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IT’S NOW HALFWAY through January but I bet there are still biscuits and chocolates lingering around your house.
And I bet you plan to recycle them at a book club or a brunch any day now.
But with the majority of Irish adults overweight and children’s tooth decay on the rise – it’s time to think about the real cost of that sugar-loaded gift.
I have four kids and crazy dentist bills. I do my utmost to provide a healthy diet but I am regularly torpedoed by visitors laden with “treats for the kids”. Do they not know our life is one round of yellow and pink Lego and unicorn birthday cake?
It’s really difficult to show up empty-handed but it’s likely your host will thank you for it.
I received an email last week begging all book club members not to bring anything that evening. At first, I was mildly annoyed that I couldn’t shift the box of Milk Tray I had earmarked, but on reflection, I had to agree.
Being a barrister, my friend’s email was extremely persuasive. Her reasons included the fact that she will end up eating the chocolates in low moments herself, the kids will plague her asking if they can open the biscuits that she can’t bring herself to chuck out, she has enough dodgy wine already and there are selection boxes still hidden in the shed.
The message was clear – don’t waste time and money dashing to the shops for stuff nobody wants and don’t dare offload the sugary trash you already have on me.
The latest Healthy Ireland survey showed that 62% of Irish adults are overweight and the Irish Dental Association estimates that the HSE does around 10,000 tooth extractions under general anaesthetic annually on kids. That’s a lot of tooth decay and weight gain that can’t get shifted in Ireland today.
The diet industry in the US alone is worth over €50 billion annually. Look around at your own colleagues, friends and family and see how many are trying and failing to eat better.
Surely boxes of unwanted biscuits sniffing around the house until March is not what most of us need. Nobody wants to waste food but sometimes you need to throw out all that bad stuff and just start afresh.
We all like a treat but let it be one we choose ourselves – a dessert when eating with friends or a shared slice of cake over a gossip. And not just bingeing on stuff at home because it’s there.
So try it next time – just go along empty handed with a bright smile.
If you must bring something – why not turn up with ripe mangoes or a fresh pineapple? Better still what about some flashy nail polish or a decent face mask? Just ask any teacher would they prefer a pressie of chocolates or a bottle of olive oil and you’ll have your answer.
You could bring good quality coffee or tea, flowers, a decent book, art materials for the kids. Something you would welcome into your own house and not just leftover trash food that you are looking to shift on – that isn’t really a gift at all.
Next time you are the host try telling your friends and family not to bring anything and let’s all start to break the vicious cycle of junk food gifts.
Mary McCarthy is a freelance journalist and desperate housewife.
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it so hard being the wife of multi millionaire footballers these days..especially in the world of social media….thank heavens we still have quality journalism to keep us all informed of the dramatic distractions …i mean… events….of such national importance.
@Dave Hammond: Rebekah’s reply was: “I can’t believe this…I’m pregnant and on holiday”
@Dave Hammond: The best part is we exist in a post phone-hacking world and yet the first assumption, at least by Coleen and the vast majority, is still that this information was “legitimately” obtained by the Sun…
On a completely unrelated note, I have this inheritance money from my Botswanan Great-Aunt and I just need some help moving it into the country…
@John Considine: what you need is a shyster, plenty of them in Ireland.
@John Considine: No way John. We most be cousins as I too have the same aunt! If you, and any other long lost cousins out there want to send me €500 each, to cover admin expenses, I’ll organise a family reunion??
@Dave Hammond: the funny thing is that these stories always get waaaay more views than any others. We must be all wag fans….
@John Considine: Of all the African countries you could have chose you picked the least corrupt. Also your Aunt is Motswana.
@Stevie Doran: she shouldn’t be flying if shes that heavily pregnant
I had to ‘google’ who is Rebekah Vardy and despite that this is one of the best stories I’ve this year. People are calling Rooney WAGatha Christie on Twitter.
@Smidgen Dublin: she’s the partner of one of my key fantasy football strikers and good value goal goat Jamie Vardy. So when you read about a WAG it’s their partner who is famous. No need to google really.
