To suggest that enforced national food rationing might help solve the nation's obesity problem?

[Lucia39]

During the period 1939-1954 the nation's diet was, apparently, the healthiest it has ever been.

So would a similar regime assist helping those who are increasingly "dimensionally challenged"?

Vegetables, fruit, and pulses would be more freely available but meat, dairy produce, sugar and fats would be strictly rationed.

Any thoughts?

Oh you know. Working 60-hour weeks. Continually. So behind the times. Why didn't you tell me?

you need a bit of light relief in there, you know. He has a new film coming out in July, with his Bruno character, the gay German/Austrian fashion reporter. Did you ever see FunkyZeit mit Bruno? One of my faves.

There. I've told ya

pointydog: Isn't what you have just suggested re: control of what is put into foods and possible restrictions on the amount of confectionary being manufactured, a form of rationing? The only difference being that legislation/Government control would be at the source of production rather than at the point of purchase.

daftpunk: I don't think the idea of some form of control is completely bonkers. Several contributors have acknowledged that there should be some restraints in place.

Perchance my suggestion of WW2-style rationing wouldn't work today given the globalisation of the world. However, during that period of rationing the overall health of the general public was, apparently, the healthiest it has ever been.

As to your comment that denying people their saturated fats would be too much. If they were only entitled to so much per week then they'd have to learn to cope with it, wouldn't they?

funny Ali G quotes borat quotes

Fruit and vegetables are really expensive in supermarkets. I buy mine from my local green groucers. I realise not everyone lives in an area where there are green groucers/markets but for those of you who do, i really recomend using it!

This is just my opinion but i blame supermarkets for alot of the reason why food is poor quality and why people buy junk they don't need. Just walking around the supermarket you see offers on chocolate/crisps/biscuits. All the things people used to class as a rare luxuary is now in peoples weekly shop because the supermarkets are selling them dirt cheap or on buy one get one free offers!

Alcohol is another thing that supermarkets sell cheap. Imo, the only places that should be able to sell alcohol is off licences and pubs. Alcohol adds to the reason of obesity as well.

Years ago, before the supermarkets took over, people shopped locally, bought fresg fruit and veg, quality, locally produced meat and made cakes at home. There was never the availibilty of junk food like there is nowadays. I believe Wimpy was one of the only burger resturants there was and even then you ate with a knife and fork in Wimpy!

In answer to the op, no, i don't think that would work. The attitudes of todays society has changed so much since then. People these days want everything to hand (hence supermarkets) and they want it NOW!

No, it's not rationing at all. It's legislation. It is completely changing how food is produced in teh first place, rather than churning out processed rubbish and saying to people 'you are only allowed two bits of shite a day'.

d'you like Bruno, sm?

lucia39...i think your suggestion is a good one...but the fatties need to be weaned off saturated fat slowly...taking it from them overnight would result in 30% of the population going cold turkey....that could lead to riots.

you make some goo dpoints, bird.

(Although not all fruit and veg is expensive, even in supermarkets. There is cheap stuff and there is dear stuff. From there, it's about choices)

riven, that's uncanny. I was going to add to an earlier post about the cake my mil bought in Morrisons yesterday. Had about 50 ingredients, many sounding like something from Igor's laboratory. No idea what they were. I couldn't eat it. And I saw the documentary about food processing that included a visit to a kiplings factory. Disgusting.

I think they have a list of ingredients as long as your arm because alot of it is added to give the cakes a longer shelf life. A proper bakery's cakes only last a day or two, if that because there isn't the persevatives in the cakes.

It's like bread. Bread should have about 3 ingredients in it. Look at a list of sliced bread ingredients.

3rdandBird: Isn't the "I want it now" attitude something we need to change? After all we are supposed to be mature adults not over-grown kids. Surely people should be able to exercise a little self-control and self-discipline?

BTW, I agree about supermarkets often marking up the price of fresh fruit and vegetables. For those who don't have a local green-grocer [we don't] check out local markets and Farmers Markets.

And why do we expect everything to last so looong in this country? Profits

why not go one step further and make them jog on a treadmill for 20 mins before they are allowed to pick up their rations

exercise isn't the real problem. It's what we eat.

sachaBC is very talented and funny have not seen bruno yet though

have you?

Yes of coarse the "i want it now" attitude is what needs to be changed, i just don't agree that giving out food ration vouchers are the way to go.

I agree with the poster who said we need to change the way food is processed in the first place, giving it more quality, rather than just rationing the "crap" food we already buy.

it is what we eat pointydog...that's the way life is now...fast food!...meals ready in 2 minutes...because alot of women haven't got the time to make proper meals anymore...busy working.

not seen the film but Bruno was one of his characters on a tv series a few years ago (possibly many yers ago)

Whenever dp and i go to a different town, we always try and seek out a local bakery. Sometimes we don't find one but we have found some wonderful bakeries. We went to Street once, which is near Taunton, and there was a fabulas bakery along the main highstreet. It was a little sad though to see that Greggs had a que out the door when just a few doors up there was this lovely bakery!

"It seems like in this society we now have more money, more gadgets, more labour saving devices but less time and crappier food!"

That puzzles me too!