Government tackling obesity missing a key element

[HeeeeyDuggee]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53546151

Government have announced measures to tackle obesity

AIBU to think that although it’s all well and good banning buy 1 get 1 free and advertising before 21:00 what they really need to do is make fresh fruit and vegetables and good quality meat cheaper for people to buy.

It may be a regional thing but buying enough veg for the week here costs a fortune and it goes off within days. Where as you can buy a massive packet nuggets and chips for much less.

Pre covid it was bad enough for lots of families but given the ramifications on jobs and the economy I think lots more families will struggle to afford decent healthy food.

Ps not a fat persons bashing thread I myself am over weight

I'm not convinced by the measures. The calorie listing only applies to outlets with more than 250 employees - so that's not going to change anything for the dozens of independent takeaways on our streets.

As for advertising - do people really have no thoughts of getting a takeaway and suddenly decide to when a 'Just Eat' advert pops up? I'm sceptical.

All crap food needs to be hugely taxed.
Part of the issue though is down to convenience eating a chocolate bar....wrapper in your pocket; eating fruit.....would you want a banana skin in your pocket? Or sticky hands from a juicy apple? Dried fruit is better but still contains lots of sugar, so you can see the attraction of something small and convenient.
But it's not just eating. 70 years ago most people didn't have a car, and so children and adults walked everywhere, as humans have for millennia (obviously some people may have ridden or used cartridges but walking was still the norm) modern day living is less calorie burning than it used to be, which is also an issue, and I think harder to resolve than diet alone.
It's also much more complex than just eating too much and exercising too little though.

@Emmmie

To think about doing it the night before? No. I'm not starting to prep a meal 20 hours in advance

And here you have it ladies and gentlemen!

Whining over meal prep which literary takes less than 10 seconds.

Yep. You're right. With that kind of attitude, there is literally no hope for such people.

@Leflic

We’ve had 10 pages on healthy food and cooking from scratch.

Great. But as a doctor pointed out on the BBC this morning, you can buy 3 bits of southern fried chicken for 99p on your way back from school. A packet of crisps in the evening , a bar of chocolate in the car , biscuits at work,
It’s all the snacking and extra bits that are available everywhere anytime of day of night.

Yes, but you can also buy a banana for about 12p from every local supermarket on your way home. We shouldn’t raise the price of all food, or make it harder to access so that we can police what people are eating. We need to ensure that people are aware of their choices and empower them to make ones that benefit their health.

Honestly I think many obese people are addicted to food. As smoking rates have plummeted obesity rates have skyrocketed and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. People swap one addiction for another if they’ve got that personality type. And I do think many obese people just eat too much of ‘normal’ food rather than gorging on pies all day.

SchrodingersImmigrant
I think the government should pay for the pulses, soak and cook them and reward us for eating them.

@TooGood2BeTrue

It's always baffled me that it's cheaper to buy a Mars bar than a banana or an apple! I think there should be a campaign to promote eating less meat; once or twice a week is plenty if you otherwise eat a balanced diet that includes lots of pulses, eggs and nuts. I would also introduce daily PE lessons and put double yellow lines on the roads around schools with exemptions only for residents and blue badge holders.

This is nonsense. A Mars Bar is at least 65p or something (I don't buy them so don't keep up with it). You can buy a banana for 10p and single apples in Sainsbury's are 25p. If you buy wonky veg / fruit it's even cheaper.

Regarding weight, it's portion size that's the problem, not necessarily what people are eating. You can be overweight on a healthy diet and skinny on a junk food diet, depending on portion size.

Let's just make poor people eat gruel, shall we?

You've got to have something enjoyable in life. A 99p fried chicken is the only treat many can afford. No holidays or spa treats or new clothes.

If we actually cared about people's health (rather than looking for a convenient whipping boy) we'd either ensure everyone had a decent standard of living, or give out valium on mass to make a shit life more tolerable.

We're heading towards a horrid hybrid of brave new world and Dickensian workhouses.

A PP had it right upthread when they referred to George Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier. A healthy body needs a healthy mind.

I don't think smoking and drink driving can be or were stopped overnight, that's the point, attitudes needed to change. No one's expecting the obesity crisis to be solved overnight but that's not a reason to say it's impossible.

Regarding weight, it's portion size that's the problem, not necessarily what people are eating. You can be overweight on a healthy diet and skinny on a junk food diet, depending on portion size.

I agree with this ^

" If you’re happy the way you are, absolutely fine. "

I'm very happy not to have to start cooking 20 hours in advance thanks as I'm sure many people are. Not overweight either. I was just pointing out that it would be easier if tinned lentils were available.

For many people food is their only pleasure in life.

Outdoor hobbies are too expensive for most people.

Tinned lentils are available.

But they're miserable if you can't afford expensive tomatoes to go with them. And I do like lentils.

I think many have lost sight of what a normal healthy weight is. The fact we have to weigh children in school and inform parents of issues etc.

