Weight debate

Sam scans the supermarket shelves. How tempting all those crisps look! Chilli and cucumber... salted caramel... delicious! And what difference will one bag make? After all, he is already 18 stone.

Sam is not alone in being dangerously overweight. According to a new survey,¹ one eighth of the world's population is obeseFor adults, obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. A BMI of 25 or more is classed as overweight. - or roughly one billion people. This can be a factor in heart disease, type 2 diabetesA medical condition causing there to be too much sugar in the blood. and cancer.

The survey found that between 1990 and 2022, obesity more than doubled in women. In men it almost tripled. In children and adolescents it quadrupled.

The proportion of underweight adults has fallen by 50%. But in some countries the figures are still alarming. In EritreaA country in the Horn of Africa that won its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. It has one of the worst human rights records in the world. 30% of people are underweight.

In bygonePast. ages, when food was harder to come by, being fat was often seen as a sign of prosperityHaving lots of wealth and success..² But that changed in the 20th Century with more efficient farming.

Many experts see ultra-processed foods such as crisps, pizzas and biscuits as a major factor in obesity. They contain more fats, sugar and salt than are good for us, and fewer nutrientsSubstances that plants and animals need to live and grow. The six essential nutrients our bodies need are vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, water, and carbohydrates. and fibres than we need.

But there are possible ways of tackling the problem. Here are five:

Tax attack Taxes on unhealthy food, like the UK's sugar tax, and subsidiesMoney given by the state or another body to help keep prices low. for healthy ones. 

Bad ads There should be warning labels and tight rules for advertisements for ultra-processed foods, and a ban on those aimed at children.

Distribution contribution Healthy, nutritious food should be made much more easily available.

Measuring measures Japanese people over 45 have to have their waists measured every year to check for signs of obesity. 

Sports thoughts The fact that people are taking less exercise is another important part of the equation. More sports facilities should be made available, particularly in schools.  

Can we reverse the trend?

Yes: If obesity were treated in the same way as smoking, we could see an equally dramatic reduction in it. Imposing taxes on ultra-processed foods and using the money for health education would be a start.

No: The food industry is so powerful that it can lobby successfully against the necessary changes. And since criticising people for being overweight is seen as unfair, overeating is becoming the normThe standard or usual way things are done..  

Or... Even if we cannot stop obesity, we can do something about people without enough to eat. There is easily enough food to feed the world if we cut down on the amount that goes to waste.