The government have released details of a report that speculates that by the year 2010 England will contain over 12 million obese adults and over 1 million obese children.
This speculation relies on the current rates of obesity being maintained.
Estimates for obesity rates in 2010:
Men 28% – 33%
Women 28% – 31%
Girls (2-15 years old) 22%
Boys (2-15 years old) 19%
If we do the mathematics, this predictions calls for basically a third of all English adults and roughly one fifth of all English kids to be obese.
Surveys associated with the report have claimed that the reason English people are getting fatter is because of a less physically active lifestyle and a tendency to eat more ‘junk’ food. Phew- we can blame the americans after all.
The charges such a problem might bring to the NHS tax-payer bill are estimated to top the current £1 billion budget.
Blair called for a ‘Fitness Strategy’ for England, requesting all government departments to work closely to make it so.
Laws have been suggested that legislate the advertising of junk food products. Calls have been made for such adverts to be banned from the television before the 9pm watershed.
Interestingly, although it is currently the boys who are more obese than the girls, the report predicts that by 2010, there will be more obese girls than obese boys. Essentially- English girls aren’t going to get any thinner. Sore news for us all.
The report made particular mention of fat Yorkshire women. Northern England in general, so it proclaims, will have more than twice the number of obese people than London and the South. With all those pies and cheap ale, what do they expect?
Patriciai Hewitt, Health secretary, was quick to remind us all that it’s not actually the government’s job to remind us to take a walk now and then. Well done, Pat. Labour is certainly the most expensive Nanny I have ever had.
While politicians across England rise to the new buzzword ‘Tackling obesity’ (courtesy of Caroline Flint, Minister for.. wait for it.. Fitness) some opposition party members did whisper something about the whole thing being a gimmick and an attempt to distract voters. Heavens no.
If things don’t change, England will be as fat as America by 2009.