Some time ago, I was dining with my ex-boyfriend’s family and friends. But at the end of the meal, the only thing I could savor was my embarrassment.
One member of the group, who was taking medication for type 2 diabetes, was adamant about eating the last piece of cake.
This one had made himself sick from his partnership – and yet he was plowing himself.
As he lifted the cake to enjoy another mouthful, our eyes locked for a moment—and I think, in that look, we both knew his resolve was no stronger than a sponge between his fingers.
This week, Henry Dimbleby – former food czar to No. 10 – highlights an amazing solution to Britain’s growing waistlines.
GB News presenter Nana Aqua (pictured) says the UK’s solution to our ‘ever-expanding waistline’ should be to accept it’s ‘our fault’ if we get fat
He said look at Japan. There, strict employment laws allow companies to wrap tape measure around the bellies of their ugliest workers and send out the best weight-management training sessions.
Do you think I’m kidding? No – this is a serious problem. Diabetes afflicts four million Britons and costs the NHS a full 10 per cent of its budget, thanks to gruesome complications from heart attacks to strokes.
Hardly anyone is fat in Japan. However, our streets are full of overweight people.
So, what are we going to do about it here?
Well, this week the NHS announced the results of a landmark trial – showing that following a radical three-month ‘soup and shake’ meal plan could reverse type 2 diabetes permanently. Patients who ate just 800 calories for three months, then maintained their weight, remained symptom-free after five years and no longer needed medication.
Who would have thought that eating less is good for you?
Both the Japanese and the NHS approaches point to a simple truth. It’s your fault if you get fat – and you can do something about it.
This is hardly a revelation and it begs the belief that some people need to be told.
Columnists say the UK too often takes a ‘victim’ and ‘pass’ approach to obesity. Stock image used
But in recent years, we’ve been hearing constantly that it’s somehow other people’s fault when someone is involved in obesity and diabetes.
We live in a culture of victimhood mixed with victimhood, where adults are often allowed to avoid the consequences of their actions or confront the need for change—even when the harm they are doing to themselves is obvious.
Some try to justify their intake of sugary and fatty waste by claiming that “healthy” foods are expensive, which is nonsense. A home-cooked, nutritious meal is much cheaper than a calorie-packed ready-made meal.
Others insist they are victims of medical conditions – and that they suffer from addictions beyond their control. The other classic ticket to getting out of jail is one’s genes – blame the family!
In my practice, having run my own business for over ten years as a fitness instructor and health coach, I’ve heard every excuse goes. A penny for them and I’ll be on Gary Lineker’s salary.
Nana says celebrities like Lizzo, photographed last year, who promote ‘fat acceptance’ are misleading
Here’s a simple fact: Diets require willpower—and many people don’t want to put in the effort.
This is the crux of the problem. While our society may enjoy an unlimited supply of calories — Dimbleby called us a nation of sausage-eating fatties — there is a chronic lack of self-control.
However, this nonsense is encouraged by weight loss bloggers like Asher Larmie, aka “The Fat Doctor”. They’re a large person — but they point out that many fat people are in this condition thanks to genetics and social inequality.
LBC Radio’s Nick Ferrari laughed as hard as I did when I heard this pseudoscientific nonsense when Larmi was on his show last week.
“You are not fat because of what you eat and how much exercise you do,” claimed this medical professional. “This is the line that everyone leads to believe.”
Just as misleading is overweight pop star Lizzo’s promotion of what some call “fat acceptance” under the guise of body positivity.
She is wrong. Fat isn’t “cool” — it’s a threat to health.
Covid showed us this: After the elderly, obesity was one of the biggest risk factors for dying from the disease. People who are extremely overweight are also at a greatly disproportionate risk of developing all kinds of health problems, from cancer to dementia.
The pandemic should have prompted more people to take personal responsibility. Even with small changes in our lives, great results can be achieved and even type 2 diabetes can be reversed. And if we’re not up to the task, don’t be surprised if one day your boss approaches you with a tape measure.
