OBESITY is the great public health crisis of our time. The question, then, is: how to tackle it? Earlier this year, The Herald reported evidence suggesting that Scots seemed unable or unwilling to change their eating habits, with the result that two out of three adults and a third of children remained overweight or obese.
Today, we report the latest approach advanced by psychologist Emma Kenny for tackling the problem. Hired to advise Food Standards Scotland, Ms Kenny drives home the message that obesity kills and warns against normalising the condition, particularly when some on the fringes of the debate are proselytising that fat is beautiful and even healthy.
In addition, she warns against falling for the food industry’s tricks to make us overeat. We’re all familiar with these: the meal-deal; the proportionately cheaper larger portion; the brownie with your coffee. These retailers are generous – to a fault.
The Scottish Government recognises the gravity of the problem, and has plans to outlaw junk food meal-deals, and to have restaurants and takeaways display calorie contents. Ms Kelly, however, discusses even more “truthful” representations from the food industry.
Inspired by the anti-smoking campaign, she asks us to envisage the effect that graphic images of bowel cancer placed by red meat products, and similar representations of tooth decay on confectionary, might have. It’s a disturbing picture, certainly. But, while acknowledging the success of the anti-smoking campaign the problem there was essentially different.
Smoking is addictive and always bad. Therefore, no one called for smoking in moderation. The current consensus is that eating meat in moderation isn’t bad for you (though certainly not so good when processed).
It’s also salient to note that cigarette packets, with their graphic images, are no longer prominently displayed. There’s an argument for sensitivity in the display of everyday goods, particularly where these may reasonably be eaten in moderation. Images of cancer here would be too brutal. Furthermore, while there are associations, particularly with fatty foods and sweets, this is tangential to the campaign against overeating and supersized portions. That said, there may be a case for written advice beside processed meats – shocking facts can be conveyed without shock tactics.
Engendering behavioural change is difficult. Three aspects of the anti-smoking campaign could be useful on obesity: more educational projects to raise awareness; social pressure of the kind that made public smoking unpopular; action on advertising. Graphic images may even play a part in the first of these. But their use should be measured and judicious.
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