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Sunday, September 10, 2006

Responses

Obesity. In the 19th century it was sometimes argued that TB was caused by "moral turpitude". Fortunately there was a counter argument that said it was a medical condition caused, or aggravated, by poverty and social conditions.

We now have a lot of evidence that obesity increases the chances of diabetes, blindness and possibly, depression. None of that means that obesity is "caused" by moral turpitude Neither does it suggest that people who are obese can easily control it if only they would be a bit more "responsible".

The issue is a public health issue as well as a problem for some but not all obese people. If being obese causes the person no distress and they are happy then society can and should accept it. There are two difficult aspects to this problem:

1. Do we legislate to control advertising? Or do we inform and advise?

2. What about children who are obese? The Child's welfare is supposed to be paramount. So if the evidence confirms, as it does, that obesity in children causes other serious health problems does the state take no action?

I acknowledge that the dividing line between personal responsibility and the responsibility of governments is difficult to define and inconsistencies abound. Making people wear seat belts is an example. But I take the view that some legislation about food content combined with an information/advice campaign is desirable.

Gordon Brown. I don't think I have ever suggested there should not be an election for the leader of the Labour Party.

The problem with banning or restricting advertising on certain foods is that the foods themselves are not the issue you are trying to solve. Crisps do not make people fat. Eating too many crisps and not having enough exercise is a cause of obesity. People who binge on crisps will continue to eat them regardless of whether there is advertising on television.

If the government wants to do anything regarding nutrition and diet, it should require standard labelling on fat, salt and carbohydrate as a percentage of recommended daily amount - as is the case with many foods. Some supermarkets are marking fat and salt content clearly on packaging, but it is not yet industry-wide. If you want to educate people on what they are eating, then sort out the packaging so that people can make informed choices. The media is full of nutritional advice. You probably don't watch much television or read popular glossy magazines, but the amount of advice out means the issue of healthy eating and exercise is been ingrained in people's heads. It does not require government intervention to raise the issue of healthy eating. Indeed, people in the media like Jamie Oliver have informed government policy.

I am glad that you recognise that people should not be ostracised for their weight and hope that you agree with me that the denial of medical help for the obese is a dangerous path to step down.

On the issue of Gordon Brown, you have given the impression in the past that you favour a transition from Blair to Brown.

"At the PLP meeting yesterday I warned that if we didn't get our act together a 'stable and orderly' transition of power would come about from a Labour government to a Tory government. To avoid this fate we need Gordon and Tony to make an agreement and stick to it." - http://clivesoleymp.typepad.com/clive_soley_mp/2006/05/parliamentary_l.html
This suggests a stable and orderly transition is a matter for Blair and Brown, rather than the party as a whole. I thought I remembered you saying that there should be a succession without a contest, but I am obviously wrong if this is not the case.

Who do you believe would make the best Labour leader?

Interesting points Clive.

1) Define bad-food and then you can contemplate what is fair advertising. The problem is that it is undefinable. I agree entirely that we should promote healthy eating and a good balanced diet, I disagree that single foods should be picked out as the 'bad things' as if they are the defining cause.

As I stated before, and unfortunately will have to continue to state, it is not an isolate food that makes you obese, it is a diet. For this reason isolate foods should not, or ever, be subject to any more advertising restrictions than any other foodstuff.

Here's my proposals for reducing the so-called obesity time-bomb in the Uk:

1) Promote healthy living through education, give home-economics (or whatever it is called now) a bigger focus on food-knowledge and understanding diet.

2) Introduce knowledge of healthy-lifestyles into Physical Education lessons. Promote all children to be active and take part in some sport. Make sports-facilities more available and make it easy for schools to have after-school sports where possible, organised by local sports teams to promote sport.

3) Promote developments that could lower the cost of vegetables/fruit to help bring down the price of healthy-living. Such developments such as GM products need a chance to be promote through good-science rather than the media-hype that seems to consider it 'unnatural' even though we have been 'modifying' (read breeding) plants for millenia.

4) Give tax-breaks to healthy-food. Don't make food you want people to eat less more expensive, make food you want people to eat more cheaper. It has the same effect but it is not a negative-campaign and it doesn't smack of the 'tax anything that moves' feeling people have about government.

As always it's a long hard road but i'm not convinced that now is the time to be surrending even more of our responsibilty to the state. But then i've always preferred the choice to be kept in my hand rather than someone else - even though I do appreciate these things are mostly developed to try help, rather than hinder people.

With cigarettes, there are health warnings taking up a proportion of the packet, why not with unhealthy foods.

IE, there could be a bar in the middle of each advert for a food that has been classed as unhealthy by some quango (I'll head it) or other (shoe me in).

This bar could have the health warning running through it, a bit like a stock ticker.

The unhealthier the food, the thicker the bar.

Thoughts?

Regs, Andy

Since this strand started there has been some momentous developments on thew political scene and in particular the Labour Party scene.

I can't help feeling a certain sense of avoidance for political reasons her Clive. Where are these issues covered on this blog? No where.

Come on Clive please have the courage to debate it. You are not in retirement.

Hi Andrew Baker,

I have noticed that since Clive left the commons and entered the other place, his work rate on this blog has decreased dramatically.

I have an image of pipe, slippers and cognac.

Retired to the life of Riley is quite apt it seems.

Regs, Andy

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