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.

I was just thinking rationing.

I can cook. I don't indulge on takeaways. No one stops me doing exercise. But, I am overweight. Whatever good intentions I have, or how I have meal planned, it's often scuppered by the mountains of food in the supermarkets.

We live in a society of excess, and I find it repulsive. I am sure a point system could be easily established.

But you never know, a second wave and it could seriously reduce the amount of food coming into the country, so it might resolve itself.

France has ready meals, fast food chains just like the uk.

TheSun I didn’t say it didn’t. I said it would be hard to get to their level. We are ranked at about 40. France 120 and Japan 166 in average weight. I didn’t look it up just recalled that they are lower in particular. Obviously there are other countries that too.

I would change the way P.E and games are taught in schools. My lovely DS1 is not a natural sportsman. I have terrible trouble persuading him to do anything active. Last year his junior school started a lunchtime basketball club that he was so excited about. He went to every session and really enjoyed himself. After a few sessions they split the children into two groups the A team and the B team. They decided that practices were only for the A team, and he was no longer allowed to attend. When children are being actively discouraged from exercising in this way, it makes it much harder.

If there were companies producing fresh ready to eat meals (that people want to buy and eat) then some could be allocated to people on a subsidised basis that cannot feed themselves properly for whatever reason; mental health, illness, poverty etc etc. But obviously avoiding stigma - I am not talking about food vouchers - thinking more of along the lines of the government helps the growth of new business to produce the right type of food /meals and in return they produce a certain number of healthy meals to distributed to those who need them.

I think that it should be decisive - not a tax on sugar and not banning adverts before the water shed - outlaw the "fake" food completely and encourage new products to take their place.

Free or heavily reduced gym membership.

Increase the price of junk food. Perhaps blank package it, as with cigarettes.

Cookery lessons in schools and freely available for adults who want/need to learn.

Stop body shaming.

Reduce the cost of fruit, veg and fish.

I think working hours and the fact that mostseholds need two incomes to function is a big reason people don't do home cooked meals so much anymore. I would introduce a four day week as standard (pro rata for shift jobs), and have 'meal prep Mondays' where we all cook along a bunch of meals for the freezer with Joe Wicks. He got millions of people doing star jumps so I have faith!

Address food deserts.
Teach cooking skills but not just hearty stews full of veg (even though that is ideal). You have to be realistic and think chicken goujons in breadcrumbs, white fish in egg and flour and fried. Homemade wedges. Junk food that isn't really junk because its not heavily processed.
Maybe free exercise classes (free to consumer) in areas of deprivation.
I'm trying to lose my lockdown stone. I haven't cut out crap completely but I have set myself strict limits. In poundland I bought a variety pack of biscuits but they come in packs of two. I eat my two and that is IT for the day. I've swapped my liquorice allsort habit for dried prunes but only 5 a day. So far I've lost 3 pounds so its slow going but if I don't keep losing the biscuits will have to go completely

Sort out the prices of foods. 6granny smith apples = £1.60. 4 Kit Kat chunkys £1. I know what I’d rather eat and they aren’t good for me.
More cookery lessons at school. My dd is doing gcse catering and has been taught to make all kinds of things, risotto, shepherds pie, curry, sweet and sour, soup, but those not doing that option have no idea how to cook unless they are taught at home and my home economics lessons consisted of baking cookies, cakes and cheese straws for the 6 week rotation That we did cooking. (I was lucky and taught to cook at home Though)
More emphasis on the benefits of breastfeeding. Someone commented on this earlier in thread and I admit when I first read the thread it didn’t spring into my head immediately, but there is a lot of research that says its really beneficial for a healthy weight in childhood.
Eating out and takeaways have become such a big part of the economy, which is why the government are pushing the eat out to help out campaign. Unfortunately the majority of food that will be consumed through it will be crap. Even the food bought in high end restaurants will be calorie laden and full of unhealthy cream, fats and other unhealthy stuff (it might be delicious, but that doesn’t equal good for you). We need to get back to eating home cooked meals and smaller portions.

@mathsmonster Agree totally. I’m an old bugger now but when I was a kid PE lessons were a torture rather than being a fun way to move around.

My DCs prefer Quorn nuggets to chicken (though no real health advantage I don't think) having had them at school, I don't think we'd have tried them if they hadn't had them at school so there's a lot of room for widening taste there.

