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

Re anya's question, no I don't eat a lot of processed food, but I do drink tea when according to health freaks I should be drinking water, cos the water in tea 'doesn't count' for hydration purposes: more factual rubbish. A lot of food contain a fair amount of water (many fruits, for instance). That water counts as part of one's useful hydrating intake as well.

Re tizliz's comment, I think that's why crash diets are so useless in the long term. If one's diet needs changing/reducing I think one has to do it small step by small step, and it takes time, like a couple of or even more years.

I think yous've (sic; just stickin' up for regional speech variations against New Years grumpiness ?) got it, elegran, tizliz, and anya.

It's called a 'set point'

Our doctor was explaining this. Your body accepts the weight you are and if you lose weight it trys to get back to the original weight. You have to re-educate the brain and it can take two years.

Could be.

Would that work the other way round too, which is why some find it really hard to put weight back on after serious illness has caused them to lose a lot?

That is, your body wants to eat, whatever your mind decrees, and is very good at getting its own way.

I think thatbags is referring to a theory that your body adjusts by deciding that it needs more calories in, so as to maintain the weight that it has had for some time. Over-riding that instinct and resetting the "foodostat" is not easily done.

Their I do know how to spell!!!!

No, I don't believe that your body adjusts stuff. Calories in, calories out is the equation. When, for one reason or another, I haven't wanted to eat the weight drops off. I've just come back from South-east Asia where ther diet was very plain and simple - chicken noodle soup and fresh fruit most days- and I lost 7lbs without ever being hungry. But have already put some of that back on?

VIP??? CUP!!

Roses I think the government's strategy is known as 'nudging'

Just a quick reply to bags before I head off. Do you therefore eat a lot of processed and/or bought in food rather than food you cook from scratch yourself?

And, I've no problem with fatty foods. It's as Mamie said sugar laden ones like your modern over-iced VIP cakes.

It's not lack of education, we all know when we are eating too much, and we all know when we aren't taking enough excercise.Any food, including so called junk food is ok if you are doing a very labour intensive job, but not if you work in an office.We all know these things.So, given that we know it, what could make us actually eat well, but less, and excercise more?If I knew that I would be a wealthy woman.Because the reasons are many and complex and not one size fits all (forgive the pun.)

I should say Eskimos on traditional Eskimo diets.

Essentially then, junk food bashing is on a hiding for nothing.

I eat a lot of stuff that is probably regarded as junk food, high animal fat stuff in particular. I always have. I've never been overweight.

Eskimos ditto.

I don't think the habitual eating of so-called junk food is the problem, anya.

I read an interesting article recently about how, if one's weight goes up and stays up for a longish period (a year or two, or if it goes up gradually over a decade or so) our bodies adjust the weight equilibrium. I'll see if I can explain that and then I'll look for the article.

The idea seems to be that if one's weight goes up and stays up, one's body (brain, appetite-controlling organisms, stuff like that) adjusts and recodes as it were its weight maintaining equilibrium. This is what makes it so difficult to reduce weight and what makes dieting so hard, the article was arguing: our body messaging system has been put out of kilter but doesn't know it.

Sorry but I must get moving so excuse me if I don't respond to posts until I get a chance to come back on later today.

So Mumsy welcome and what would motivate you?

Jayanna sorry didn't spot your post. That's interesting. I've heard people say before they don't like going to such classes as they tend to be inhabited by Lycra-wearing skinnier who make one feel inferior.

Classes aimed at uncoordinated Wobblies? That's not meant to sound rude, I think you've got a point and if it was made clear that fit skinnies were totally banned it could work.

This 'cuddly gran' has been avoiding posting on this thread because of the patronising comments from the non cuddly grans!!

I would say anything with excessive sugar or sweeteners, artificial flavouring and colouring, transfats, margarine and palm oil type fats.
Burgers fine as long as the meat is sourced properly, animal fats, butter, olive oil, dairy all good.

The general principle behind banning junk food advertising is sound though - providing there was agreement on what constitutes 'junk'. The example of the McD's burger omits the fact that these usually come as a Happy Meal, with a side dish of fries and a sugar laden milkshake (the strawberry one is delicious!) and all this is dirt cheap and served within minutes. This encourages such a meal to become a cheap substitute for real food too often (nothing wrong with it as an occasional treat).

I agree about modern cupcakes but again as an occasional treat - why not?

It's the habitual eating of 'junk' or perhaps 'food not made yourself from raw ingredients' that's the problem perhaps ?

"ban the advertisement of junk food"

First, define junk food. I think there are widely held, serious misconceptions out there about what food is junk and what isn't. My first on the list would be modern cupcakes that are more icing than cake (and rubbish cake at that). Many people would put McDonalds burgers first, which I wouldn't agree with even though I have eaten very few of them.