“Food firms must be part of obesity fight.” Actually – you may have just switched off or even tried to ignore it – but these experts in the Times
do agree (on one thing at least!) that food firms must be part of the obesity fight. Everyone knows the rates of coronavirus will increase as we approach the ‘flu season.
Libertarians talk about our freedoms when it comes to food choices. But, unfortunately it’s the less educated who are at greatest risk of obesity and poor health. Foods and drinks with added sugars, fake fats and suspect ingredients are often no longer just treats, they are a daily choice. Many children (and adults) would have had a packet of crisps in their lunch boxes (/with a G&T) every day. Crisps are addictive. They trick our taste buds to crave more and more. Food engineers create them in food labs to profit ‘big food’.
The success of the soft drinks industry levy proved it is possible to reduce sugar when brands and retailers are incentivised by government. Personally, I love the photo at the top of the page. It was part of a New York campaign to show people that sugar made them fat. Yuk, would you drink that?!
Do we listen to health experts anyway? Do overweight people feel understood? I know when I was struggling to lose weight, I certainly thought most people were out of touch with my life and couldn’t help me. I struggled to find the answers. Governments do have a responsibility to do whatever they can, because if they don’t there will be more deaths and Covid deaths.
I have even heard of a hospital consultant telling his patient not to try to lose weight, but ‘just try to be sensible’. Isn’t everyone ‘trying to be sensible”? It’s not working! If your current diet and lifestyle isn’t helping you lose weight (if you’re one of the two thirds majority), that advice just won’t work. In fact, it’s shameful – but then, I know doctors are trained in medicine not nutrition and lifestyle. They are lucky if they spend six hours studying nutrition in five years medical training. Doctors don’t know everything. Even though they are very academic, remember they are trained in prescribing medicines and carrying out highly skilled and complex medical procedures. Even though doctors are entrusted with our health, they don’t have all the answers. No one cares more about our health than we do.
I believe incentives will help – as well as snack/sugar taxes. Healthy real food alternatives and incentives will change people’s habits. Encouraging us to lose weight and stay a healthy weight works a lot better than being ‘told off’. We can change our habits with support in a weight loss programme and seek help to uncover the hidden blocks, often psychological that prevent real results of weight loss for good. Some health insurance companies give discounts on their policies for adding in healthy habits or giving up smoking. How about being given a gram of gold for every kilo of weight lost like they did in Dubai?! So many people run the London Marathon to raise money for charity.
Having a really exciting goal or reward at the end of it can make all the difference!
More on snacking from The Telegraph, as the reason nearly a third of Britons put on weight during the coronavirus lockdown, according to the largest survey so far into behaviour changes during the pandemic.
King’s College London and the health company ZOE had more than 1.6 million answer a lifestyle questionnaire which showed that the average increase in weight gain was 1.6lbs – and some people have gained nearly half a stone. Most say it’s been caused by snacking, not exercising as much as usual and drinking more alcohol.
There is also a big regional difference in the weight gained across the UK. with Scots, northerners and Welsh people gaining almost twice as much weight as those in the south. Remember, obese people are more likely to get infected and hospitalised from coronaivirus because of the inflammation in fat/adipose tissue.
The study’s lead researcher – Professor Tim Spector, of King’s College London, (and he knows what he’s talking about) – urged the Government to extend the sugar tax to junk food and make fresh fruit and vegetables more affordable because “we had a problem before and it’s getting even worse”. He said, “In my view, banning junk food adverts isn’t going nearly far enough. We need tougher measures, such as extending sugar taxes to junk food and subsidising fresh fruit and vegetables. With these and much better public education, (warning of the dangers of diabetes, heart disease and cancer) we have the opportunity to have a real impact on health in the UK.” It’s not only the tax bill for extra medical need it’s the social cost of losing loved ones that is the most dreadful loss.
I understand how difficult it can be to change habits, because we live on auto- pilot most of the time. We don’t even recognise what we do. When we’re uncertain, we look for comfort (crisps/chocolate were given to us when we were young by parents and grandparents) and now a chilled glass of dry white wine or fizz really hits the spot! It’s really hard to swim against the tide, especially when you so desperately want results but keep on sabotaging yourself.
Do you think snacks should be taxed? Should vegetables be subsidised or even given away for free? Or do you think it’s up to each person to be responsible?
Your health is your biggest asset, more than money and as important as time. Health is often taken for granted, especially when we are young. If you have ever been affected by losing someone close to you, or had a health scare or long-term condition yourself, I am certain that you will agree. It’s never too late to want to change, even if you’ve tried lots of things before.