According to the news, within the decade up to 75% of British people will be obese.
What would you want to see done to stop it?
Just to start you off:
- I would like the law to demand that every fast-food outlet (pizza, burger, chinese, indian, kebab, fried chicken etc) HAD to stock at least 2 low-cal, low-fat meal options
- I would like the law to demand that ready meals manufacturers were obliged to replace high-fat, high-cal foods with low-fat, low-cal options where feasible (e.g. low-fat margarines and mayonnaise, reduced fat coconut milk etc etc)
- I would like manufacturers to have to put prominently on the front of their product how much fat it contans in total, how many calories it contains in total, and how many servings it is.
I would like every NHS building to provide free help to people with obesity problems, guidance etc not just a diet sheet with do not eat, avoid etc...........help should be available to all addictions!!
I would demand that GP's and Health Promotions departments believed exercise professionals like myself really do know what we are talking about.
I am absolutely sick of being told that obesity automatically precludes people from doing any exercise. I know that is rubbish, I have 2 morbidly obese, housebound clients. They exercise daily!!
I suppose I just don't agree with the philosophy that when diet sheets and patronising talks don't work we'll medicate, operate or ignore!!!
Stef - teeny rant avoiding big shouty rant narrowly!
I think Stef and TQ are totally right - but you are all talking about treatment, not prevention.
How do we promote healthy eating in people in the first place?
"The right to be fat" is yours to take if you want it, and always will be. But frankly, most people who are fat don't want to be. And most people who are obese do not want to be. Helping this generation of children not to be something they don't want to be (and which is not good for them) is important, isn't it?
Sorry, I'm not from the UK (but I wish I WERE). I'll be visiting soon.
Veggie: You should visit NAAFA and join with them. None of them believe in weightloss, just rights for the obese and size acceptance. They have absolutely no interest in losing weight, unlike 99% of the people who visit 3FatChicks.
Here's my suggestion for combating obesity, for workers anyway-
This works at my university, it's called WellStaff:
You may take a 1.5 hour lunch break (instead of 1 hour) as long as you sign in at the rec center to exercise for at least 30 minutes (you get 30 min. for a shower and 30 more for lunch - a sweet deal). It really worked in my department.
We also have special programs for nutrition (once a week they provide lunch, and we all do a 20 minute walk before the class).
These programs are optional, but seeing the dismal statistics, I think they should be mandatory. In Japan workers have to do light exercise before work, why shouldn't we? And the Japanese don't even have overwhelming problems with obesity.
I'd start at the begining - Ban TV advertising of fast food chains and sweets during children's programming, more education on healthy eating and the long term health effects of obesity in schools, including a ban on chips and burgers etc from school meals, low price veggies for all and a van that delivers fresh produce daily (and cheaply) in housing estates and places that have no nearby supermarket.
AND (this should cause a stir) I'd ban all commercial slimming clubs, ie those that make a profit from "helping" us slim.
I'd ban all the confectionary and fast food comercials, just like the government banned tobacco ones. I know it's not realistic but imagine the difference if your didn't see the bounty advert in the middle of Coronation Street and instantly think you wanted something sweet.
I'd give tax benefits to companys like Yaseta's in an attempt to encourage more to be like it.
I'd promote healthy lifestyle, exercise and all that, through more commercials, radio advertising, bill boards. Not just the odd one here and there - there would be millions of them
I'd find ways of lower gym memberships, grants, tax free benefits. And make sure that all council ran sport centres, swimming pools, etc. provided child care in the evenings and weekends as well, not just during the day when lot of people work.
I too would enforce an eateries ruling where they had to have at least a couple of healthy options on the menu - not just vegatarien options covered in sauce. Did actually see a sign in McDonalds, saying that calorie counted meals were availble, you had to ask the counter staff for details. Like they had time to explain in peak times !!!!
I would increase the activites availble to child and teach basic nutrution from a very young age at school.
When I had the boys, we were given lots of advice on how to feed them as babies, but beyond that not a lot. No advise on what fussy 7 year olds might like. I would increase that nutrution advise to parents until a child is fully grown.
I would also make fruit and vegetables more easily availble. bring back green grocers. Also some kind of voucher scheme along with benefits, so all can afford out of season fruits and salads. Please don't any one take offence at that. i think we should all have the choice to eat healthy and not be penalised by income and availbilty
At the boys school, the nursery class are given a different piece of fruit every week, but that only covers the nursery not the rest of the school.
Forgot one - I'd like to see the same kind of sympathetic advertising for 'slimming products' like there is for smokers wanting to quit. I'd like to see helplines and patches (if only) for weight losers advertsied on TV and weight loss and exercise classes, available on perscription from GPs, not just that impractical diet sheet
Best get off my soap box now else I'll be here all night
Obesity
