David Cameron: It is your fault if you are fat and poor.

[FairyMum]

Has anyone commented on the David Cameron-speech on moral neutrality? He is a price-dick, isn't he?

Madamez and edam have already alluded to the contributory factors to the society that Cameron describes - inaccessible supermarkets, selling off of playing fields
People have had their ability to make informed and realistic choices eroded by the governments of the last 30 years - Tories and Labour alike.
And as for rights and responsibilities, I agree with him, sure. People are too keen to asset the former and curiusly reticent to assume the latter.
It was the Tories who said there was "no such thing as society" and a Tory who described any man over 30 travelling on a bus as "a loser in life".
Much of what he says makes sense but if we are ascribing blame and fault he should take a look in the mirror and so should the rest of Whitehall

my parents were both brought up in poor, mining families. my mum's family (she shared a bedroom with her parents till she was 16, in a 2 up,2 down, her brothers had the other room) grew their own veg to supplement their diet which was full of fresh stuff. I think people (generally) have little imagination re: food/stretching things, regardless of their financial status, but it hits poorer families harder.

Where does he say obesity causes poverty?

I think making lazy caricatures of people who have less money than you is pretty low, really. And pretending the forces of commerce and government have nothing to do with people's lives is pretty daft. If you are poor, you have far less ability to choose than if you are well-off.

The gap between rich and poor has been growing exponentially for three decades. That's not because loads of people have decided to be poor or eaten too many chips.

What if you're fat but rich? Doesn't seem to have a problem with that one does he?
Oh, sorry, you're not fat if you're rich. You're corpulent or hearty. Let's not pretend that obesity is solely confined to the 'poor'.
Supermarkets have the best 'bargains' (buy one get one free) on shite food.
Our local Iceland has just TWO freezers of frozen veg - the rest is crap.
(No, I don't buy crap - we have veg boxes delivered, eat plenty of fresh fruit, veg, meat etc).

this is the first step followed by
'you see these lazy people are sucking the NHS dry and you, good people, are paying for it'
outrage outrage outrage

'you should have insurance and make sure the riff raff do not use the same services you do because they are unworthy'

paradise on earth and assorted other measures to make the separation more definitive and we don't have to look at the lower classes.

if only Labour had the courage to be Labour instead of this tragic farce of the last few years

"We talk about people being at risk of poverty, or social exclusion: it's as if these things - obesity, alcohol abuse, drug addiction - are purely external events like a plague or bad weather.

"Of course, circumstances - where you are born, your neighbourhood, your school, and the choices your parents make - have a huge impact. But social problems are often the consequence of the choices that people make."

The clear implication is that poverty is your fault and obesity is a cause of poverty, not the result.

I heart edam and willself.
i LOVE THE WAY THESE OVER PRIVELIGED ETON TYPES THINK THEY ARE EXPERTS ON THE POOR.
Am truly amazed that people on MN support this twat

Pretty hard to grow your own veg if you live on the fifteenth floor of an inner-city tower block though, bundle.

Sorry about mid post caps

mme bovary, he may have a point, but i v much doubt the tories have the policies to even put a dent in some of the problems faced by families in the UK

absolutely snaf. i know of fruit/veg schemes in some poor areas of glasgow.

maybe allotments shoudl be compulsory?

shite food is cheaper and easier

and in a lot of peoples eyes tastier

and loads of people just cant cook

incredible but true

shite food not always cheaper

Why, thank you mrsruffalo, and may I say how mighty fine you are looking today?

Well, he is showing his true colours now, isn't he? Rather this than any more pretending to hug a hoodie.

What about people who work damned hard but are still poor - because we as a society can't get our priorities right and pay them a decent wage? I'm talking about carers, cleaners, classroom assistants - without whom society could not function, but whom we pay buttons. How the hell is it their fault that they are poor?

Meanwhile people with whom I went to university, who have become fabulously wealthy as hedge fund managers and the like, sit smugly in their big houses in South Kensington, having fucked up the world economy, and are pleased with themselves. If you want people to blame, look no further.

I think the phrase 'or social exclusion' is relevant here. And if children are allowed to become obese by their parents they will face social exclusion by reason of ill health.
I am not remotely convinced that merely making a speech will change the idea that everyone is a victim of something or other. Policies that make education for the poor a realistic and attractive possibility (ie grants and maintenance for the poor and for poor adults) need to happen. Being poor is tough. I've come home from school to see an eviction notice on the door, and had to eat potato soup because there was literally no other food but potatoes and milk from the milkman (everybody hide! Milkman at the door!) but come on, it is possible to make choices and have an attitude that mires you in poverty.

maybe he's trying to get people to take responsibilty for themselves. you can achieve most things with hard work and determination. nothing much is achieved sitting at home watching trisha and stuffing cream cakes... apart from a great big fat arse, that will undoubtedly be someone else's "fault"

Spot on sfxmum. The speech is a scary basis for possible policies to come from the Tories.

The problem is that when the government starts taking responsibility, people are quick to start complaining about it being a nanny state.

Poverty is not so easy for the individual to address but healthy living is. Some sports may be expensive but it doesn't cost anything to walk or to go out to the park and kick a ball around. And fresh foods and cooking from scratch is actually cheaper than buying processed foods.

What he actually said isn't exactly as per the title of this thread! I agree with some of it but this bit "But social problems are often the consequence of the choices that people make." fails to acknowledge that they are also often the consequences of the decisions that politicians and governments make. Polly Toynbee's book, Hard Work is honest about how bloody tough life is if you're poor.

Sixspotbur-great post

But a lot of what he says is right.

In terms of poverty there are people who have no choice in the matter. But there are people who choose to live in the way they do. How many of the people claiming to live in poverty have a wide screen plasma television? Or broadband internet? Or several computers/games consoles/ipods/mobile phones? Or can afford to go to the pub every Friday and Saturday night? And they all seem to be able to afford their cigarettes at £5+ a packet. While their children are eating McDonalds and kfc? All these things are luxuries , without which the family could afford to feed their children real food instead of this plastic shite from the fast food outlets. But because they won?t compromise on their television/iphone/xbox, the children are eating the food that will ultimately make them obese.

People have a choice in that.

And convenience food is generally a false economy unless you eat at McDonalds every night. Ready meals certainly don?t come cheap.

And whose fault is it if people can?t cook? Everyone has the capacity to learn.

Agree with SSburnett about not paying a living wage

i think pizza is a lot to blame myself