So just HOW should 'the government' tackle obesity etc...??

Or should we just accept that's the way it is and will probably get worse?

Very difficult. Bigger tax on "harmful" foods? Having to pay for medication for illnesses that could be tackled by lifestyle changes? Better facilities for exercise? I really don't know what the solution is.

I realise this won't be a popular suggestion in some quarters, but making exercise enjoyable in school would be a start.
It doesn't have to be netball or hockey, which I personally enjoyed, but many loathed.
Dance or pilates could be offered, or karate or judo.
I understand schools have ring-fenced budgets to spent on sport so it would be good to see that money being put to good use.

But perhaps the most difficult thing is dietary advice. The NHS Eatwell Plate has been recognised as out of date and replaced by the Eatwell Guide, but there is still controversy about it, particularly the proportion of our diet that comes from carbohydrate and the wisdom of the low-fat dogma.

Until the scientists agree amongst themselves, and some of them stop being in thrall to the food industry, the public are going to continue to receive mixed messages which doesn't help anybody.

This is a long post from Dr Malcolm Kendrick but worth a read if you believe like me that saturated fat isn't harmful, and perhaps even more worth it if you don't.
drmalcolmkendrick.org/2016/12/24/what-causes-heart-disease-part-xxiii/

It seems that the many initiatives and a huge amount of money spent on public information campaigns have not had much effect. I know from my own experience as someone who has struggled with being overweight all her life and has tried almost every diet it took a personal health crisis to finally get me in gear. This is not an ideal situation as when you get to this stage you are already endangering your health and costing the NHS time and money. Obesity is a multi layered problem. Its not just the availability of fast food, the lack of exercise once people are no longer in main stream education, the availability of lots of stretchy clothing in large sizes its deeply rooted in our society now and I really don't think taxation on high calories food and drink will help. I wonder if it isn't somewhat similar to smoking that was impacted upon by making it socially unacceptable but how one does that with obesity without ostracising and discriminating against people and I don't know. What I do see is health professional unwilling or unable to get the message to stick with obese people and unable to give them the support they need through what may well be a very long and painful journey to shed the weight.

Good post, teetime. I agree that it's a very complex issue.

And I'd add that though I agree with the suggestion that physical activities at schools could (and should) be broadened to suit more personality types (not easy with tight budgets), exercising doesn't actually burn many calories so I find it irritating that it is mentioned so often in relatioon to the obesity epidemic.

I think it's more of a mindset thing that needs to be sorted. I'm not sure how this could be achieved except through the education of attitudes. My father's approach was to stress the importance of a healthy body being necessary for the smooth running of a healthy mind. That worked for my siblings and me but then my dad was quite a character and a bloody good teacher too.

I'm still not sure if there's much the state can do except get, preferably correct, information out there for people to use. In the end, keeping one's weight healthy is each individual's responsibility. Plus, as a species, we need to adapt to there always being a surplus of food available. That luxury is not in our genetic code because until recently in human history, except for the very powerful and rich, it simply hasn't been an option. Yes, I really do think it's an adaptation problem, complicated by modern medicine and surgery that keep us alive where previously we would have died (heart diseases, diabetes, etc).

The report that the OP refers to doesn't just talk about obesity.
Exercise may not burn up many calories but there is evidence of other health benefits.
www.nhs.uk/livewell/fitness/pages/whybeactive.aspx

As others say, a complex issue.I agree Jane about schools doing dancing, zumba, Pilates or whatever I think it is an excellent idea.
Both my Grandmothers lived long healthy lives (into the 90's) and were overweight ( not obese) and did little excercise that I could see, bar a bit of housework and a stroll to the local shops, but ate a very plain diet, didn't drink and didn't smoke.

There used to be the likes of the green goddess and other "get fit" people on breakfast tv, 2 or 3 decades ago. It worked for me, as you could look an idiot in your own place, without anyone watching. Plus it was a daily reminder to think about being fit and looking after your weight.
Several years of that, sort of became my mindset as I became older.

Moving is important - I'm using that word instead of exercise. A person who does no actual exercise can still burn off 9,000-12,000 kcals a week just walking to the shops, doing housework, gardening, etc... Our grannies didn't have automatic washing machines with spin driers, electric vacuum cleaners, dish washers or central heating. They worked a lot harder than we realise.

And yes, their diet was simpler and plainer and no ready meals either. My granny certainly wouldn't have thought of buying a shop made cake or bread either for that matter. And while she was a bit stout she was fit. I remember her 'knees up' at her 80th birthday celebration well

Anyway my point is, don't dismiss exercise/moving too readily. If you burn off 9,000-12,000 a week then that's 2-3lbs you didn't put on.

jane - I so agree about school sport - much of what we did was 100% guaranteed to put you off sport for ever! But I do think that dance now features in many schools - some even do a GCSE in it. Trying to introduce yoga and relaxation at the local school resulted in a major protest from a couple of creationist parents - crazy.

I think obesity will gradually become more acceptable as in America - it is creeping towards becoming the norm. When I was a child a fat person was the source of amazement and curiosity - that is no longer the case.

And as for health professionals......I am always amazed by the number of fat nurses!! Not much of an advert for what they are advocating!

