Britain is the sixth fattest country: within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For more than a decade, the government has declared obesity (肥胖) a national emergency and promised to take action, only to produce disappointing plans that don't reach what is required.
It should not have taken a disease like COVID-19 to make people fully aware of the awful consequences of the UK's obesity. Obesity, as well as its associated conditions of diabetes (糖尿病) and high blood pressure, is strongly connected with a higher risk of death from COVID-19 and will have undoubtedly been a factor in the UK having the highest COVID-19 death rate in Europe.
As the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson's experience of caching the virus and being admitted to ICU has reportedly resulted in a complete change in him, who has previously prided himself on his dislike of an over-controlling state. The government is expected to set out a new strategy this week, aimed at reducing obesity levels both in the next few months — ahead of a possible second wave of infections and the longer term.
This obvious change is welcome, but only if it results in a complete change in the government's approach, which doesn't rely on personal responsibility but on much tougher rules, as with tobacco and alcohol.
There is plenty of evidence about what is needed to cut obesity and in recent years, many reports, including from Public Health England and the former chief medical officer, have called for urgent action. Yet these calls were ignored by the government that has seemingly put the food and drink industry's financial interests over the health of the nation.