It’s not all down to the government, we are responsible for our own choices and the only people responsible for our children

Another thing that could be stopped is the encouragement to supersize meals.

How often are you asked if you’d like to go large for an extra pound?

It’s unnecessary.

I will be having bariatric surgery. I have tried every diet going and my weigh just yo-yos.

Bariatric surgery can have massive benefits and can reverse type 2 diabetes before any weight has been lost. I think after a certain point the chances of someone’s losing a huge amount of weight and maintaining it on their own are slim. Mind the pun! Not impossible by any means but very difficult.

If anyone’s interest Rachel Batterham did a documentary on it all a few years ago and it was really interesting. It explained that bariatric surgery changes the hormone in the gut (it’s not just you get a smaller stomach) and that hormone is in your saliva which can completely change your taste buds.

Let's just make poor people eat gruel, shall we?

No one has said that, but I guess this is a big part of the problem, that people assume cheap and quick to prepare food is gross and lacks flavour (it doesn't). Also nothing wrong with having a chocolate bar a day. The issue is having several, or also eating a lot of junk food. Balance doesn't have to exclude anything, the chicken as well is fine for someone who otherwise eats okay and is at least semi active.

Frozen veg is cheaper and lasts weeks not days

For things like peas, green beans, and broccoli, I'm include to agree, but not for other stuff. Tesco prices below:

parsnips: fresh £1 per kg; frozen £2 per kg

carrots: fresh 40p per kg (slightly imperfect); frozen £1 per kg (ok, they're peeled and sliced, so a slight saving in labour)

onions: fresh 85p per kg; frozen £2 per kg (peeled & diced)

Savoy cabbage: fresh 55p each, and I guess they weigh about 1lb, so say £1.21 per kg ; frozen £1.34 per kg

Broccoli: fresh £1.58 per kg; frozen 66p per kg

So it would seem that root vegetables are a lot more expensive frozen but leafy veg about the same or less.

Which is a bummer, because we really hate frozen greens"

@Emmmie

SchrodingersImmigrant I think the government should pay for the pulses, soak and cook them and reward us for eating them.

Boris the chef.😁

@Hangingover

Eating better requires more thought and planning than eating badly, but not necessarily more money

Yah I agree with this. I'm vegan and if you cook from scratch and in bulk it's cheap as anything. Canned and frozen stuff is brilliant for saving money. The huge bags in Iceland are terrific.

Great if you have plenty of freezer space. Not so great if your only storage is in the icebox of a small fridge.

I'm very happy not to have to start cooking 20 hours in advance thanks as I'm sure many people are. Not overweight either. I was just pointing out that it would be easier if tinned lentils were available.

Meal plans save time and money, if you knew you were having something which needed to be soaked overnight, it takes about 20 seconds. It's just excuses, and part of the reason we're in this mess.

I have done my fitness pal and monitored my calories.
I average around 1500 calories per day
I also do about 8000 steps per day

However I only sleep on average between 4-5 hours per night.

If I could sleep 8 hours then I would be fine but I can’t. I take Melatonin to knock me out at 3 or 4am then I am up at 8.30 to 9.30am.
I am knackered but my brain won’t allow me to go back to sleep

Regardless of what I have eaten or what exercise I did if I do get 8 hours then the weight falls off me.

For me it isn’t about calories in and calories out but sleep.

I think the people saying that they eat healthily but that snacks are their nemesis are hitting the nail on the head. I was reading an article the other day about a book that Jenni Murray of Womens Hour had written about being overweight. She said she used to eat hearty meals made by her Yorkshire grandmothers and was stick thin. It was when she went to uni and worked that she ate rubbish and put weight on.

As an example, a boiled egg for breakfast, a cheese sandwich and a roast dinner in a day will not make you fat. Even having a ready meal in itself won't. It's everything else that will eg I will have crisps with my lunchtime sandwich. Other culprits are drinking sugary drinks and eating chocolate bars, cake and biscuits.

@SheepandCow

Let's just make poor people eat gruel, shall we?

You've got to have something enjoyable in life. A 99p fried chicken is the only treat many can afford. No holidays or spa treats or new clothes.

If we actually cared about people's health (rather than looking for a convenient whipping boy) we'd either ensure everyone had a decent standard of living, or give out valium on mass to make a shit life more tolerable.

We're heading towards a horrid hybrid of brave new world and Dickensian workhouses.

A PP had it right upthread when they referred to George Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier. A healthy body needs a healthy mind.

Yes this. Is it any wonder that people have been eating more generally in lock down? Monotony, isolation, lack of other forms of "treats". Caitlin Moran is so good about writing about this stuff. Much rather have her as part of an obesity task force than someone like Jamie Oliver.

For me it isn’t about calories in and calories out but sleep.

Yep. I agree 100%. Sleep is the ingredient everyone is mising.

It definitely does seem that lentils are the key here; at least in 12 pages we've established that. Gosh if only they'd put us in charge.