Obesity needs to be tackled in the same way as climate change, a top nutritional scientist has said.
The chairman of the International Obesity Taskforce wants world leaders to agree a global pact to ensure that everyone is fed healthy food.
Professor Philip James said the challenge of obesity was so great that action was needed now, even without clear evidence of the best options.
He also called for stricter rules on marketing and food labelling.
[blockquote]”…wants world leaders to agree a global pact to ensure that everyone is fed healthy food.”[/blockquote]
That sounds great. Just a few questions: Who will pay for the food? Who will pay for the shipping? Storage? Refrigeration?
Since the United States is the number one producer of food in the world, shall we expect payment in gold or oil? Oh yes, can we get carbon offsets for our food production, since we are the most efficient grower of food crops?
[i] Comment deleted by elf. [/i]
STN and W-
Did you read the whole article? It didn’t mention anything about the things your responding too. Gore is mentioned and certainly nothing about requiring anyone to pay for food.
I found this interesting:
There is an obesity problem in the industrial world. People are vastly overfeed and mal-nutured by what they eat. I think the article and the Dr. is trying to raise the issue of better education, better labeling, and governement invovlement to make sure what people are eating is good for them.
With the beef recall the last few days- and the rapid rise in health care cost because of preventable dieses like obesity- maybe he is right to raise this concern.
“Climate plan?” Whatever happened to finding a good workable diet plan and sticking to it? My wife and I follow the Veterans’ Administration Diet (check it out), and believe me, it works! I lost 60 pounds in one year, and she lost 70! And it’s a safe and sane diet!
Should be “Gore is not mentioned”…..
[i] Comment off topic. Deleted by elf. [/i]
Wilfred-
The article isn’t about Al Gore- Elves? Where are you?
[i] Wilfred: Consider yourself warned about going off topic. [/i]
#3 Worldpeas said:
“…certainly nothing about requiring anyone to pay for food.”
That is [i]precisely[/i] my point [and you seem to have missed it entirely]. I did read the entire article, very carefully. My response was to the portion I quoted.
[blockquote]“…wants world leaders to agree a global pact to ensure that everyone is fed healthy food.â€[/blockquote]
Now, it is true that Professor Philip James was talking about food labeling and exercise and that is all well and good. However, he also said some very alarming things; to wit, the following:
[blockquote]”We have to change that, and it will not come unless we have a [b]coherent government-led strategy[/b]. The issue is: have we got the political will?” (empahsis added)[/blockquote]
That seems a clear call for government coercion being applied to the problem, as did my first quote. In my first quote, the word “ensure” was used in conjunction with “everyone” and “fed”. Now that sounds nice, but what is the mechanism to “ensure” such a thing? His appeal to “world leaders” indicates an act by government. What is that act? It is to [i]ensure[/i] that everyone is fed. So, my question remains valid. How shall this be done by the various governments and who will pay?
The other very alarming quote is this:
[blockquote]”…that action was needed now, even without clear evidence of the best options.”[/blockquote]
This is panic. It is a demand for some action, by government, despite a lack of understanding of just what should be done. Government coercion is nothing to be trifled with and it is an irresponsible call to action, all without defining that action, with the power of government coercion that I find extremely alarming.
Now, allow me to turn the question around. Did [i]you[/i] read the article my friend?
Elves, are we being a little [b] heavy- [/b] handed today?
[i] Perhaps, but lighten up on Gore. [/i]
Sounds like a clear warning. They are planning to take away my chocolate and beer. They are going to make me eat my vegetables. I’m going to start stockpiling today……
Worldpeas [#3] rightly points out the gap between what this group is proposing and some commenters’ diatribes about the putative proposal.
The most controversial language—“a global pact to ensure that everyone is fed healthy food”—comes from the reporter, not the author of the study.
Reasonable people can disagree about the wisdom of a “government-led strategy.” Setting minimum food labeling standards is, in my view, an appropriate governmental function. Insofar as governments run schools, they would do well to consider whether the school day includes adequate physical exercise.
You know why I eat at Burger King most working days? Because I cannot afford to eat at rest. that serves healthier foods.
So, the answer clearly is to give all workers food subsidies to afford the healthier meals. Sort of like food stamps, right?
Here’s my issue: what constitutes “healthy”? That’s one of those things that changes with the wind and the daily twittering of the media morons. If I ever see another skinny, empty headed young reporter pontificating on the evening news about diets, I will puke. In fact, different diets work well with different body types. I do well on carb restrictions. When I am managing my carbs, I can eat fats and proteins freely. Not everyones body works the same. Some needs to restrict fats.
If I saw a glimmer of recognition that healthy means different things to different people, I might be willing to see another bureacracy created (and the English do that [i]so[/i] well) to address this pressing social problem. But I think it’s hopeless.
I’d got through the trouble of linking my comments below, but I’m at home with a sinus infection and don’t want to:
Study 1, 3, 5: Salt is bad for you!
Study 2,4, 6: Salt is good for you!
Study 1, 3, 5: Coffee bad for you, leads to high blood pressure, can cause cancer!
Study 2, 4, 6: Coffee good for you, lowers blood pressure, contains antioxidents that raises resistance to cancer!
Study: Chocolate bad for you!
Study: Certain types of chocolates contain antioxidants that fight cancer!
Study: red meat bad for you leads to weight gain, carbs good helps you lose weight.
Study: red meat helps you lose weight, carbs bad, cause you to gain weight!
Observation: If you don’t like the current study that calls your favorite food “unhealthy”, wait for the next study, it will give you permission to eat it again. 🙄