Lord Tebbit said in the House of Lords: “People ought to know that if they stuff themselves silly with high-calorie, rubbish foods they will get fat.”
This type of judgemental statements serve no one. It is one thing to address the issue of obesity in the UK by providing support, especially emotional support, but there’s no need to attack a section of the population.
Taking responsibility for one’s health depends on a number of factors: education at school, continuous education in adult years, developing good lifestyle habits, making the right food choices, becoming smarter with food shopping by carefully planning meals.
Calling people stupid and lazy is outrageous and says more about who is pointing the finger.
Emotional eaters, in particular, do not need more reasons to feel bad about themselves: pointing the finger, judging and criticising is more likely to push them over the edge and find more comfort in food.
The UK is dangerously poised to become a nation of obese people and a recent report published by The National Obesity Forum (see our article on the obesity crisis) is projecting that by 2050 half the population will be obese.
Obesity and related issues like cardiovascular diseases have become the biggest threat to people’s health globally.
The only way out is to start educating children at school about making correct food choices and motivate them to exercise. With adults, we need to make people aware that there are resources and support networks out there to help change unhealthy habits and prevent an obesity epidemic.
The WeightMatters team is here to help you if you are experiencing health and weight-related problems: email us at info@weightmatters.co.uk for a confidential consultation.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/15/lord-tebbit-att acks-obese-people_n_4600500.html