Rickets And Cod Liver Oil...

[sandyRoe]

Did the spoonfuls of cod liver oil we were forced to take when we were children mean we grew up straight limbed and in no danger of getting rickets?

[emmie]

sandyr, i know some who worked in Middle East who took to drinking after shave, it has alcohol in it, more inside than splash it all over, and burping that stuff must have been distinctly odd.

[emmie]

ummm, how many can cook full stop. Going on the supermarket queues, you see trolleys laden with prepacked goodies, more of that than a joint of meat, and veg, i think for some it convenient, others perhaps a degree of don't know how to cook even simple, nutritious meals.

[boxtops]

Kids don't play outside half as much as they used to, these days - half the time they're not allowed to get dirty, let alone spend all day in the open air.

The prevalence among Asian (and no doubt other Middle Eastern) communities is documented - much time spent indoors, when outdoors there is very little skin showing to receive the vit D from sunlight.

[woofgang]

sqad, loads of schools (and parents) don't allow kids outside without sunscreen on!! It would be interesting to factor in such things as socio economic status and ethnic origin to find out what is going on.

[ummmm]

I don't know anyone who can't cook. I also don't know anyone who lives on junk food.

[Sqad]

woofy....naaah!....sunscreen in my opinion does not reduce the metabolism of Vitamin D.

[emmie]

i do, however i base it on the observation around me, visiting the supermarkets, bored standing in a long queue, look at what others have bought, see what is stocked in supermarkets, you get fresh meats, but much much more ready meals. Stick it in the oven and away you go, no messy cooking, straight out of the package onto a plate. wonder how many would own up to that though on here, or indeed own up to what their children will or won't eat. You have to factor in eating out as well, fast food places like McDonalds, KFC, Burger King. and many more.

[emmie]

boxy, my link does say that, about Asian, Afro Caribbean and Middle Eastern children having this problem, i was going to highlight it but some can read links i am sure,

[boxtops]

I'd own up to it, em - well cooked, no waste, great idea when you come in late from work and don't want to waste time prepping. And let's me honest - some of us just don't like cooking. I don't.

[boxtops]

Indeed emmie - I've done some work about this in the past, which is why I came back to it.

[emmie]

so perhaps some of those cases are those from those communities, or those who never let their children play out, or are covered head to foot, never exposing the skin to sunlight.

[Sqad]

boxy.......you can't be a "good cook" and have 23 badges on AB.........;-)

[boxtops]

LOL sqad, you could be right there :-)

[woofgang]

emmie if that was the case, then there should be a difference between boy children and girl children and in any case, as small children, when the bones are growing, they aren't required to cover up.

[sandyRoe]

hc4361, I used the words, 'grease' and 'lubricate' loosely. I'm sure I've read somewhere that fish oil may help protect joints.

[emmie]

i have gone off cooking in a long while, i still do it because i think most packaged food stuffs more expensive and i don't know what is in it.
I do eat the occasional take away, but try to eat fresh fish regularly,
i also more time - but with some pre planning most could do it. Some ready meals have so much salt content you only have to look at the packaging. As to the original question, perhaps it is becoming prevalent because of all the reason mentioned, and also that like some other so called eradicated diseases are making an unwelcome comeback.

[woofgang]

It had just occurred to me that I and my generation didn't routinely take cod liver oil and grew up free of rickets.

[woofgang]

bu emmie, rickets isn't a disease caused by a virus or a bacteria, as I understand it, its a symptom of low calcium and vit D levels in childhood. Therefore there must be some kind of environmental reason for its resurgence...or maybe some kind of genetic predisposition?

[emmie]

woof, i see many Asian, African children in the capital, many are covered head to foot, some of the little girls wear a burkha, some of the boys also wear what one would term traditional dress. The freedoms shall we say enjoyed by western children in the past and now, may not be so enjoyed by children who's families have a different take on their child and it's life.
one local junior school majority of the little girls are dressed in burkha, niqab. It is not an Islamic school by the way.

[woofgang]

That's interesting Emmie. Round here the adults seem to wear traditional dress and sometimes the women are heavily covered but the children of both genders wear western style play clothes. Teen boys seem to stay in western clothes but many of the teen girls assume the same styles as their mothers.