Actually, my 5 point plan would be Universal Basic Income.

Totally agree

Mine though:

Been discussing this on another thread - sort of

1 annual health checks for everyone

It’s absolutely ridiculous that we have a reactionary rather than a preventive approach to healthcare. It’s far cheaper and better for the patients in the long term to prevent rather than treat. Or at least to treat early.

I would include in this screening for:

Diabetes
Thyroid disorders
Heart disease
Gynaecology conditions where patient reports abnormal symptoms.

These also very much contribute to weight gain!

2 Overhaul school (and college and university) food/health culture

No more letting kids off campus at lunchtime without specific permission

Proper ‘home cooked’ style
Meals cheaply available - not chips with everything washed down with coke!

Proper cookery lessons that are inclusive and teach children to cook healthy, tasty, cheap and relatively simple meals from scratch

PE lessons for all 3 hours a week - but drop crappy things like netball and rounders for things kids will actually enjoy doing and isn’t competition based, but the focus on health and well-being so could include aerobics style classes (no idea what’s in at the moment but 1 school I went to did this in the 80’s and it was really popular! V few “I’m on my period” notes for those classes!), yoga, light free weights...

NO vending machines selling crap!

3 improve the nations work life balance

Better pay and fewer hours - we work ludicrously long hours in Uk

We massively need to improve conditions for the low paid in particular

Improve transport systems massively so commuting doesn’t take so damn long and isn’t as bloody stressful!

Improve childcare provision and costs

Provide free/very cheap access to exercise gyms and classes both at home and near workplaces. I was at my fittest/healthiest as a forces dependent working as a civilian on base. The whole culture was very health and fitness focused and I was going to the gym or for a run every lunchtime and having a quick but healthy lunch at my desk before returning to work which I was able to store in the fridge and in winter reheat leftovers from home in the microwave.

4 overhaul the general food environment

Ban advertising of all “junk” food and I include in that low cal but full of chemicals “diet” products and not just on tv but radio, billboards, magazines...the lot!

Fix food deserts

Ban “special offers” that encourage excessive eating. Not just bogof but eg the WHSmiths massive choc bar promotions, “supersized” meals etc frankly I’d ban all special offers on food and drink.

Reduce portion sizes in restaurants and takeaways - they’re ridiculous! I’m a fatty and a supposed single portion of whatever from most fast food places would easily do me 3 meals!

Boost farmers markets and other sources of healthy fresh food

Hospitals and care home food improved

Workplaces required to provide suitable and enough storage and simple cooking facilities for employees.

5 Free 1 hour a week therapy for all

Very much an ideal world thing but I really do believe most people would benefit from support in maintaining mh - again back to prevention rather than cure. Pie in the sky as at the moment even the very unwell can’t get help!

I’d also make sure this was accessible as a major problem at the moment is the office hour nature of most nhs outpatient services means so many simply can’t attend appointments

Stress slows metabolism, increases blood pressure, contributes to stomach issues and buggers your immune system. Yet this is repeatedly ignored.

I’d LOVE to know how many of those who had to be hospitalised with covid had high stress lives. I know a few who were admitted and they ALL had very stressful lives due to a variety of reasons - caring responsibilities they were getting little support with, money worries, relationship difficulties, work stress...

Funny there’s been no stats published on that!

1. Ban supermarkets (along with it vast food wastage, unseasonal produce and unnecessary standardisation). Obviously never going to happen but that is the vast cause of the problem.

1. Continue to subsidise British farming on the basis that farmers continue to provide food that seasonal, sustainable, local and high welfare.

1. Set up local co-ops on every housing estate and in every village, with long opening times and a delivery service (e.g. a milkman type arrangement). Redirect local and national produce and 'wonky' (normal) veg that would have gone to supermarkets. Make the co-op responsible for local school dinners, meals on wheels and 'community kitchens' with adequate funding supplied to do so. Encourage (paid or incentivised) community involvement.

1. Proper home economics lessons in schools, Special Ed Schools, FE colleges and available through community based settings such as the newly reinstated sure start centres (Of my dreams). Accessible to all people of all ages and and all abilities. Grants for decent pots and pans on completion of the course.

1. A national campaign much like the ones already in existence but better funded and promoted around diet and nutrition, C25K and proper support (even if it's just web based) reasons people binge/overeat/ indulge.

