Honey, We're Killing the Kids
Encyclopedia
Honey, We're Killing the Kids is the name of a BBC
television series in which parents are shown the consequences of poor parenting. The program shows computer-generated images
of what their children may look like as adults if they continue with their present life-style, dietary
and exercise habits
. The name of the show is a parody of the name for the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
movies.
First, a family with issues relating to their parenting, dietary and exercise habits is introduced. Then, the children are examined by physicians and psychologists, and every aspect of their eating habits and physical activity is analysed by an expert team. Then, the parents are shown what their children may look like by taking present-day photos of them and age-progressing the photos with a computer year by year until age forty. The parents are frequently brought to tears when presented with the likelihood of their children's unhappy future appearance and significantly reduced life expectancy.
Some traits are exaggerated for effect. Highly variable traits such as clothes, hairstyles, jewelry, eyeglasses, facial hair, and so forth are added to the computer generated images based on guesses by the show at the social and educational impact current poor parenting may have on the children's future lives. These guesses at highly variable traits are swayed depending on the outcome predicted by the show's child experts based upon the likely life expectancy, state of health and emotional stability of the children. Bad haircuts and glasses may be used for the before version while the after version has the computer generated images smiling and wearing a suit. Another example, in the premier TLC episode, an eight-year-old boy was given a mullet
, an earring, nerdy-looking eyeglasses, and a soul patch
at age fifteen. In another episode, an eight-year-old girl was given a bad case of acne
as she went through her teenage years. Rosacea
, obesity
, tooth decay, and hair loss also seem to be common ailments added to the age-progression. These guesses at personal traits are present in all episodes to dramatise the harmful physical, emotional effects of a poor diet and poor parenting, and the major impact the show's experts say these are likely to have on the children's future well being.
The show follows families' home lives for a period of four weeks. During this period they follow a manual of instructions written by experts including a child psychologist, a fitness expert and a dietician. At weekly interventions to this regime they are critizised by the show's host and given three new 'rules' targeted at each family specifically, to help them be better parents. Rules have been primarily aimed at the children, including both diet and exercise, but there have also been a couple of rules for adults, such as giving up smoking (and in one case going back to university). Practices such as 'Home Cooking' and 'Get Active' have been introduced, but also recommendations aimed at fostering emotional stability such as "Honey Time," a practice encouraged where the parents set aside time before bedtime, to praise positive things their children have done that day. It is generally accepted that positive reward and praise of children is likely to enhance their social and educational chances in later life, by making them more confident and emotionally secure.
Many families are from socially deprived backgrounds and derive significant benefit from simple improvements in diet. The show also features many second families or blended families reflecting widespread social upheaval and change in traditional modes of parenting, and focusing on the dilemmas of stepparents and stepchildren.
Despite the arguably exaggerated computer generated images, the show has contributed to a widespread public debate about parenting which has included the television series Jamie's School Dinners
initiated by Jamie Oliver
in the UK. Perceived as a worthy enterprise by public broadcasters, the show continues to be commissioned internationally.
The British
edition is hosted by Kris Murrin. The American
edition of the one-hour weekly series appears on The Learning Channel in the United States and the Food Network in Canada
; the first season was hosted by Dr. Lisa Hark
, a nutritionist
by trade. The second season is hosted by Felicia Stoler
. The Australian version of the show is hosted by Child Development Specialist Dr. Anne Purcell and airs on Network Ten
. The New Zealand version of the show is hosted by Dr. Louise Schofield, and airs on TV3
.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series in which parents are shown the consequences of poor parenting. The program shows computer-generated images
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
of what their children may look like as adults if they continue with their present life-style, dietary
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
and exercise habits
Habit (psychology)
Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks...
. The name of the show is a parody of the name for the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (franchise)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is an American Disney comedy franchise that consists of two theatrical films, one direct-to-video film, a TV series, a 3D theme park attraction, and a playground...
movies.
First, a family with issues relating to their parenting, dietary and exercise habits is introduced. Then, the children are examined by physicians and psychologists, and every aspect of their eating habits and physical activity is analysed by an expert team. Then, the parents are shown what their children may look like by taking present-day photos of them and age-progressing the photos with a computer year by year until age forty. The parents are frequently brought to tears when presented with the likelihood of their children's unhappy future appearance and significantly reduced life expectancy.