@Chewey Bacca: I foudn that out through google. No need to reply and explain. Really.
@Smidgen Dublin: please remove yourself from google and the internet. People are commuting to pay their carbon tax reading your nonsense. Suggest you post something on the Turkey Kurds story.
@Chewey Bacca: please remove yourself from google and the internet. People are commuting to pay their carbon tax reading your nonsense. Suggest you post something on the Turkey Kurds story.
Sc#mBag Newspaper!!!!
I wasted 2 minutes of my life reading this story…
@Michael Geraghty Bodycoach:
Really??? Now you can understand Brexit….
Can’t believe the Rooney’s basement didn’t flood… I was so certain…
I feel betrayed now…
@Cowboy Paddy: hahaha same
My American cousin once asked politely… Why do all English footballers seem thick?
Hope he is not reading this!
Can I suggest bikini mud wrestling? No.
@Vin: solves everything!
This is not sports news, must be a slow day, this belongs in the gossip page
Chat s**t, get banged
Classy.
Oh I put stuff online and somehow other people saw it . I wonder how duh !!
Why is this thrash even news Jesus wept, keep this for glossy women’s mags, mainstream media outlets are becoming progressively worse all the time, there was a time when nonsense like this would have been frowned upon now the dumbed down generation lap it up.. Sad
@Jonny: or you could always just mind your own business.
@Jonny: Yet it’s at the top of the most popular stories clicked on.
@David: there’s always one.. Dear me
@Thunder Snowman: yeah women and millenials
Self proclaimed Liverpool fan selling stories to the S#n. Disgusting.
@Fergus O’Connor: You are assuming she did it, and that she wasn’t hacked. No true Liverpudlian would deal with the Sun, even if she detested Rooney, which it doesn’t seem like she does…
Who gives a s*it?!!
Mrs vardy has said that she did not need the money which sounds plausible enough but the sun may have had info on her. The sun and its readers are the bad guys here
@Noel O Sullivan: nail on the head. The sh*trag wouldn’t exist if the knuckledraggers didn’t buy it. That’s who I blame.
Rebekah if its any consolation you are my no strings.
#Dontbuythesun #totaleclipseofthesun
2 clowns
I think I’ll take Vardy out of my Fantasy football team now . And he great fixtures coming up…. flip
Cute move ,i like it….
Rebekah Vardy should ask for an extension on the friendship like Boris
How about learning some decorum and not sharing anything on any digital medium and keeping your cake hole shut about your short and pathetic life, love.
You have to be careful how you speak and treat your family and friends. I heard of relatives and friends that dont speak after years of friendship.
Wealthy women gasbagging. News.
When I seen John Duggan retweet it, I taught to myself. Is this where we’re at now!!
Conal thomas. Get a real job man. This has nothing to do with sport. You’re a very sad man
A battle of their fake t*ts will sort this out.rooney playing around again
It must be great to have the time
It’s funny if you go through the female sports articles on the 42 there’s zero comments in the comments section but two wags fighting and the comments section goes into melt down lol
@Jason Fogarty: and the funnier thing is, the majority of comments are from men
@Suzanne Bell: I know they should be ashamed for bringing themselves into disrepute lol
Who is Coleen Rooney??
#buythesun
This will send Wayne over the edge….any granny hookers in the vicinity are in the crosshairs.
Maybe Boris could mediate for them… he’s mighty at negotiating
Who is Colleen Rooney??
#buythesun
I don’t blame anyone only you Conal .. RUBBISH ..
She is no friend
To the 42 ::what the hell is this doing on the 42::you are about “”SPORT “” not this sh#t for GOD sack have some pride for your NAME
Coleen Rooney better have all her ducks in a row, otherwise she may will be on the receiving end of a Libel action me thinks.
I honestly couldn’t give a s##t,when your famous and have a social media account your private life is over,plus without having proper prove Coleen could be sued for slander etc!
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