My Obesity Problem

No, not THAT problem. Good Heavens no! In fact my doctor thinks I need to put ON weight!

 

No, my problem is much more intellectual than the mere possibility I might be approaching XXXOS! In fact I’m trying to eat MORE cream, MORE sugar, MORE fat!

 

What I’m on about is the lurid headlines all the time in the media about how obese our society is becoming. It seems every time I open a newspaper, or turn on the TV, someone is drawing attention to the “obesity epidemic”. And as for the glossy magazines!

 

Did you know there are dozens of flash periodicals all featuring articles about how this celebrity has a BMI of 15 or a problem finding large enough underwear?

 

Even when I check my Facebook, there are dozens of “friends” sending me healthy recipes using quinoa or tofu, or pointing out that the Japanese are now getting cancer in droves because they have given up their traditional diet and spend all their time at McDonalds or Burger King.

 

In fact I am coming to the conclusion that this good advice is not the solution, it is part of the problem.

 

Let me explain.

 

My theory is that because there is so much media attention to healthy food, or the dangers of unhealthy food, we are all being sub-consciously persuaded to think about food all the time. Added to ad breaks full of ads for food, fast food, supermarkets and so on, and it is impossible to ignore the subject of food for more than a few seconds at a time.

 

So what is more natural than to reach for the fridge door every few minutes for a snack?

 

What to do about it is the real conundrum! So much attention to food is not necessary, but how do we find a sensible way of reducing the barrage of publicity focussing on it? We don’t have ads and programmes and articles all the time about sex (or do we?) and yet people have no trouble keeping their minds on it just the same? The birthrate is still fairly stable.

 

We can’t just BAN food talk in the media. For one thing we know prohibition doesn’t work, and for another how would they fill all those pages and hours without some of it? Everyone gets tired of wall-to-wall sport, or wall-to-wall murders, at some stage!

 

I suggest for a start that we take the following steps:

 

1.       Only ONE ad per break about food, or supermarkets.

2.       Food aisles in supermarkets no more than 25% of the space.

3.       One fast food outlet per 10,000 population.

4.       Only one mention of food in programming per hour, or one page per magazine or newspaper, including advertising.

 

Of course, in all fairness to the food producers and merchants, we would need to check progress after five years and if the “Obesity Epidemic” has not ended, we may have to reduce the limits still further. But that would be a good start.

 

I only have one reservation, and it is very personal, but I am prepared to waive it for the good of all you other jokers out there: my wife makes fantastic new recipes at least once a week from all these wonderful magazine and newspaper articles and so on, so I will have to go back to boiled cabbage or bangers and mash!