| |
Tackling the
obesity timebomb
Lifestyle Health Check
Self-help programme
Weight Concern
summer 08 newsletter
Children's
treatment trial
Training
Appear in new BBC
series for children
Adult's Body Mass
Index (BMI)
calculator
Get more active |
 |
| Tackling the 2010 Obesity Time Bomb |
Weight Concern welcomes the government’s alarm in response to
forecasts of further increases in obesity by 2010 and agrees that urgent action is needed. But the
charity believes that current government policy is neither tough nor targeted enough to tackle the
nation’s energy balance problem.
Official advice on exercise still recommends 30 minutes per day. This is beneficial for health,
but highly unlikely to prevent the transition from overweight to obesity. At least 45-60 minutes
should be promoted, in line with the Department of Health’s own report.
General healthy eating advice to ‘reduce’ fatty and sugary foods and ‘cut down on’ takeaway foods
has been around for years. But it does not tell individuals how they can effect these changes, and
has plainly been unsuccessful – or we would not see so much obesity today.
What people need is sound, evidence-based advice on exactly how they can make a lasting difference
to their lifestyle and weight. This will require consulting a range of obesity experts - including
dieticians, psychologists and research scientists - who specialise in enabling individuals to change
their behaviour and control their weight.
The government’s intentions are admirable but they do not know how to change people’s behaviour, and
are in danger of wasting money promoting unhelpful initiatives. Weight Concern calls on the Department
of Health to spend public money wisely and invest in organisations like our own, which have been set up
specifically to research, develop and deliver evidence-based obesity prevention programmes. |
|
Support our work
Subscribe
The Big Panel
Shape-Up
Shape-Up is an innovative lifestyle programme to help you manage your weight,
improve your health and enhance your quality of life.
click here. |
Become a Friend
|
