NOW’S probably not the best time to bring up the sensitive subject of the nation’s waistline – not after the four-day Jubilee jamboree where we’ve guzzled our own weight in cupcakes, crisps and calorie-laden drinks.
But then isn’t that the problem – that every day is a Jubilee feast?
Kids are skipping breakfast and going to school on a bag of Monster Munch; adults are ducking out of cooking duties and pinging a ready meal in the microwave.
It’s Friday – the start of the weekend – and reason again to treat ourselves to a giant bag of crisps, a family-size bar of chocolate, a fridge-full of cold drinks, maybe even a takeaway or two as we unwind in front of the box.
None of this might matter if on Monday to Friday we switched to being good: eating our five-a-day; having a salad rather than a pasty for lunch; drinking plenty of water and padlocking the treats cupboard as well as switching off the television set and doing something more active instead.
But we’re not, are we? And our bulging waistlines are the living proof.
It is eight years since the World Health Organisation declared obesity to be a global epidemic – despite this red flag things have got worse, and look set to continue.
The latest Health Survey For England shows that six in ten adults and one in three children are now overweight or obese.
Frighteningly, forecasters warn that if no action is taken, by 2050 adult obesity will have risen from 26 per cent to 60 per cent, while child obesity will rocket from 16 per cent to 25 per cent.
Obesity not only wrecks our health, it also costs the NHS £5.1 billion a year and the wider economy £16 billion.
Dramatic intervention is needed – and needed now.
The Government must take the lead and face up to the food industry in the same way the powers-that-be stood up to Big Tobacco.
It seems incredible that in recent memory we used to be able to smoke at work, in the cinema, in bars and restaurants. We need the same turnaround when it comes to food.
In ten years time, we need to be shaking our heads in disbelief that health and fitness centres stocked crisps and Coke in vending machines; that the likes of McDonalds could sponsor an event such as the Olympics; that foods rather than fresh fruit and veg could be confusingly marketed as ‘One of your five a day’; and that it was cheaper to buy a giant pack of cookies than a punnet of strawberries.
So what can politicians do? A fat tax should be introduced, with monies used to subsidise healthy produce (which is often more expensive than calorie-packed rivals).
Vouchers for specified healthy foods could be given to people on benefits and low incomes. All schools should ban junk food from pack-ups and the make cookery and healthy-eating classes mandatory for children of all ages. Daily PE should be compulsory.
The Government needs to get tough on the food industry; forcing them to reduce sugar, fat and salt in their products and introduce a uniformed labelling system.
Restaurants and takeaways should print calorie and fat content on their menus and make sure there are healthy options for children, not the usual suspects of chicken nuggets, sausages and pizza.
We could take a cue from our cousins across the pond. Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a ban on sales of super-sized sugary drinks in restaurants, delis, cinemas and sports arenas. And this week, Walt Disney has said it will ban junk food ads on its TV, radio and online programmes.
We could copy those initiatives in the UK, but ultimately, we need to take responsibility too – and start making more healthy-food choices for ourselves and our kids.
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