We’re getting fatter and nobody seems to know how to fix it, writes ADAM HUGHES. The answer is actually very simple.
Obesity in Britain is now at the worst it has ever been, and is sadly getting worse. Related health problems increased by almost a third last year and now one quarter of adults are obese. Last year the NHS spent £4.2 billion on treating overweight patients and this figure will rise if something is not done to combat obesity more effectively.
This is all not to say that the Government is not trying to do something about our obesity epidemic. In 2009 £275 million was spent on the Change for Life campaign (slogan: Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer). In schools there are ‘Fruity Fridays’ and ‘Food Dudes’ who aim to get children eating healthier foods. As well as this £2.2 billion was ring fenced by the Government to combat obesity, from making school dinners healthier to promoting the five-a-day message and labeling food clearly. But none of it seems to have worked.
There is a view that if people are becoming overweight and having problems, it is their own fault and should sort it out on their own. But, unlike alcohol and tobacco, we can’t live without food, so banning it is out of the question. Denmark has a fat tax, France has a sugar tax – so should be do the same thing? Yeah, try it and watch the “nanny state” accusations flow in. We have become too used to sugar and high-fat foods as a nation. We could, however, try to subsidise healthy foods and make them more readily available or cheaper in the same way fast food is.
Of course, it’s not just about the food. Britons are no longer exercising as much as they used to. We could counter this in school by installing more periods of PE every week (and expanding the range of exercise options available so it’s fun instead of a chore. How about Zumba?) and introducing free school meals for all pupils. Yes, this will cost money to set up, but the NHS would recoup the savings within a few years. It is an investment in the future.
Right now, it’s more expensive to buy fresh fruit, fresh veg and all the other healthy options than it is to stock up on processed snacks. Nobody wants their children to go to bed hungry, so why don’t we subsidise healthy food? Employ more health professionals to visit new parents and show them cheaper, healthy alternatives. As mentioned earlier, spend a little now and save a lot later.
