Hidden Glasgow 4. Attitudes to public health

Clearly I owe the inspiration for today's blog to this sign floating over a marvellously sunny Buchanan Street (amazing pedestrian shopping mall in city centre) this morning.

This banner brought a derisive snort from me, so I thought I'd share why this is, and some of the differences I've noticed in the public perception of 'health'.

Breastfeeding vs Formula feeding as a matter of choice? So of course it's great that the small number of people who physically or psychologically can not breastfeed have formaula. It's even fab that those who give it a try but find it too painful, exhausting or time consuming can switch to formula. Especially if they have the encouragement to stick with it as long as they can. There shouldn't be anything to feel guilty about. But to my Australian sensibility, formula feeding shouldn't be a choice that can be made before you have a baby in your arms. To date, I have seen ONE mother BF in public in Glasgow (apart from me.) Now, keep in mind that I have 2 young kids, so hang out in parks, cafes (hah if only they really knew what a cafe was here!) etc, and you simply do not see it. Ever. I breastfed Madeleine twice in public, (she was about 18 months) and both times was subject to looks of absolute horror! People would really prefer to see a baby with a bottle full of Irn Bru or even RED BULL! (yes this is 100% true) in their pram than a mummy doing the most natural of things and feeding her baby. Even a Dr here told me that I'd fed her 'too long' and not to 'feel too guilty that you've caused her to be underweight'. Well of course this is nonsense, but I was so disheartened I stopped nursing soon afterwards.

I hope this sign starts to help people see that breastfeeding should be welcome in Glasgow, but part of me thinks it will take more than a sign to change the stupid attitudes of women and girls who think that it will give them 'saggy boobs' (newsflash darling, that would be pregnancy and ageing!) deny them use of their 'fun bags' and is 'creepy'. (sadly those last two are quotes from a recent British magazine article.) For now, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, you don't see it, so people don't feel it's a comfortable choice.

Choice and school lunches We had an orientation at school, and although it was (I sincerely hope) meant to be a joke, they said that they encouraged healthy eating, but it was the parent's judgement, so "If you send them with nothing but a packet of jaffa cakes, we may suggest you include a grape with the packet tomorrow". Coming from a land of no plastic wrap, no sugary snacks, no cakes or biscuits (even homemade), no crisps (chips), no drink but water, etc etc... this was shocking to say the least. I feel that parent's misguided notion of choice is once again depriving their children from the very best practise in health. Because I am not going to send my child in with an unbuttered multigrain roll and 2 carrot sticks if Struan MacWhatsy has nothing but crisps, biscuits, chocolate and juice. Of course my daughter has a balanced lunchbox, but I do occasionally include some home made ANZAC biccies or a small packet of quavers (similar to twisties). I would be much happier knowing that everyone had a healthier standard of lunches rather than having to junk mine up to ensure she fits in at the table.

Smoking An absolutely ghastly amount of people here smoke. It felt like going back in time ten years in Australia where it was acceptable to light up while pushing a buggy (stroller) or sit on a bench next to a new baby while smoking. Blergh, won't miss that one when we get back to Australia! I found some UK data suggesting that 34.7% of women in the UK smoke, substantially more than the global(18.9%), OECD(25%) and European averages (27.6%). While 36.7% of men smoke, this is the same as the global average and a little less than the European average (40.7). I do wonder how many of these scary sounding percentages reside in Scotland.

Alcohol It's not so much a 'wee dram' that people seem to consume here. Booze can be purchased in the supermarket, making it accessible and very cheap. Tonic wine (Buckfast) has been blamed for a lot of the alcohol fuelled problems around Glasgow, and it is pretty nasty, containing caffeine along side the alcohol.

Diet So many people eat prepared food- I thought the Woolworths slogan "Australians are fresh food people" was just marketing BS until we moved here. Can't wait to have a fruit and veg section bigger than the prepared food section. Salt, fat and sugar are tolerated in a way that they aren't in Australia. Conversely, there is a LOT more pressure for women to be thin, made up and very well presented. Not sure I want to know how that works.

All these things are being worked on, there are public health campaigns all over. The country's life expectancy is consistently among the lowest in Europe, so the incentive is there. And so I sign off hopeful that messages such as the optimistic 'Glasgow welcomes breastfeeding' become truths rather than ironic symbols.