The UK is now the fattest Nation in Continental Europe. Two thirds of Brits are either overweight or obese.
I am not saying if you are one of the two thirds that you are a bad person. In fact, quite the opposite. I am the same person inside as I was when I was overweight. I feel completely different though. Just like the Prime Minister, who said “I was very ill when I went into ICU, I was very, way overweight. I was too fat” , and “like many people I struggle with my weight. I go up and down”. “You feel so much better if you lose weight”. He says he wants to “be sympathetic to people and understand the difficulties they face with their weight …many many people face and just to be helpful’. “You feel more energy if you can get your weight down.”
Why is Boris finally taking this issue seriously? Fear. He is highly motivated to change because he has been struck with the realisation that he could have died because he was overweight. Fear is the most powerful motivator of all. It is a primal instinct that served us as cave dwellers and still serves us today. It keeps us alive, because if we survive a bad experience, we never forget how to avoid it in the future.
Boris survived the coronavirus despite being in a high risk category and doesn’t want anyone else to go through the trauma. I don’t think he wants to preach, bully, punish, confront or shame anyone. He has shared his own very personal struggles. I believe the Government wants to campaign to motivate and inspire us to change. This really works. A weight loss plan sounds like a great idea, but it is compassion, understanding and acceptance that will make the difference. Positive change happens when we are ready, feel accepted and safe. We are our own worst critic without needing it from the state.
Finally, Boris said,
“You’d also be protecting the NHS, our beloved national institution, for whom we owe so much. I owe them my life”.
The food industry is still complaining about the sugar tax and other measures like calorie counts on processed foods and menus.
The problem with the proposed labelling system is it will include olive oil, which is a very high calorie food. Fats have over double the calories of a simple carbohydrate like sugar or bread. We have been told for years that bread and ‘healthy whole grains’ are a very good choice. The trouble is this diet has led us to this situation. So maybe the food pyramid of 1992 needs to be revised. Anything that contains cheap vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup or sugar should definitely have a warning label on it.
Instead of bashing the food companies, many of whose profits are dependant on processed foods, made with cheap vegetable oils and high fructose corn syrup, why not encourage them to produce more healthy foods? It is possible. For example, Oppo ice cream is sugar free and sweetened with stevia. Lo Dough makes high fibre pizza bases and brownie mixes.
I really believe the benefits of giving away free vegetables (not potatoes or chips!) would outweigh any healthcare costs. Free broccoli and leafy greens will also help give a boost to British farmers and the hospitality industry. The free £10 voucher for eating out could easily be for vegetables and salads. That would be a win win. And a positive encouraging baby step.