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?

Well funnily enough I had a healthscare last year and have since lost 2.5 stone. We were eating a lot of convenience food: Finest Lasagne, ribs, steaks, pasta with rich sauces, lots of cheese, bought puddings, cream, butter, ham, bacon, red meat generally, refined carbs.

I no longer use white pasta, white rice, refined sugar, cream, very limited cheese, no butter, nothing processed. No alcohol.

Lots more chicken, fish, turkey, beans, veg, fruit, etc.

Funnily enough my food bill has reduced by about 30%. My cholesterol is down to 5.4 from 7.8, my fatty liver is reversed, no more hunger spikes, no more eczema or ache's and pains.

It took giving up yummy, quick food. It isn't about cost at all but mindset.

Something I remember from childhood is the boring dryness of food. Mash, cold meat, chops and veg. It doesn't have to be that way, however, do most people look forward to basic food or fast, yummy food.

Change has to happen at an individual level. People have to learn to budget properly.

Advertising only works if people have money to spend.

The government is not the reason I’m carrying extra weight- that’s on me. I like crisps and wine. I mostly wfh and work full time.Along with most of the people I work with- by their own admittance!

Only we can change it.

Well done @RosesAndHellebores 👏

Lots of mention of Van Tulleken on the thread. I have his book but haven't read it (I'm locked out of my Amazon account temporarily). What does he recommend as the way forward? Does he offer any hope for change?

I agree with feeling hungry bit I still don’t understand the issue with a snack?

I’ve noticed a lot of people forget that they should be doing it for them. It’s like it’s ingrained that your body wants a treat and you’ll ’let them off’ some days and give them a treat. Whereas the reality is your body wants you to care about it and keep it healthy. An example is my mil saying how she should be doing her diet and going to her group and she will miss a session. Well she’s not doing it for the group. It’s supposed to be for her!

Treat culture is a big thing and emotional eating, again linking to mental health.

Closed pubs should turn into wellness centres who can advise on healthy eating, recipes, go through your diet and suggest changes, point you in the direction of fitness groups to support your particular needs. Eg. Age, life stage

Who's going to make people attend these? what's the sanction if you don't?

Pay for the nhs, if you are a healthy bmi or are accessing services to make you healthier (sort of like a job centre for health, see wellness centre above) then your treatment is free. Otherwise you pay

So the people who can't afford healthy food and rely on high priced unhealthy stuff get a double whammy of cost and will end up not seeking treatment at all. You've then made the NHS a two tier service deciding whether or not you're worthy of treatment dependent on your lifestyle; which wouldn't stop there.

Free gyms & swimming pools & fitness classes
Subsidised veg, fruit and whole foods

Again, who pays for these? that'll be the taxpayer again, will it? and how do you make people go swimming or to the gym or buy fresh fruit and veg?

I mean it is about people. But when I first moved to uk I gained weight. Obviously it was my own fault for having no self control

Lack of safe cycling routes

Lunch culture of junk in canteen for students and workers.

Grab something to eat for lunch culture.

Free nutritious lunches for kids in schools

Meal deals costing so little and always including crisps.

Small packs of crisps everywhere

There is an awkward in-between age if recreational sports transitioning from teenager to adult

Nationality accepted comfort foods are quite heavy

This definitely. Emotional eating is a thing many can relate to.

Healthy food to be the norm / only option at kids play venues. I have little kids so go to softplay regularly and almost every time there is ONLY crap available. I bring my own healthy food for my kids but it shouldn't be like this. Why should I have to feel 'naughty' snuggling in the 'bad, healthy food'. It's just all wrong. At the local pool the menu is literally hot dog, chips, cheesy chips, burger. No veg in sight. It makes me mad!

Tbh that's just the tip of the ice burg, thousands of things need to change but sadly big corporations make a lot of money from selling awful food. It's a huge problem.

I also strongly believe we need to move towards plant based eating, it would fix so many problems.

That would work for a family but not a person living on their own I’d’ve thought.

Surely the person still has a fridge to store an opened tub of cottage cheese & salad and a cupboard to store opened bags of nuts?

How long would they last?

There is nothing the Government can do about this.

*The government is not the reason I’m carrying extra weight- that’s on me. I like crisps and wine. I mostly wfh and work full time.Along with most of the people I work with- by their own admittance!

Only we can change it.*

Yes - and I don't want a nanny state. I prefer to make my own choices.

Not without a vast state intervention and overreach in people's lives by telling them what they can eat, what they can't, what exercise they should be doing and (according to one poster) denying them healthcare if their diet and exercise regime doesn't meet state approval.

Although I suspect some posters would like that; as long as it's other people's lives being interfered with and nannied, of course.

What a depressing picture that conjures up.

Most people wouldn't want that either. We can all make our own decisions!

It won’t be a quick change. But I do think sure start is a good way to promote healthier eating. Better food in schools.

Get rid of vending machines. They’re cheap for the organisation I know. I’m my place of work the canteen doesn’t offer tea and coffee as the vending machine does.

I disagree with things like sugar tax though.

What a depressing picture that conjures up.

Why? I have lots of half eaten bags of nuts, at home, I also have large tubs of opened yogurt, cheese, salad, half cucumbers etc in the fridge? What's the problem with that??

What a depressing picture that conjures up.

Unnecessarily so!

DH had to be away from home most of January. I was able to make very healthy, tasty inexpensive meals for myself - lots of beans and veg, fresh veg and salad keeps a good while. (No cottage cheese, urgh. No need for it.). Several different bags of nuts, they keep fine with a clippit on them.

I went into the M&S during a shopping trip thinking I'd buy something 'nice' for dinner ...all the single serve ready meals came with a dollop of 'white carbs' so I didn't bother.

Nothing, if that's what you like. I wouldn't eat cottage cheese as a penance, it looks like vomit. DM used to eat it when she was doing WW in the 70s, getting progressively more miserable with every dull tasteless mouthful.

obviously it wouldn't be more physically challenging back then if you didn't do it at all 🤣 we had pe teachers who would have noticed if we buggered off for smokes or down the pub. I once tried to bunk off by hiding in the loo and she came to find me and frogmarched me onto the field. The woman was relentless!

Umm, nothing depressing about my cottage cheese and beetroot- thank you 😢

DH had to be away from home most of January. I was able to make very healthy, tasty inexpensive meals for myself - lots of beans and veg, fresh veg and salad keeps a good while. (No cottage cheese, urgh. No need for it.). Several different bags of nuts, they keep fine with a clippit on them

Yes, funnily enough I manage to eat like that as well. So no need for the healthy eating lecture, thanks.

People need to take individual responsibility. If the result of stuffing doughnuts for years is obesity and diabetes, then they shoukd face it. Not be given a state funded gastric band.

Referrals to slimming world and weight watchers do nothing to educate about eating well and using fresh ingredients.