Oh dear. Now it is politically unacceptable to be “at risk of obesity”. What we should be preaching at fatties as they enter the doctor’s door, is that they are obese because they eat too much and exercise too little. And then remind them of their personal responsibility. That’s the view of David Cameron, and thanks to his high profile, that was the scornful tone of all the headlines reporting his speech. I am so disappointed! What he has failed to grasp is that the lack of a deeper understanding of obesity and the laughably inadequate advice “just eat less and exercise more” has given us the epidemic we see today – the world over. Of course he is right – to an extent. We are what we eat, and our bodies reflect our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. On top of that, there will always be people who enjoy being greedy and downright lazy. But don’t tar all fat people with the same brush – it’s desperately unfair and hugely unhelpful. Obesity is happening right across the world – in startling numbers – and to kids of every colour, race and creed. It’s in Japan, China, India and now Australia is officially the most obese nation on earth. Has all of humanity suddenly lost its sense of personal responsibility? As I am discovering, whilst writing a book about the global obesity crisis and interviewing specialists and cynics the world over, the answer to this conundrum is “all of this and more”. Or as the academics like to put it – both the causes and solutions are “multifactorial”. Yes, some of us are greedy pigs and lazy too, but not most of us. Yes, some of us have become indolent and benefit-dependent – blaming others for our corpulent guts and thin wallets. But not all of us. Yes, some of us are couch potatoes and internet addicts, who shy away from the sunlight and groan at the thought of crossing the road to buy another can of beer …But definitely not all of us. The reason so many of the world’s population is now “at risk of obesity” is because our culture, our Western lifestyle, is conducive to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Highly processed and nutrient-poor foods are cheaper than fresh fruits, vegetables and meats; and who’s been taught to cook anyway? Sedentary living, prevalence of processed, junk food, an instinctive lack of faith in our environment – dangerous roads for cyclists, dark pavements and street crime – all contribute. We’re scared of letting our kids play outside – it’s easier and safer, we think, to let them play on the computer. Our roads aren’t safe for cycling – we witnessed a fatal accident on the roundabout near my home just last week and it has frightened my kids off their bikes. Of course obesity is a matter of personal responsibility but it is also society’s responsibility to make the environment more healthy. Society can be changed – it has happened in Finland where in 20 years they have gone from fat-loving, heart-attack victims to exercise-mad, healthy eaters. Their obesity rate was twice THEN what ours is us NOW. They had the highest rate of heart attacks in Europe. Now, their lifestyle has become the envy of the world. How did they do it? Shouldn’t our politicians be asking that question? The doctor who made the difference in Finland says: “Healthy choices need to be easy choices, and when they are, people make them.” We haven’t time to moralise – we need to get on with a plan that works. An acceptance of personal responsibility has to be one factor – but so does social responsibility, and that comes from our political leaders. They need to make the changes that will help us all help ourselves.