Some traits are exaggerated for effect. Highly variable traits such as clothes, hairstyles, jewelry, eyeglasses, facial hair, and so forth are added to the computer generated images based on guesses by the show at the social and educational impact current poor parenting may have on the children's future lives. These guesses at highly variable traits are swayed depending on the outcome predicted by the show's child experts based upon the likely life expectancy, state of health and emotional stability of the children. Bad haircuts and glasses may be used for the before version while the after version has the computer generated images smiling and wearing a suit. Another example, in the premier TLC episode, an eight-year-old boy was given a mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
, an earring, nerdy-looking eyeglasses, and a soul patch
Soul patch
The soul patch is a small patch of facial hair just below the lower lip and above the chin. It came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was a style of facial hair common among African American men, most notably jazzmen. It became popular with beatniks, artists, and those who frequented...
at age fifteen. In another episode, an eight-year-old girl was given a bad case of acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
as she went through her teenage years. Rosacea
Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic condition characterized by facial erythema . Pimples are sometimes included as part of the definition. Unless it affects the eyes, it is typically a harmless cosmetic condition...
, obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
, tooth decay, and hair loss also seem to be common ailments added to the age-progression. These guesses at personal traits are present in all episodes to dramatise the harmful physical, emotional effects of a poor diet and poor parenting, and the major impact the show's experts say these are likely to have on the children's future well being.
The show follows families' home lives for a period of four weeks. During this period they follow a manual of instructions written by experts including a child psychologist, a fitness expert and a dietician. At weekly interventions to this regime they are critizised by the show's host and given three new 'rules' targeted at each family specifically, to help them be better parents. Rules have been primarily aimed at the children, including both diet and exercise, but there have also been a couple of rules for adults, such as giving up smoking (and in one case going back to university). Practices such as 'Home Cooking' and 'Get Active' have been introduced, but also recommendations aimed at fostering emotional stability such as "Honey Time," a practice encouraged where the parents set aside time before bedtime, to praise positive things their children have done that day. It is generally accepted that positive reward and praise of children is likely to enhance their social and educational chances in later life, by making them more confident and emotionally secure.
Many families are from socially deprived backgrounds and derive significant benefit from simple improvements in diet. The show also features many second families or blended families reflecting widespread social upheaval and change in traditional modes of parenting, and focusing on the dilemmas of stepparents and stepchildren.
Despite the arguably exaggerated computer generated images, the show has contributed to a widespread public debate about parenting which has included the television series Jamie's School Dinners
Jamie's School Dinners
Jamie's School Dinners is a landmark four-episode documentary series broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded between Spring to Winter 2004, in which it featured TV chef Jamie Oliver attempting to improve the quality and nutritional value of school...
initiated by Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
in the UK. Perceived as a worthy enterprise by public broadcasters, the show continues to be commissioned internationally.
The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
edition is hosted by Kris Murrin. The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
edition of the one-hour weekly series appears on The Learning Channel in the United States and the Food Network in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; the first season was hosted by Dr. Lisa Hark
Lisa Hark
Dr. Lisa Hark is a nutritionist, and the diet and lifestyle consultant presenter for the American version of the BBC television series, Honey, We're Killing the Kids.-External links:*...
, a nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
by trade. The second season is hosted by Felicia Stoler
Felicia Stoler
Dr. Felicia Stoler is an American registered dietitian and exercise physiologist who has hosted Honey, We're Killing the Kids, a television series originally developed by the BBC that shows parents the consequences of poor parenting, using computer-generated images of what their children may look...
. The Australian version of the show is hosted by Child Development Specialist Dr. Anne Purcell and airs on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. The New Zealand version of the show is hosted by Dr. Louise Schofield, and airs on TV3
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
.
See also
- ObesityObesityObesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
- Childhood obesityChildhood obesityChildhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects...
- Cardiovascular diseaseCardiovascular diseaseHeart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
- DietingDietingDieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
- Healthy eating
- Human weight
- Junk foodJunk foodJunk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...