How to tackle obesity?
Discussion
There has always been reports on increasing obesity, but maybe we reached the tipping point in this current pandemic. I am no health or behavioural expert, but I seriously doubt eliminating fast food adverts >9pm will make a dent to this issue!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57144922
Maybe time for drastic measures such as.. [lets hear your ideas].
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57144922
Maybe time for drastic measures such as.. [lets hear your ideas].
In before
someone says it's because healthy food is expensive
someone (everyone) else disagrees
everyone blames it on "eating crap"
the usual suspects crop up saying they can make healthy meals for 27p a go and think everyone should live on tomato pasta, mince, boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables, or super yummy flax oil / quinoa / extract of lemon
(it's a mental health thing more than anything)
someone says it's because healthy food is expensive
someone (everyone) else disagrees
everyone blames it on "eating crap"
the usual suspects crop up saying they can make healthy meals for 27p a go and think everyone should live on tomato pasta, mince, boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables, or super yummy flax oil / quinoa / extract of lemon
(it's a mental health thing more than anything)
Just heard this on the BBC News channel. One million hospital admissions "for obesity".
Admissions where weight played a part, not referrals or outpatient visits, actual overnight stays. That's just crazy.
Bring back "fat shaming" at school.
Ban mobility scooters for people who are obese without a sound medical cause.
Counselling and addiction support groups for people who just eat too much.
Admissions where weight played a part, not referrals or outpatient visits, actual overnight stays. That's just crazy.
Bring back "fat shaming" at school.
Ban mobility scooters for people who are obese without a sound medical cause.
Counselling and addiction support groups for people who just eat too much.
Teach nutrition at school.
Teach healthy eating and cooking at school.
Promote more variety of excercises in school, give kids the option of excercises at school, teach them to enjoy excercise instead of forcing them to run or swim, if kids have body confidence issues, they will then try and find any way out of the excercises that cause them issues.
Teach people that they dont need to cut out the foods they enjoy to be healthy, they just need to eat them in moderation.
Regulate companies that sell diets, its not good to tell people that drinking several shakes a day is a good way to lose weight, people dont stick to a diet because they have to cut out the food they enjoy.
Stop demonising food groups, carbs dont make you fat, fat doesnt make you fat, overconsumption of calories make you fat.
Stop using BMI as a measure of healthy weight.
Stop using the standard calorie intakes and educate people on how to work out what calories they need daily.
Teach healthy eating and cooking at school.
Promote more variety of excercises in school, give kids the option of excercises at school, teach them to enjoy excercise instead of forcing them to run or swim, if kids have body confidence issues, they will then try and find any way out of the excercises that cause them issues.
Teach people that they dont need to cut out the foods they enjoy to be healthy, they just need to eat them in moderation.
Regulate companies that sell diets, its not good to tell people that drinking several shakes a day is a good way to lose weight, people dont stick to a diet because they have to cut out the food they enjoy.
Stop demonising food groups, carbs dont make you fat, fat doesnt make you fat, overconsumption of calories make you fat.
Stop using BMI as a measure of healthy weight.
Stop using the standard calorie intakes and educate people on how to work out what calories they need daily.
Petrol-level duties on sugar and junk food.
Can't stuff your face with rubbish when a Mars bar costs £4.
Also means that when you do have a burger or a chocolate bar it will be that much more enjoyable.
Alternatively, rationing of high-calorie foods. It'd be fairer at the cost of spending millions administrating the vast bureaucracy this would create.
As a fat person with the self-discipline of a toddler I would be willing to suffer for the good of the NHS
Can't stuff your face with rubbish when a Mars bar costs £4.
Also means that when you do have a burger or a chocolate bar it will be that much more enjoyable.
Alternatively, rationing of high-calorie foods. It'd be fairer at the cost of spending millions administrating the vast bureaucracy this would create.
As a fat person with the self-discipline of a toddler I would be willing to suffer for the good of the NHS
I'll openly admit I out a fair bit of timber on during the pandemic and lockdowns due to living a very lazy lifestyle during the initial 12 months especially. Thankfully I have now gone back the other way having made myself get back into running and watching what I eat.
