Nanny State v Self-Help

[Colwyn]

I frequently hear the cry of "nanny state" coming up, probably from the same people that cry "This is PC gone mad" when they hear of any suggestion that people who are different from themselves should be treated with a modicum of decency. The present Government seems to be getting more extreme over this.

Doctors rate over half of the adults in the UK as overweight or obese, and nearly a quarter of 4-5 year old. In a few years this will burden the NHS, the disability funds and other services with billions of pounds of demands. What does HM Gov propose to deal with this "time bomb" issue? All UK citizens should be more honest about what they eat and decide lower their calorie intake. Brilliant.

Next week HM Gov  will announce its new policy on mental health, one of my "sources close to government circles" tells. Everyone who is registered for mental health care will receive a letter from Whitehall saying: "Dear patient, JUST PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. RIGHT?" Your Obedient Servant, HMG.

[Eric]

What do you expect the Government to do?  I think it is a common sense comment, if people WANT to lose weight - eat less.  I do not want the Government or anybody else dictating what I choose to eat or taxing what I eat!

[scorcher]

Has someone been messing around with your medication Colwyn ?

[Ovacikpeedoff]

Another outlandish statement, the government cannot win.The statement they have made is perfectly correct. If you eat less calories than you use then the result is weight loss. At the moment it is the only way available to lose weight. If the government takes the route of Denmark then we will have the usual suspects coming out of the woodwork claiming the government interferes with civil liberties or it is found another way of introducing a stealth tax. Maybe they should go further and make people pay extra to travel on all types of transport.

I admit I am obese and a type 2 diabetic.4 months ago I was given the choice of either sorting myself out or I will be on insulin injections within a year. I joined Weightwatchers and have shed 2.5 stone. I still have the same amount again to shift. I am hoping by next Easter to have reached my target weight.Due to  the improvements in my lifestyle I have already had my 5 diabetic tablets a day cut to 3 and the doctor is hopeful that I will be able to control my diabetes by diet only. I am also more active and feel much better. There are also some mental advantages in that I have a lot more confidence and self esteem. I hated how I looked and never wanted to be photographed.

Most nights on TV you find these reality programmes about obese people and most of these people are of the younger generation.

[Eric]

Well done gerry, keep it up mate.  It does have another side affect this losing weight........it creats big holes in the wallet after having to buy new clothes...lol

[Ovacikpeedoff]

Thanks Eric, spot on. At the moment I am living in Asda £5 jeans. Buy them and 2 weeks later hand them over to the charity shop. If I continue to feel the way I do then it will be worth every penny.

Look what it would do for jobs if the country went on a diet, unemployment solved everyone making clothes.

[Colwyn]

Well done OPO on your weight loss and good luck in reaching your target.

Of course, it is "commonsense" to say eat fewer calories and burn more calories by exercise and you will lose weight. The problem with this is that I have heard exactly this being said for the last 50 years. And the end result is that there are more obese people than ever before. What we know, surely, is that just sending out this message does not work (even in your own case it seems it was the threat of needing to inject yourself that stimulated action). So, instead of listening to the various suggestions that are offered by by pressure actually trying to do something about this issue the Government prefer to repeat the failed message. At what future cost to the nation?

[Ovacikpeedoff]

Colwyn thanks for you best wishes. Again, I believe we are on the same side. What can the government do?

Because I have lost weight and want to continue to lose weight I am going to be classified like a reformed smoker for what I am about to write. You are right when you say that tgovernment has been banging the drum for 50 years without any success. Maybe it is time for more drastic action.What can they do?

There are a number of things that could be done such as:

Stop using the word obese and call it as it is fat people. Being told I am fat got me into action.

A fat tax.This would be no different to what happens now with the price of cigarettes.

Charge obese people more to travel on public or private transport. One US airline company wanted to and may have introduced a higher fare for fat people.

Take action against parents who allow their kids to get fat. Either fines or removal of the kids.

Charge fat people for medical treatment in relation to any disease that is attributed to being fat.It would probably save the NHS billions.

Increase taxes on petrol to encourage more people to walk. Look at the opportunities of exercise that are lost because of the school runs.

I could go on and on. I know what I have written is too simple but could form the basis going forward. I accept some people are obese because of issues that are out of their control.

No government  will go anywhere near these ideas because they would not survive.We might get the fat tax as it has been introduced in Denmark.

[Highlander]

On the issue of a fat tax, will people suffering from bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders receive a tax break.

[Colwyn]

I don't agree with all the p[oints you make, but you have demonstrated a whole range of approaches that HMG could think about but appears not to be.

H, I think OPO's reference is to a tax on saturated fats in processed food - not on fat people!