Obese Britain. So what's the answer?

[KD]

Reading the Obese Britain thread I thought it would be good to have a separate thread for ideas of how the problem can be solved.

So, if you were in charge how would you deal with it?

I hear people say 'more education for parents'. How would you 'educate' them, without them feeling you were telling them what to do?

I heard that the government decided to offer people cash incentives to lose weight and take regular exercise. Daft really as there is no evidence that it works and plenty of evidence that it doesn't

Any other ideas? If you were in charge, what would you do to help people make good choices and yet feel they weren't being forced into it by a Nanny State.

 

[KD]

Underlying it are things like:
attitudes like "it is my right to have as much food as I like, of whatever type that I like"
lazy bone idleness
arrogance
the world owes me
instant gratification
poor education (am I right in thinking home economics type subjects are no longer available in schools?)
Lack of responsibility for actions - always someone else to blame, someone else to look to for a solution rather than dealing with a person's own self and those they are responsible for

Sadly, I do believe that you are right

Where will the change come from? I believe it will come slowly but naturally as the nature of the western world seems to be that we slowly swing from one way of living/believing/acting to another.

Again, very true.

That is my doom and gloom attitude. So, no help at all and no quick fit solution.

Okay, so no quick fit solution, but surely some things that help guide people along the way?

In a way I believe it is better for the change to come naturally as I believe it will. Hopefully it will become the fashion to eat well etc, but in the meantime is it really a case of leaving people to it?

After all, people have been manipulated to do the wrong thing (ie advertising, cheap fast foods), surely it can be swung the other way?

 

[Taz]

Fruit and veg vouchers. Free recipe cards for good foods in all frit and veg sections.

I know that most people don't want to feel that they are being dictated to but 'healthy living' classes could be made available but not compulsory where they could learn how to cook good food, take good exercise either individually or as a family, and generally steer people on a healthier path.

Also I would like to see councils organise regular walks/bike rides suitable for all ages and abilities so people can learn what they have on their doorstep and how much fun a walk/ride can be - and is free!

 

[Kitteh]

a lot of times people say to me fruit and veg is expensive.. personally i dont think its expensive.. i just think its cheaper to bu take out stuff..
I think that if the cost of fresh fruit and veg, etc, was brought down a lot.. then maybe (and i mean.. MAYBE).. it might help.. but then who knows.. a government cant force change into country.. its borderline impossible..

xx

 

[robbie_t]

I completely agree with you on the laziness of society thing, so many people are so apathetic and just want change to magically happen to them.
I try hard to buy healthy foods but money is an issue, preparing fresh food takes time and when I don't get inf rom work until 7 I have to cook, exercise, shower it means I have no time at all.

 

[SkinkWitch]

I can't understand why people say convenience food is cheaper than fruit and veg?
I can buy for example 4 packs of assorted frozen veg, 1 huge sack of rice, and several tins of cheap chopped tomatoes, this would total about £5.
Out of this you can make a weeks worth of curries, soups, stews for 2 people.
I've been doing this since I was a student and have never had massive grocery bills.

To buy a ready made curry for one person, you're looking at around £1.99. That's for just one meal. So to feed 2 people dinner for a week, £14. That's a simplistic example but do you see what I mean?

People just need to be taught how to cook and live healthily on a budget, a little education about herbs and spices, just because they might not have much to spend on food doesn't mean they have to have junk for dinner every single night!