You’re in charge of the Gov policy on tackling obesity. Give me your five point plan...

[MrsGrindah]

I’m sick of reading lots of vague pledges . What , in your experience , would work? NB I’m not Michael or Boris just interested having struggled with weight all my life. You don’t have to cost it etc..just what do you think would work if it could be done.

Mine would be:

1. Sugar fines or levies not taxes on producers of core foods eg processed food and drink manufacturing. Fines have a completely different association than taxes
2. Weight management education running through a variety of classes eg home Ed, biology, PE etc. at school and also part of any childcare classes
3. School meals to have complete overhaul. No pizza, chips etc. More expensive yes but cheaper than the cost of obesity
4. Zero tolerance on fat shaming in schools.
5. Doctors to have more rights to refuse treatment for weight related health problems ( unless life threatening) until patients agree to a weight loss plan of action that is supported by suitably trained healthcare professionals.

FFS. I meant it IS as simple as that.

But carbs, sugar and fat ( especially together ) are delicious.

Ration food, but in such a way that those who have a poor diet at the moment have better access to a good diet, i.e., to raise people up as was done in WWII.
Set up “people’s canteens” serving health and affordable food, particularly for those lacking adequate cooking facilities, e.g., in temporary accommodation. Rations could be spent there.
Build proper cycling routes.
Build more sports centres and swimming pools, give people tokens to use them (taxed like the high income child benefit charge, so that everyone gets them or you have to opt out if you can afford it yourself).
PE every day in schools. This is what we had growing up.

3. Human milk banks available locally and free to use for children up to 2 years old.

You really have to be having a laugh with this suggestion.

Where are you getting the milk from? Other mums, how are you going to convince mums to go through the hassle of expressing milk for other peoples toddlers without being paid?
The same toddlers who are munching all sorts of stuff. What's wrong with normal formula or cows milk?

Not to mention how is that going to help obesity?

@Wolfgirrl

For myself, I needed at least twice daily IBCLC support from birth with DD1. This would be very expensive to provide.

@Blackbear19

Donors would be paid. Again, this would be very expensive in terms of taxation. There is also the risk of the poorest prioritising milk for the bank over their own baby. UBI (again very expensive) would hopefully ameliorate this.

Everything on my list would require massive investment and much higher taxes akin to Scandinavian levels. I highly doubt the majority of English taxpayers will ever be willing to pay that level. Nothing on my list has the remotest chance of happening. It's pie in the sky.

If Scotland chooses independence, a majority of Scots might choose a Nordic model of taxation. I personally voted No in Indyref but I have changed my mind in the wake of Brexit.

@stargirl1701

No idea what IBLBC means

So basically bring back wet nurses

Heard an interesting statistic today from a cardiologist. He said 50% of doctors and nurses are overweight. But even more interesting 75% of food in NHS canteens is ultra processed.

• all ready meals, processed foods, snacks, sweets to be in plain packaging and advertising of them banned

• invest in research into, and then treatment for, the psychological and emotional drivers of overeating.

• campaign to change the culture around snacking and calorific drinks. Children may need snacks up to a certain age (I don’t have any, so no expert), but I’m pretty sure most adults don’t.

• promote active travel (cycling and walking) and build the infrastructure to support them

That’s only four - I may come back with a fifth if I think of it.

@ShesMadeATwatOfMePam

My solution - home economics back into the curriculum and immediately invest millions of pounds into high quality and easy to access mental health care.

I'd write that into my plan. I personally think that MOST, (not all) weight problems are caused by people being unhappy and not knowing how to deal with it. They then reach for something to take the pain away and indulge in food. As we know, mental health therapy is generally expensive in this country and not well covered by the NHS. As you have implied, kids need to be taught nutrition and where food comes from and also how to live as far as possible to live within means.

@Bercows

There are so many factors. Childhood sexual abuse is a factor in eating disorders. A friend of mine could lose weight but views her fat as a protective layer to guard against sexual abuse. She's an adult now and that man is long dead but the issues remain. Another friend used to say once he hit 15 stone he'd do something about it. He never did. The mechanics are simple but the emotions are not and an individual approach is necessary.

I totally agree with you. My mum was and is a narcissist and used to say in a busy street (probably within earshot) that people are fat and disgusting and should lose weight. I used to occasionally confront her and she used to say 'good, it's the state of the country... it's horrific. They needed to hear it!!!' She used to say it about the little girls visiting their grandparents next door also. They were obese children, but as most of you would probably agree, it didn't need to be from her critical mouth. My mum's overweight too She needs to feel she is better than others by putting them down. Common tactic.

Teach people how to very easily work out their calorie requirements and how to work out a calorie deficit

Free weights kit for every household and free online streaming of weightlifting classes

Vouchers for athletic clothes

Sell a much wider range of healthy calorie controlled ready meals

Free fruit and veg with every purchase

Yes and teach people how to weigh out food, cook healthy meals and use apps such as My Fitness Pal.

• Stop making it "OK" to be fat. That's not the same as fat shaming, recognise that it's a difficult problem to solve with complex causes but also that it is a problem. Big might be beautiful in some eyes but it is never OK for health and shouldn't be seen as normal.

Remove the link between medical research and food companies. The sugar industry and their sponsored research is how we got here about a "healthy" low fat high sugar/carb diet is how we got here.

PE in schools needs completely redoing, especially in secondary. At my DCs' school if you weren't good at football you were in set 3 and basically left to entertain yourself for 5 years of PE lessons. Guess what the unsporty kids achieved in that time?

• Ban cars from the areas around schools at start and finish time. It will need some sort of plan for residents but make it easier to walk or cycle than to drive.

• Proper cycle networks so families and others can safely cycle without harassment from motorists