What should the government do to reduce obesity at the societal level?

[waistchallenge]

We're the fattest country in Europe and the upshot is what you see here: people posting threads in desperation about their weight loss struggles. I think we can probably all agree it would be easier to never have gotten overweight in the first place and to never have had to go through these weight loss efforts and experiences.

Apart from the sugar tax, I cannot see that the government has done much, if anything, to reduce obesity in this country; it's higher than ever.

I'm asking here because we all have experience of this to be on here, what-if anything- should the government do to reduce obesity in this country? What would have helped you? Or is it all just ultimately a question of personal responsibility?

Sanctions on the food industry for ultra processed/chemically created high calorie foods.

4 day working week as standard. Home working encouraged.

Better treatment of women’s health issues. So many women I know are not taken seriously about anything related to ‘women’s problems’ fobbed off, very little pain management/treatment offered. A lot of women seek comfort in food.

Improved public transport infrastructure across the whole U.K.

Recognise and meet the need for trauma counselling and psychological support.

Curious - has the sugar tax had any impact on obesity levels?

Making eligibility to the healthy start scheme wider and increasing the amount awarded on it so that more families can access fresh fruit and veg etc

Personally, I’d just like one antidepressant that doesn’t make me constantly hungry.

Take control of the UPF situation, start promoting whole foods, pay farmers properly. Stop feeding UPF in schools - better resource them.

Its all down to UPF!

Stop pedalling reduced sugar and fat things as healthy.

Encourage exercise. Why are our small children in a classroom - why aren’t they playing more?

So many people lack the skills too.

Poverty is going to be a huge issue, you’re either too poor to afford whole foods or too time poor/lack skills to prepare it.

I'm not sure but it's an interesting question. 🤔

I don’t think anything the government did could have helped me to be honest. I’m fat because I eat too much and don’t exercise enough, but that’s on me. I eat well, just too much. I have time to exercise but I don’t.

Limit how much fruit and veg can cost, so it's accessible to all. Reduce profit and mark up on fruit and veg. Reduce amount that can be charged for whole grains and wheat, so whole grain/wheat bread, pasta, rice are not a more expensive alternative but the same price as the white processed stuff.

When people are doing two jobs to survive or have long commutes, they don’t have time to cook healthy meals or exercise. When people are stressed and overwhelmed, they don’t have the mental energy to meal plan, and eat to self-comfort. It’s no wonder that carers often gain weight.

I think people have lost respect for authority too. Doctors, HV etc can’t say “look the whole family is fat, your child is fat because they eat the same processed crap you do” there’s this drive to be accepting and inclusive, but some of that comes at a cost to your health.

It makes me so sad seeing overweight/obese children at school. Adults have autonomy, children don’t. Then everyone is so offended about it.

I do think a lot of it is mental health too.

Depends how much you want to make it happen and how unpopular you are prepared to be
( disabled and elderly excemptions apply )
Make cars unaffordable / unacceptable
Schools children must walk or take public transport to school
Huge improvement in public transport
Major employers must provide free transport with a distance of no more than 1.5 miles for any employee to the bus stop
and must charge for parking
National insurance rates based on weight
Fruit and vegetables heavily subsidised

We need to make whole food much more affordable and accessible. A good start would be paying farmers properly, subsidising fruit and veg by increasing tax on UPFs and teaching cookery in schools and in colleges. A government campaign involving famous people that we look up to sharing their favourite proper food recipes. Free proper lunch meals for all school children promoting vegetables and meat with salads etc. a rewards scheme for kids in schools that do X amount of physical activity a week. Improved cycle paths, accessible affordable swimming and gym spaces and nice outdoor parks with public gyms. Free /subsides public transport so people walk to bus stops/trains instead of getting a car door to door. . Improve mental health services so that petite get therapy instead of anti depressants and mood stabilisers. Improve childcare and working hours so parents aren't reliant on microwave pizza at 7pm as an emergency quick diner

But none of that will happen

Reduce profit and mark up on fruit and veg.

That sounds like penalising farmers and shops for providing healthy foods.... they need to be encouraged.

How does encouraging home working solve obesity?

Also improving public transport?

Purely anecdotal but homeworking means I spend my commute time preparing dinner. I am less inclined to resort to convenience food.

Well my DH managed to lose 2 stone when he changed to home working as he used his previous commute time to exercise instead.

How do you account for people in rural locations?

"come on darling, six mile walk to the bus stop for the hours bus journey before your first day in reception" 🙄

Yes, let's squeeze farmers even harder, that will help.

Mainly I think we need to get control of UPF issues through taxation, food labelling, limits to advertising and education.

But I think there also needs to be a statutory responsibility for local authorities to provide facilities like swimming pools. Ours is on its last legs and it is unlikely to be replaced which means people whose most suitable form of exercise is swimming simply won’t have that possibility without a journey of several hours and multiple buses, unless they have a car, since those in nearby towns are on the wrong side of town.

I also think employers should have a responsibility to allow proper meal breaks for staff; nobody should be working a long shift in which their only option to refuel is to cram in a chocolate bar as they work. Lots of the public sector jobs (teaching, NHS) are the worst for this.

How does encouraging home working solve obesity?

Also improving public transport?

Both would reduce the amount of time people were sitting in cars with minimal walking. DH (prediabetic) has been using a CGM and the effect of eating something just before a car journey is illuminating.

It will require a huge culture shift and I think it's virtually impossible at this point.

Having lunch in the office now and the most popular lunch is a supermarket meal deal. A sandwich, huge 'grab bag' of crisps, a bottle of coke and possibly an extra chocolate bar too. You're getting on for a 1000 calories and they'll probably still be hungry because none of it is actually quality, satisfying food.
In countries like France and Italy they tend to have their main meal at lunchtime and it's a proper cooked meal with plenty of vegetables. Slimmer countries use more fresh and seasonal ingredients, they cook more.

Maybe a proper campaign highlighting how UPF is bad and suggesting easy alternatives. An extra tax on UPF, which is then used to subsidise healthy alternatives.

Promote understanding that people are fat and/or overeat for a variety of reasons and the view that being fat is purely down to greed and laziness is hugely outdated in view of current research that it can stem from complex physical and psychological issues for many people.
Stigmatising fat people is not helpful but seems to be the last acceptable prejudice.

4 day working week as standard. Home working encouraged

WFH shredded my MH to the point I was put on furlough. No thanks. And if 4 day working weeks become standard, salaries are going to be adjusted to reflect that.

Not everyone is as enamoured of WFH as MN. How do you plan to 'encourage' it?

Yeah, 'meal deals' are ridiculous.
The 'main' part is rarely really healthy (certainly if you're then going to be doing something sedentary afterwards. Then add some junk food (sometimes fruit might be an option but mostly not IME) and a drink that's either sugared or sweetened. That's not a 'meal'.