I think it's important to educate the next generation:

Make "healthy" food more accessible by teaching children about nutrition and how to cook = new / old home economics from y7-10, that includes quick, easy budget meals!

Give subsidies to children's sports clubs to makethemaccessiblefor everyone. (£5-7 per lesson for football/ gymnastics/ karate and even more for swimming is too expensive for many parents)

Increase the sugar tax (that should include sweetners). Use the proceeds to subsidise fresh foods and pulses imports.

Tax highly processed foods the same way as sugar tax, to subsidize the sports clubs.

Get people off antidepressants and other medications that are associated with weight gain asap. Make use of the great outdoors and prescribe walking, cycling or swimming instead. This should workin a similar way as traditional group therapy. (Exercise is known to help with depression) Inlist the help of local sports clubs and organisations such as park run to implement the "prescription".

Treat it as a mental health problem.

I can lose weight easily but I can't keep it off. I need support.

Not group support clapping and talking about points in sausages. One to one tailored to me.

My five point plan
1 Don't abolish ready meals but legislate for them to be really delicious but low in calories... enormous beautiful salads like the prepackaged ones you can buy in France
2 Wine or alcoholic drinks with a high sugar content to be heavily taxed and all alcohol to be much more expensive
3 Build pavements and cycle paths everywhere - stop creating an obesogenic environment
4 Shorten the working week to allow people time to cook and exercise
5 Challenge the idea that baking icing and eating cakes should be a regular hobby.! That and the "mummy needs gin " culture DO NOT help !

Financial rewards for loosing weight and maintaining it.

As a veggie of over 30 years I can assure you it's entirely possible to eat a crap vegetarian diet as well as a good one.

I've been guilty of it myself

Equally I know plenty of slim healthy meat eaters...and fat very unhealthy ones!

I've also known fat and unhealthy vegans before anyone goes down that route.

It's not as simple as that single issue

Personally as an ex nurse as well as a fatty I'm very against diets which eliminate whole food groups (which vegetarianism doesn't do, you just eat different protein food to meat eaters)

Our bodies need all food groups in the right proportions for health, yes even fats and carbs!

Many nutrients need components of other foods in order to absorb them most efficiently.

A truly balanced diet containing healthy protein, fruit & veg, carbs, fats, carbs and fibre is essential to health.

Where we go wrong is eating too much of certain ones, more than we need.

I heard a nutrionalist once say that in our society the surprise is not that anyone is overweight but that there is anyone who is slim.

my plan would include:
nutrition and cooking taught in schools up to 16.
we should invest properly in cycling.
ban fast food outlets.
clear and consistent food labelling.
national campaign for healthy eating. .not just 5 a day.
substantially increase tax on sugary drinks.

have more exercise in the school curriculum - fun things! some physical exercise each day.

more green spaces & parks in each new housing development where dc can play ball games

Reduce portion sizes in cafes etc. Cakes and ice creams seem huge, particularly when they're for younger children. When I've asked for a smaller piece of cake as it was being cut, they tell me, no, it just comes in this (huge) size.

Here's what my government is doing (it's 4 points):

gov.wales/healthy-weight-strategy

Lots of these comments are about schools and kids, actually schools seem to be doing a not bad job. Obesity in kids is lower than 10 years ago.

Adults need to lead the way. How about doing gym classes on national TV, Joe Wicks style.

Nutritional / diet stuff too educate adults. We have a national tv company use it.

Encourage companies to cut hours so people have more time to exercise.
Build more cycle routes, many people don't feel comfortable cycling on roads.

If they country could turn the clock back they should regenerate city centres and ban 'out of town'. The public transport network is set up to serve city's / town centres. Out of town offices, out of town retail encourages car use as is usually far quicker.

Car use encourages obesity. I remember gaining a stone by moving jobs and buying a car. Gone went my hour a day walking, 15 mins to the station, 10 mins at the other end, 5 min walk to shop a lunch time and the same on the way back.

@LaurieFairyCake

And no, don't call fat - fat

Call it 'suffering from obesity'

Obesity is a MEDICAL condition, NOT a judgement

People HAVE extra fat, they are not 'fat' - language like this is unhelpful

^ This with a million bells on.

If you want Japanese levels of obesity, you need a culture where being fat is socially unacceptable.