On the subject of advertising though and banning fast food adverts before whatever time, I literally don't see any adverts as the TV I do watch is Netflix/ Amazon/ Youtube based as is my family so none of us see advertising at home at all.
What I have realised is that unless someone WANTS to lose weight for their own reasons it won't happen people need their own motivation to do it whatever that may be, I doubt banning TV adverts or even increasing tax on unhealthy food will ultimately make any difference unless the Tax was absolutely stupid which I don't see happening.
On the subject of advertising though and banning fast food adverts before whatever time, I literally don't see any adverts as the TV I do watch is Netflix/ Amazon/ Youtube based as is my family so none of us see advertising at home at all.
What I have realised is that unless someone WANTS to lose weight for their own reasons it won't happen people need their own motivation to do it whatever that may be, I doubt banning TV adverts or even increasing tax on unhealthy food will ultimately make any difference unless the Tax was absolutely stupid which I don't see happening.
I suspect this debate (not on PH, I mean related to today’s headline on obesity hospital admissions) will only focus on food intake and largely ignore the other side of the equation - exercise.
I eat like a pig sometimes, but I have a 30inch waist because I walk/run 70 miles a week, I cycle 100, and I play with my kids every day.
I eat like a pig sometimes, but I have a 30inch waist because I walk/run 70 miles a week, I cycle 100, and I play with my kids every day.
Why do you want someone who is obese to lose weight?
After all it's none of your business, much like someone saying that you look thin and need to eat more. Oh wait, that's what my Gran would say to me.
The point is, if someone is obese it doesn't effect anyone except the obese person and their long term health. As for costing the taxpayer more via the NHS, in the long run the obese have a shorter lifespan so they may end up saving the NHS money.
If a kid is obese it's up to the parent to do something about it, not the government.
Here's some ridiculous ideas.
Make car doors smaller so only 'normal' people can get in, and the obese are forced to walk.
Make people disclose their BMI when they book a taxi, and if it's over a set figure, decline service to force them to walk.
Make the doors of lifts narrower so the obese are forced to take the stairs instead.
Disconnect the internet nationwide at the weekend to force obese people to stop playing computer games and go outside to exercise.
Deny welfare to anyone with a BMI over a set figure to force them to lose weight so they maintain their welfare payments.
A lot of forcing of people to comply with the ideals of others.
After all it's none of your business, much like someone saying that you look thin and need to eat more. Oh wait, that's what my Gran would say to me.
The point is, if someone is obese it doesn't effect anyone except the obese person and their long term health. As for costing the taxpayer more via the NHS, in the long run the obese have a shorter lifespan so they may end up saving the NHS money.
If a kid is obese it's up to the parent to do something about it, not the government.
Here's some ridiculous ideas.
Make car doors smaller so only 'normal' people can get in, and the obese are forced to walk.
Make people disclose their BMI when they book a taxi, and if it's over a set figure, decline service to force them to walk.
Make the doors of lifts narrower so the obese are forced to take the stairs instead.
Disconnect the internet nationwide at the weekend to force obese people to stop playing computer games and go outside to exercise.
Deny welfare to anyone with a BMI over a set figure to force them to lose weight so they maintain their welfare payments.
A lot of forcing of people to comply with the ideals of others.
Other than perhaps in children, why do we need to tackle it? The causes of obesity are well known and so if people want to live unhealthy lifestyles, isn't that up to them?
I can see an argument that obese people put an unfair burden on the NHS but perhaps that issue could be addressed by (say) a duty on chocolate bars so that (like smokers and drinkers) those who consume the most unhealthy products will contribute towards the additional cost of their care that way.
I can see an argument that obese people put an unfair burden on the NHS but perhaps that issue could be addressed by (say) a duty on chocolate bars so that (like smokers and drinkers) those who consume the most unhealthy products will contribute towards the additional cost of their care that way.
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