You're the health ambassador for your country.

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mirandamayhem
mirandamayhem Posts: 772
in Chit-Chat
You're in charge of fighting the great obesity crisis that is affecting the Western World. What plans and procedures are you going to put in place?

The cheeseburger thread did get me thinking, we can assume a lot of things about why people are fat, but what would we actually do to fight the problem?

For me personally, I believe an awful lot of my problems came out of seeing food as an emotional prop, believing food would fill the void I felt. And advertisers use language to support our belief. "This meal will make you happy" type advertising. I'd get strict on advertising for a start, especially the stuff aimed at kids, and on during kids programmes.

Improved education in school about health.

But I would also promote body acceptance. Because I strongly believe that loving and accepting yourself as you are gives you the strength and desire to want to become healthy and the best you can be.

I'm interested in the idea that the UK Government has on putting a tax on "fat" food, but I don't know how this would or could work.

Anyone else?

Replies

  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
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    More education on health, food and exercise. (USA class pizza as a vegetable? LOL)
    Less corporate control
    But I also think the system needs to be changed all over. People of lower socioeconomic backgrounds are not getting access to nutritious foods because it's too expensive. Something needs to be done.
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    More education on health, food and exercise. (USA class pizza as a vegetable? LOL)
    Less corporate control
    But I also think the system needs to be changed all over. People of lower socioeconomic backgrounds are not getting access to nutritious foods because it's too expensive. Something needs to be done.

    Do you really believe nutritious food is genuinely more expensive? (I'm not having a go, I am genuinely interested because I sometimes wonder if it's an excuse that is used, rather than people are just too lazy and maybe uneducated to cook from scratch)
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
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    Well from where I am it is more expensive for healthier foods, I cannot comment on other areas/countries. I also have a Polish friend who commented that foods in Poland that are healthier are cheaper and 'junk food' is more expensive whereas here it's the other way around. Who is benefiting from this at the end of the day? The companies. That is why nothing drastic ever hardly gets done.
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    I would really slam down on food manufacturers, that's for sure. I know we have a choice of what we put in our mouths, but we're all seduced by certain adverts, that's why advertising works!
  • Iceman1800
    Iceman1800 Posts: 476
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    Food is only part of the problem. When I was a kid, we would go outside and play all day long. Now kids have play dates, get driven everywhere, and spend hours watching video games. I live 1/4 mile from the corner store. I walk there, most of my neighbors drive there. We as a country are too inactive.
  • katielauren2001
    katielauren2001 Posts: 171 Member
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    Yeah I would as well, they have too much control. The media is very powerful. This is a good topic... I think I would just reform the whole government if I could.
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    iceman that is very true
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    I would fire everyone under me and dismantle my organization and let people be free to do as they wish
  • mirandamayhem
    mirandamayhem Posts: 772
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    So do you not think anything would help?

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