I defintely see your point Anya and think that schoolchildren should dance/excercise as they really don't seem to walk much at all.
My point about Grans in the past was about eating a plain diet, no doubt they would have been even fitter had they excercised more, but did ok because they were not stuffing pizza and rich meals into themselves.It really is a mix of some exercise, but especially food....too much and the wrong type.

Schools don't have so much time left for active lessons, so I doubt whether they would be able to return to cookery lessons ( also cost of setting up cookery rooms.) Which would be my suggestion.
Most young people now haven't the time to spend in the kitchen, cooking healthy meals for their family. And in the long run meals prepared at home probably work out more expensive than cheap, filling rubbish.
Another thing - control the number of these foodie programmes on TV, especially the cake ones.

I have some experience of the problems involved in getting teenage girls to 'exercise'. There are plenty who love their sport but others not so much.

I had access to funding through the New Opportunitues Fund (NOF) and dance was certainly one of the projects we funded in secondary school Out of Hours. It was very popular but when the funding ran out it had to stop as it was reliant on buying in professionals.

Lucky I've had my fair share of hospital visits this year and wow you are so right about fat nurses. Now there's a place to start surely?

Excellent idea jane, get young people interested in exercise and dance by updating the curriculum.
There is so much information given out and often conflicting advice that it's difficult for people to make informed choices. Moderation in all things and I think educating young people in how to budget, buy and prepare healthy meals.

Part of this problem, which as has been said, is complex, is the culture of snacking all day. I see babies and toddlers on the bus being given sweets or crisps to eat, it seems that children and adults have got into the habbit of earing snacks in front of the tv all day and evening. Also, the snacks themselves are often unhealthy - many contain corn syrup which gives a 'morish' taste so that it is hard to stop eating them. If only people ate fruit and nuts if they have to snack, they would soon realize the difference - you start to feel full much sooner and stop eating. What it comes down to is move more, eat less and eat natural, but there is no motivation - and now they claim to have found a gene that makes people addicted to food, so they have every excuse to blame it on this and stop trying. I think all snack type and luxury foods should be taxed so that they are at least double in price (eg a packet of 6 or 8 tunnocks caramel wafers and boxes of three walnut whips are each only £1 in poundland!).

Yes, sensible ideas but how do we get Mr, Mrs and Ms Average to adopt them?

I think it's hopeless and we have to accept that the NHS will collapse under the strain.

There used to be "celebrity" get fit DVDs every new year, but there dont seem to be as many of them nowadays either.

Does anyone else feel, as I do, that fitness is different from good health? I think they are related but not the same thing. One can be healthy without being fit.

I also think we may not have as much control over our health as we'd like. A good deal of health depends on genes, does it not? I'm thinking of how, when one's risk of things like heart disease is being assessed, family history of heart disease is significant. I think family health history applies to some other conditions as well.

Things like the Daily Mile are beneficial to children and the programme has been rolled out in Scotland. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-33006631 Some areas of Scotland have also banned cars from driving any closer than about a quarter of a mile from schools at the start and end of the school day, to encourage walking. Exceptions are made for disabled pupils and other extenuating circumstances.

My grandson in London goes to a beautiful nursery, with bags of room for the children to run around but other children I know of go to nursery there in premises where they have to have artificial lights on all day and have no outdoor space at all. Imagine being cooped up for 8-10 hours a day with no daylight or outdoor exercise!

For adults, I think portion sizes are far too big now. Sometimes, if we eat out, I am astounded by the amount of food brought to the table.

My personality downfall is coffee and cake when we're out. I'd weight less if I gave up those habits. I'm still within the healthy BMI range but I'll need to watch myself.

I agree about genetics, thabags.
I believe there's a genetic element in the tendency to become fat, maybe to do with metabolism. Or it could be partly environmental eg being used to big or small helpings of food at family meals. Doesn't apply to every family obviously, there's more to it than that.
My parents were both very skinny, and so am I and my sister. Our children and grandchildren too, but not to the same extent - genetic influence from the other parents.

All very interesting but that's not the question in the thread heading.

I'm not sure the government can do much more. It advises and guides us about healthy eating and exercise, it includes sport and dance in the school curriculum as well as food technology and nutrition, it encourages food manufacturers to label food correctly and display the fat and sugar content etc. etc.
I believe the problem is related to portion size and greed. A while ago I read the book "Why French women don't get fat" and it showed how different our eating habits are. Likewise in Japan and Scandinavia. The British, Americans and even Australians are obsessed with quantity, and unless a government representative came to your house at every meal and threw away half the food on your plate, it's unlikely things will ever change.

Exercise, or as anya said, moving, is important. It's not just about losing calories - and one would have to walk a great deal and with gusto to really burn them off . Rather, it's about the benefit to mental health that it often produces. Good mental health enables a positive outlook upon life which in turn will hopefully promote changing personal attitudes to eating.

This alone won't necessarily cure all ills regarding the obesity problem, but it is a good start. Confidence, self esteem and a positive attitude will work wonders. It's attaining that, that matters.

That, along with increased recognition that exercise is important as a part of school life might go some way to making a difference.

Increase the number of adult fitness machines in public areas. I don't want to go to a gym but I might use a machine if it was in the grounds of our village hall.