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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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/

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.

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