!...there may be some truth in that though I lived as a child in both countries and would say each balanced out each other in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I think kids can be just as healthy and outdoorsy in either country. Growing up in the UK I was never in. Did loads of sport and camped all summer. Literally. I see some of the neighbors kids here who never go out. Taken to school in the car, brought home and play computer games / watch tv seven days a week. I think it's all up to the individual and has little to do with country. Yes individual but I'd include environment as well. Some places are more condusive to outdoor activity than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 If the kids in the uk and australia are both having the same issues, it must be due to the same things. If kids in 3rd world countries are the opposite it makes identifying the issues fairly easy. 1) Internet 2) UK tv shows. (SBS and ABC here) 3) availability of fast food 4) availability of welfare 5) throw away societies 6) materialistic societies 7) money (see 1,2,3,4,5,6!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-15/mixed-aracy-report-card-on-youth-wellbeing/4574294 60% of young people are sedentary. So much for the out doors / sporty life A third are over weight or obese. So much for the healthy lifestyle 1:5 use drugs. So much for less social problems Teen pregnancy rates are some of the highest in the developed world. So much for kids not growing up as fast here Youth unemployment is an issue. So much for better opportunity. It's not surprising. Oz is no different to any other developed country. It has issues. You omitted the positives - lowest rate of smoking in the world & no of people grsduating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 It is very clear to anyone that a country doesnt just automatically make a child happier, our Brisbane born and bred kids are as happy as larry here and do the exact same things. Some kids who are moved to Australia will be better off, others wont and the rest will just do they always have. Often I think it makes parents feel better to think their kids are better off, its natural. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 You omitted the positives - lowest rate of smoking in the world & no of people grsduating. Actually it said the youth smoking rate is among the lowest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Having lived and worked around the world, I think the developed world has similar issues. Oz, doesn't escape them. Regarding happiness. The happiest kids I have ever seen were in the DRC. They had nothing. Lived in mud huts with no running water or electricity and a life expectancy of 42. But they would be all laughing and grinning all the time. The most popular toy was an old bicycle wheel that they would run with pushing it with a stick. A treat was a piece of sugar cane. Yes and some of the happiest kids I've seen have been in India.Just goes to show hey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 It is very clear to anyone that a country doesnt just automatically make a child happier, our Brisbane born and bred kids are as happy as larry here and do the exact same things. Some kids who are moved to Australia will be better off, others wont and the rest will just do they always have. Often I think it makes parents feel better to think their kids are better off, its natural. Yes totally agree.My Adelaide born kids are the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I loved my childhood in Sydney. I hated my childhood in Perth. I loved my childhood in the UK. The main difference was the friends I was with. The actual places were largely irrelevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 That is exactly the crux of it, the country is irrelevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I think it just depends on how the parents bring them up and what kind of friends they have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 Exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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