Is it online?

Anyway, every time I read stories like this Roll out of obese ambulances I get a bit depressed and wonder…

“What should the government be doing to prevent this growing problem?”

Cut benefits to the poor one would assume.

Is it online?

http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/

I misread that headline as ‘Obese patients rolled out to new ambulances’. 🙂

Used to chat to Tam Fry quite often in my previous life.

“What should the government be doing to prevent this growing problem?”

It’s a complex multifactorial problem linked with consumer freedoms, education, health intervention, mental health and sedentary lifestyles.

The government could and should intervene more, but something that will have a genuine and swift impact would end up looking pretty authoritarian and unpopular.

Like what though Martin?

This is a time of unpopular political decisions, some that aren’t for the good of the nation.

The Food processing industry and sugar levels must also bear part of the blame, although my dear old dad used to have a saying when anyone discussed being overweight “Nobody ever came out of Belsen fat” he’d say. To a certain extent he’s right, how can the immobile obese ones maintain body weight without someone feeding them?

Whan can the Government do? Get stricter with the food industry, charge overweight folk extra for essential services and the airline industry could start charging everyone who flies by their total weight including baggage thereby not penalising those of us who work hard to maintain their weight at acceptable levels in spite of the temptations of beer, chocolate and white death rolls..

“What should the government be doing to prevent this growing problem?”

Leave them alone, they’ve got enough on their plate…

What a controversial topic TSY! I may well post later, once I’ve taken my drugs and located my armour.

Its just moved from smoking to fat

This is a time of unpopular political decisions, some that aren’t for the good of the nation.

Banning or placing significant tax on many processed foods and placing severe restrictions on alcohol availability, taking more control identifying child obesity in school, including penalties for parents who don’t engage with weight loss therapies and strategies.

Basically enough stuff to fuel ‘sad face’ stories in the Mail for a Millennium.

No politician will be prepared to properly grasp the nettle on this one, so we’ll carry on passing the disease of obesity from generation to generation.

charging everyone who flies by their total weight including baggage thereby not penalising those of us who work hard to maintain their weight

Not sure about this. Doesnt this penalise tall people as well?

food industry have been far too effective at lobbying the government.

The NHS, the governments own advisors have been asking for much tighter regulation but very often its ignored

heart disease is a bigger killer than cancer now (and obesity increases cancer risk)

its not impossible, education and importantly tax and legislation have greatly reduced smoking

just needs government genuinely willing to do something about it, anything in labours manifesto?

Whan can the Government do? Get stricter with the food industry, charge overweight folk extra for essential services and the airline industry could start charging everyone who flies by their total weight including baggage thereby not penalising those of us who work hard to maintain their weight

I’d just take fewer clothes, and trust me, no one needs that in their life.

the guys in the lab need to come up with low calorie foods that taste as good as the high calorie ones.

You’ve missed me right C_G?

I’d like to see a country where children get to attend their local primary school, the one that’s within walking distance of their houses and the parents have enough time to walk them there. A small step that may start people on a lifetime of activity…

the guys in the lab need to come up with low calorie foods that taste as good as the high calorie ones.

Doesn’t work always though. The sensation of sweetness, even if it doesn’t come from actual sugars, eg Diet Coke, is enough to make you crave more food. Making healthy food substantially cheaper than processed food by taxes and subsidy, and alcohol as affordable as it was in earlier decades, when wine/beer was an occasional treat for most households, is probably the only way to start weaning people off calorific stuff.

Basically the only way to stop the rot is to impinge on personal freedoms to such an extent that no government would contemplate it.

the airline industry could start charging everyone who flies by their total weight including baggage

would make no/little difference really. The passengers and their luggage are only a quarter of the overall weight of the aircraft, so much so that most airlines assume a passenger weight of 100kg anyway (it’ll average out about the same taking into acct children, large folk, regular sized folk, and so on). if you guess 200 passengers on a 737/a320, then it’s 20 tonnes, the MTOW is 85 tonnes…most of that is fuel.

Its just moved from smoking to fat

As it should. It’s just a shame that we (as a society) are always playing catchup trying to repair the damage wreaked on us by greedy corporations trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of us with no regard to our health.

What’s truly sad is the brainwashed apologists who think it’s their right (duty even) to ruin their health as much as possible. 🙂

I’d like to see an analysis of the cost of providing drugs and healthcare for the typical obese patient versus the cost of providing them with gym membership or buying them a bike or a pair of roller skates.

Free roller skates on the NHS. That’s the solution.

It’ll either work or will be hugely entertaining.

its all bobbins.

Im fat. Not because i eat processed foods (i do) but because i enjoy stuffing my face with sweets.

same reason why people smoke and drink. I know it will be bad for me but it doesn’t stop me. Its not that i need educating (thats a waste of time). Its not that i need pricing out of the market. The only way is to make it socially unacceptable.

Most fat people have fat friends. Its self perpetuating.

A proper tax / minimum pricing on high sugar foods would be a good start. If a can of full fat coke cost £5, that would probably make a difference.

Ah but.. nanny state.. blabla…

What’s truly sad is the brainwashed apologists who think it’s their right (duty even) to ruin their health as much as possible

well, TBH, in a liberal individualistic society it pretty much is their “Right” As a govt you can only educate, inform, and invest in ways of helping people who want to change (just like they did with smoking, and to an extent with Alcohol) But no, I don’t think we should intervene to prevent people from being as fat as they want.

