Adrian's musings
Obesity
Posted 10-17-2007 at 11:35 AM by Adrian69702006
Obesity
Today it was announced in the news, as though it were something remarkable, that by 2050 half the UK population is likely to be dangerously overweight and this is could well cause a major public health problem.
There is nothing ‘new’ about this news however. The rise in obesity in recent years due to changing eating patterns, the ready availability of fast food and the adoption of increasingly sedentary lifestyles is well enough known to the world. It needs to be acknowledged that the causes of the problem are many and complex. For many the pressures of modern life are such that they have little time to think too much about what they eat and be too picky about what they put in their mouths. Only a lucky few really have the time to devote to studious healthy eating.
Furthermore, people resent being nannied, a fact which has been all too evident following recent well intentioned attempts to ‘reform’ school dinners. Of course the Government cannot afford to completely ignore the problem. At the same time, no Government should fall into the trap of believing that obesity is a problem for which there’s a ‘quick fix’ solution. Providing sensible (but not nannyish) dietary advice, encouraging participation in sport and regular exercise – and maybe imposing Excise Duty on confectionary would all be good starts. Perhaps the best start off though would be to stop going on about it ad nauseum. The frequency and extent to which obesity is allowed to claim the headlines is actually part of the problem. The more it’s talked about in the media the less inclined those of us who carry a stone or two more than we should are to do anything about it.
Today it was announced in the news, as though it were something remarkable, that by 2050 half the UK population is likely to be dangerously overweight and this is could well cause a major public health problem.
There is nothing ‘new’ about this news however. The rise in obesity in recent years due to changing eating patterns, the ready availability of fast food and the adoption of increasingly sedentary lifestyles is well enough known to the world. It needs to be acknowledged that the causes of the problem are many and complex. For many the pressures of modern life are such that they have little time to think too much about what they eat and be too picky about what they put in their mouths. Only a lucky few really have the time to devote to studious healthy eating.
Furthermore, people resent being nannied, a fact which has been all too evident following recent well intentioned attempts to ‘reform’ school dinners. Of course the Government cannot afford to completely ignore the problem. At the same time, no Government should fall into the trap of believing that obesity is a problem for which there’s a ‘quick fix’ solution. Providing sensible (but not nannyish) dietary advice, encouraging participation in sport and regular exercise – and maybe imposing Excise Duty on confectionary would all be good starts. Perhaps the best start off though would be to stop going on about it ad nauseum. The frequency and extent to which obesity is allowed to claim the headlines is actually part of the problem. The more it’s talked about in the media the less inclined those of us who carry a stone or two more than we should are to do anything about it.
Total Comments 2
Comments
 | Right Im off to eat a fresh cream cake and a full fat milkshake.... |
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| | That to me sounds like an excellent idea. |
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