How should we tackle obesity in the UK?

Question

What can be done?

Answer 1

why should we tackle obesity?

if someone enjoys their food and makes a decision to be the size they are then who are you to suggest we should do something about them?

Its like a fat person saying how do we tackle women dying their hair? Whats that got to do with anything - its someones choice to dye their hair just like it is someones choice to eat more than average and not exercise. Its got nothing to do with anyone.

If someone wants to be fat let them be fat. If someone wants to buy a Ford car let them buy a Ford car. If someone wants to go to the gym 7 days a week and eat healthily then let them do that.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR ANYONE ELSE.

Answer 2

There are a few things that could be done and it mostly involves children:

1) Have a nutrition and cookery class every week for 10-13 year olds. Generally people these days find it easier to get takeout because they cant cook. Also many people are unaware of what foods are good and bad for you.

2) Stop children from being allowed out of school at lunch or break times. The number of times I go past my local fast food chains and there are dozens of children in there eating chips, burgers and other junk food is unbelieveable. Alternatively make it law that proprietors of these extablishments are not allowed to sell food to children before 5pm.

3) In shops and supermarkets, reduce the cost of 'good' foods, such as fruit and vegetables; increase the cost of 'bad' foods high in fat.

4) Increase the amount of physical education and games that children do each day in school. Children should be doing at least 1 hour of exercise each day - make this a compulsory school activity. Offer free after-school activities at every school.

5) Fund school buses, instead of having children driven to school each day.

6) Stop fastfood advertising on TV fullstop.

These are a few things that could be done, but nothing will change until the government put more money into changing peoples habits. Short term results are not the answer.

Answer 3

We should tackle the reasons for obesity. Anoerexics certainly get a lot of attention, the same sort of attitude but in reverse. People eat because they're bored, out of bad eating habits, snacking between meals, inability to cook properly, or in my case, a love of cooking. And people eat because they feel bad, need comfort, or feel inadequate. No one overeats because they're hungry. They overeat because they're trying to fill a vacuum in their lives.
I overeat because I was told I was fat as a child by my (overweight!) grandmother - even though I wasn't. I have the pictures to prove it. I grew resentful and whenever I saw her, I would eat in defiance. For a long time I went around with the anger - no one would tell me what I could and shouldn't eat. My mother says it was a wonder I didn't turn into an anoerexic! If only she'd told my grandmother to shut up.
We need to teach people how to cook, about nutrition and exercise and the value of self-worth. Also, to take responsibilty for our own health - treats are just that and not to eat between meals! Other than that, it's our lives and our decisions. We make the best of what we've got.

Answer 4

Well everyone knows how to tackle it, its whether they are going to or not some people just don't care but personally i enjoy eatting healthy and having the odd snack but I do think things are slowly improving because now when things are advitised on tv there are fruit and veg where 10 years ago it would of been sweets and crisps and there is alot more fat free and healthy options foods out there

Answer 5

It ,s all down to the individual, why do people want to be fat ugly and unhealthy, People have enough sense to know what they are eating, pile on the pounds by eating fatty foods ,drinks, no excersise. The human race is far to lazy, with gadgets to do everything, the car is god, microwave food is nirvana, computers are the new excersise. Unless people can discipline themselves then obesity will become more the norm. Open up keep fit camps,make it compulsory for overweight people to spend a month in them or untill they are back to their normal weight.

Answer 6

Like it is being done to smokers : criminalize fast food and those who manufacture, sell or eat the stuff. It's for their own good after all, isn't it?



> How should we tackle obesity in the UK?
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Answer 7

It has to start with what parents put on the table for their children. If kids eat healthily, sweets and crisps etc are treated as occasional extras and not the norm then that will help. It must start from the formative years. School meals have much healthier options these days. I don't believe banning 'goodies' is a positive idea as children will sneak them as forbidden temptations...moderation and educating to eat healthily. I gave my children more savoury food as babies and it does seem to have lessened their cravings for sweets and rubbish.

Answer 8

Make people aware of the dangers of being overweight.
Give the kids at school better choices at tea time or lunch.
The parents should come to school to be educated about food and calories and start themselves cooking proper food in stead of the usual fish and chips or other take out junk.
Spend more time in the kitchen preparing good food and stop eating fast food:it is all rubbish and very fattening.
I should say:tax the extracalory foods,then maybe people would think twice before you get them in your grocery list.

Answer 9

i ought to admit, I do think of that between the optimum motives for increasing weight problems is using the fact all our element sizes are so huge at present. decrease back in my day (i'm not previous, particularly) a packet of crisps replaced into 25g and that replaced into that. at present they are extra like 40g, and that may not even the large length! So perhaps there is a few thing in this, yet they might ought to shrink the fee of the chocolate bar as properly of course........

Answer 10

I should be in charge of feeding fat kids, they would be skinny in a couple of weeks because I can't cook! My poor kids just pick at their dinners and push the plate away. Seriously, it all comes down to education. I wasn't taught how to cook even the basic meals, I only learned to do mash in my mid twenties so I buy those frozen meals that you thrown in the oven for twenty minutes and my kids aren't as healthy as they should be. Vicious circle, I can't cook so my kids don't see how and they'll be as bad as me and feed their own family the same way, we should be taught in school. Nutrition isn't understood or instilled and it's wrong and it's that simple to sort out.