It’s just a shame that we (as a society) are always playing catchup

This is what depresses me.

Basically the only way to stop the rot is to impinge on personal freedoms to such an extent that no government would contemplate it.

You’d admittedly struggle to call yourself a political ‘party’.

But no, I don’t think we should intervene to prevent people from being as fat as they want.

Well this is an interesting point. Most people don’t actually want to be fat.

well, TBH, in a liberal individualistic society it pretty much is their “Right”

Of course it is. Just a shame people have no self control over their greed/selfishness, as it makes society weaker as a whole. (although I appreciate they’ve been preyed upon, so arguably not entirely their fault)

I don’t think we should intervene to prevent people from being as fat as they want.

So we just need to intervene to make people want to be less fat?

If only people could be educated to cook and feed themselves properly.

If only people could be educated to cook and feed themselves properly.

Way more complex than that.

Comfort eating is a huge factor.

Chapeau to the author for choosing to reference ‘new ambulances rolled[/b] out. Made me smile almost as much as a colleague who once inadvertently asked reception to ‘wheel in’ the accountant who’d arrived forgetting he was in a wheelchair.

Whilst a nanny state isn’t ideal, it’s becoming imperative given the obesity epidemic. Education is the key, compulsory parenting classes would be a start, but until we reverse the current lack of it simply ban any product with excessive sugar or put a tax so high only the bankers and football agents can afford it – win win. Why do we allow drinks so high in sugar? Similar tax/bans on ready meals with excessive salt/fat content, tax relief for gym/fitness class/swimming/any sport related expenditure for personal use, ban fast food outlets from within close proximity to schools or even the high street. And before anyone suggests we adopt a similar approach to alcohol I’d be fine with that too!

So we just need to intervene to make people want to be less fat?

I’ve seen photos of sexy people on holidays in C America on Facebook. Once the #strangest had worn off, I resolved to be less Labrador, more whippet.

tax relief for gym/fitness class/swimming/any sport related expenditure for personal use

This.

Although for purely selfish reasons.

Fatty here, I actually know a lot about diet and fitness from when I actually did them…

But fell into a rut of letting it slip and then it just seeming to hard to get back to “normal” it is not an educational problem more attitude I believe.

I’m seeing the light now and need to be healthy to be around for my kids, fitted into a 36″ pair of trousers today for the first time in years!

I’m not sure what the solution is, but think it is more a social problem than anything.

I’ve seen photos of sexy people on holidays in C America on Facebook.

😆

A proper tax / minimum pricing on high sugar foods would be a good start. If a can of full fat coke cost £5, that would probably make a difference.

Are you going to pay the difference to those of us that can consume full fat coke in a responsible way?

Some of us burn a lot of calories exercising each week and simple sugars are perfect for fuelling that.
Some of us also have health issues that make consuming energy dense foods more healthy for us than what is traditionally perceived as a healthy diet – maybe you’ll start providing coke on prescription?

Got to say this particular issue winds me up no end as I’d end up significantly worse off because the rolly polly club have no self control.

TSY I don’t think we need to intervene to make people “want” to be less fat, I think that’s probably pretty well established. I think the issue is that a) the causes of obesity aren’t universally clear, and b) the interventions to make people less obese aren’t universally clear either.

That there will be a long term impact isn’t contentious, the longevity stats are worryingly getting shorter again (men by 6 months at 65 and women by a year at 65) and some of the blame for that is “probably” obesity.

Comfort eating is a huge factor.

Yes and the fact that sugary sweet things are delicious and lovely. Can’t get away from that.

I do believe education needs to start at school.

What is the point of our children learning the reproductive life cycle of a fruit fly, but not the benefits of healthy diet and exercise?

Why teach them complex trigonometry but not how to calculate their taxes, mortgage, interest rates etc, budgeting for household etc?

More money to schools for PE, active school trips and after school clubs, make sport and physical activity fun and a priority alongside lessons.

I’ve never seen the point of kids reeling off facts for SATS, much prefer they were equipped with life skills and a healthy education and understanding of how their bodies work.

fifeandy, I have to say your post is ill-informed. You probs don’t burn all that much extra calories by cycling (humans are pretty good at adaption to exercise), and it’s often more nuanced that having a lack of self control for the folk facing a growing waist line.

Are you going to pay the difference to those of us that can consume full fat coke in a responsible way?

no, it’s called the social contract, it’s why you can’t have a fully auto AK-47 or consume Heroin responsibility either

Some of us burn a lot of calories exercising each week and simple sugars are perfect for fuelling that.

If it’s purely to get sugar into your body, just add some sugar to water (maybe with a drop of squash for flavour) and drink that. I’ve just saved you a fortune, and no need to fret about a potential tax on Coke. You’re welcome! 🙂

fifeandy, I have to say your post is ill-informed. You probs don’t burn all that much extra calories by cycling (humans are pretty good at adaption to exercise)

Or maybe its you that’s ill informed?
Testing has shown that even trained cyclists burn calories at a rate of approximately kcal = Power(W) x 4 x Time(hours)

So i’m not that big, so we’ll have a conservative estimate that my average power is 125W. And I did 371hrs last year. = 185500kcal
A coke can has ~140kcal
So by my reckoning that’s 1325 cans of sweet sugary goodness i’ve burned.