Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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So the BBC had a headline article today

Global governments 'must get tough on obesity'

Tougher action - including taxing junk food - is needed by all governments if the obesity crisis is going to be tackled, experts say. The international group of researchers, who have published a series of articles in The Lancet, said no country had yet got to grips with the problem. They said changes in society meant it was getting harder for people to live healthy lives. And they warned without state action, health systems could become swamped. Obesity-related problems, such as diabetes, were now accounting for between 2% and 6% of health care costs in most countries.

Ok, tell us something we don't know. They came up a list of suggestions.

FOOD Tax junk food, Limit junk food ads, Traffic light labelling
LIFESTYLE Discourage kids from TV, Exercise and healthy eating at school, Work with obese children, Help families with overweight children, School walking trains
TREATMENT Surgery for obese teenagers and adults Weight loss drugs

Correct me if I wrong, but don't you think most of these suggestions are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff? especially the surgery for teenagers? wow. Teens. Weight loss drugs? Traffic light labels? yeah nice one, just like the "my plate" nutritional guidance, and who decides what's a green light?.... let me guess - artery clogging saturated fat will get the red light and bread the green light? Limit junk food ads? ok, but which TV station is going to flush millions of dollars down the drain from coca cola? Exercise at school? yes! not once a week for 30mins - everyday, or at least 3 times a week and put back the jungle gyms in the play grounds - let kids play. What the heck is a "school walking train"?

The one the did catch my eye was healthy eating. What exactly do they mean by that extremely vague suggestion? lots of low fat and whole grains I bet. These panels and suggestions and think tanks, they all seem to be shuffling the deck chairs on the titanic - no one is really addressing the root of the problem. I sigh every time I read these dramatic news stories.

What will it take for real action to take place?

flag	asked Aug 27 2011 at 2:45 FuelRestMotion 2,933●6●21

There's no consensus on healthy eating. The only area of consensus seems to be about processed foods. – Don Aug 27 2011 at 13:43

H.T. Neville · Answer 1 · 2011-08-27 04:10:00Z UTC

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Gee. Statism seems to be working out SO WELL in other areas...

answered Aug 27 2011 at 4:10

H.T. Neville
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andrew · Answer 2 · 2011-08-27 06:59:20Z UTC

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It's when they start taxing butter, cream, cheese and prohibiting fatty meats that I will be upset!

answered Aug 27 2011 at 6:59

andrew
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BuzzingAsh · Answer 3 · 2011-08-27 03:44:02Z UTC

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Nothing is going to happen because even if they to tax junk food, lots of people will still buy it. Obesity is really caused by excess carbs and the governments "healthy" recommendations will do nothing but make it worse. It really is sad. :(

answered Aug 27 2011 at 3:44

BuzzingAsh
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obesity isnt caused by excess carbs – cliff Aug 27 2011 at 11:10

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I don't know why either of you would be so sure about what does or does not cause obesity – Don Aug 27 2011 at 13:41

The amount of carbs on a SAD diet definitely causes high sugar which makes greedy fat cells, so it makes sense that +300 grams of carbs causes obesity. I got that info from the movie Fat Head so Im not sure if it's scientifically proven, but it makes sense. – BuzzingAsh Aug 28 2011 at 16:08

Andy7 · Answer 4 · 2011-08-27 08:29:37Z UTC

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I think the traffic light labels are a bad idea. It's simply another way to give processed food manufacturers an advantage. We would do much better if we had a simple consistent message. EAT WHOLE FOOD!

answered Aug 27 2011 at 8:29

Andy7
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sarah-ann · Answer 5 · 2011-08-27 10:46:41Z UTC

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I think taxing junk food would help. I mean I know we all disagree with a lot of mainstream healthy eating advice but we can all agree that junk food will make a lot of people gain weight.

It worked for cigarettes.

answered Aug 27 2011 at 10:46

sarah-ann
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the problem is how do we decide what is junk food. also if i want a treat and they deem it junk food why should i have to pay extra because others cant control themselves – cliff Aug 27 2011 at 11:14

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Others can't 'control' themselves because the food is designed to override control mechanisms. Why should the people who can 'control' themselves by smoking the odd cigarette pay for those who are addicted? Because it works that's why. Tax junk food to subsidise whole food. I know there is a anti-government intervention feeling throughout the paleo movement, but we need to realise that the government did not create the obesity epidemic, corporations given free-reign by the government did. – sarah-ann Aug 28 2011 at 11:54

Hack the Lancet message “ Global governments must get tough on obesity'” message

5 Answers