Head to Head Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? No
R W Jeffery,
N E Sherwood BMJ
2008;336:245 (2 February), The UK health secretary declared last week that we are in the grip of an obesity epidemic. Patrick Basham and John Luik believe that the problem is less clear cut, but R W Jeffery and N E Sherwood say that obesity is a growing global problem
Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? Yes
Patrick Basham, John Luik BMJ
2008;336:244 (2 February), The UK health secretary declared last week that we are in the grip of an obesity epidemic. Patrick Basham and John Luik believe that the problem is less clear cut, but R W Jeffery and N E Sherwood say that obesity is a growing global problem
Hi,
OK I know this is post is not infused with fact but I am a size 18 I like non clingy clothes....now you try and find the elusive size 20 in the shops of Brighton!!!! Now I think that if we were ALL heading for obesity it would reflect first in the shops....in the USA the equalent to the size 30 and upwards are off the peg....not here!!!...yet.....
The fact that the overweight figures show a steady upward trend is not.
Dept of Health (for England) figures show 50% of women and 75% of men in England are either overweight or obese.
The media like to play with these figures, the Govt prefer to hide them (unless they are releasing a new "weightloss initiative" - an occurrence which seems to happen about once a week......:rolleyes:
Irrespective of definition of 'exaggeration' and whether we can officially use the term 'epidemic' with justification....our kids are eating absolute and utter rubbish.
And apparently, in the land of fried chicken for breakfast, sweet bread, and donuts, it is worse.
Go to a public pool in summer in the western world these days.
Boys have boobs now.
Our ancestors and their bodies put us to shame.
Junk food is too easy.
It is invaribly cheaper, and it shuts kids up.
Parents of the 70's, 80's and 90's have lost the plot in terms of being firm with their kids diet and discipline (This is the era of brain (psychobabble) over brawn (strap).
The bottom line is that this generation, despite so many advancements, will be the first generation to fail to live longer than the generation before.
Through the ages the fat body has been a thing of beauty, just look at every painting depicted from Roman times to early Victorian, the thin people were dirt poor living on bread and dripping.....(if the money was around, and Macdonalds ) they would have had boy boobs too.....Yes, I agree that (SOME) mothers feed there
kids rubbish, its nothing new......as for the life span, well 25 years in
Podiatry practice , and as an Ambulance 1st responder, its the thin ones that seems to toddle off the planet more than the fattie's.
By definition, we ARE living way too LONG.......and preservatives are contributing to this fact.