The Food and Fat Debate

There is a whole bunch of research and articles from "experts" on the change in our diet and the supposed onset of morbid obesity.  They largely say our eating habits have changed and the choices of food in our diet is driving that obesity statistics.  But is that the case?  Is it the definitive answer?

Well I tend to argue it is not.  Obesity is a symptom of the modern era, say in New Zealand in the past 30 years.  Yes the proliferation of fast food outlets has grown in that time but other factors have also changed in that time which goes some way towards arguing it's not just food choices but also lifestyle choices.

Back in the early days, not every family owned a car, van or any other automobile and walking to bus stops and the likes was the norm.  That changed when they started importing secondhand Japanese vehicles and they were more affordable.  Suddenly it was easier to get around.  In the process, exercising became less necessary and coupled with the food choices, obesity started to become a factor in the health equation.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg.  The sudden proliferation of electronic devices and a huge entertainment industry meant that children over the past 20 years have felt no need to go outside and play after school, instead tied to their electronic entertainment.  And not just children.  many adults also found it more beneficial to sit at home and watch DVD's or play on the Playstation, and become couch potatoes.  Sure there were couch potatoes before this evolution, but the devices made it easier for proliferation of addictions to those devices and less exercise.  Sure, food choices also featured more, too busy to cook a meal because they were on their devices so let's do takeout.

The other factor would also have to be the argument that folks are better off money-wise these days and buying takeaways is easier.  Tentative link but one nonetheless.

The fact remains society is just beginning to pay the full price for lifestyle choices.  Don't blame the

person that finds themselves morbidly obese or diabetic.  Blame the people that decided that society needed to take the easy route through life.  I can't see how a Sugar Tax is going to solve obesity and diabetes.  Not all those that suffer either eat a lot of sugar.  Sure some do, but it's the other food group to me that should be targetted - I call them Brown Foods.  Any food (most anyway) that are brown and most takeaways are, seem to be linked to eating issues and obesity.  Place a levy on those food suppliers to help with the Health Budget to care for those that can't help themselves (yes that does sound like what happens to smokers)

In the end lifestyle choices are an individual thing, as with all issues, but if a country can fight to rid smoking, and eventually alcohol, then it can also make it's people look like supermodels in their old age, slim, attractive and fit.

Yes I eat all the food groups mentioned, maybe treat myself once a week.  I also exercise at work so I burn calories.  Yes I was overweight once, and yes I changed my lifestyle not just for a healthier life, but for personal satisfaction.  I am still overweight (4 kilos) but it's a healthy overweight.  Yes I sit at my PC for hours on end.  But yes, I still work hard for 8 hours a day and that keeps the doctor at bay.  Yes, if they taxed food outlets I'd still buy, knowing I'm not the problem.  The problem is those that don't buy into a healthy lifestyle.  And if you raise the Fat Gene Card i'd throw back at you that not all smokers or drinkers come from a hereditary line of similar people. Addiction is an individual thing.

The Lifestyle Debate - or health hazards

Ok, yes I have written a few blogs defending smoking, rightfully or wrongfully, but in those blogs as I said, I was defending the right to choice and my choice is to smoke.  But in not one of those blogs did I take a pot shot at others lifestyle choices.  Until this afternoon.

We're all very familiar with the vociferous Anti Smoking Lobbyists, and yes they have a point, smoking "can" kill.  And as I have stated before the figures used by those lobbyists seemed unbalanced and not worthy of repetition, but repeat I will.  The reason?  I discovered purely by chance (thanks @CateOwen on Twitter) that there was a by far larger demographic out there that is using more health services than smokers.  And they die too from their addictions.  The Obese.

According to NZ Statistics a large number (31% adults, 11% children) are obese.  Statistically the adult number is double the whole number of smokers and draw a larger pie of the Health Budget than smokers.  Yet there is no serious campaign going on like the ASH campaign to reduce these numbers.  Instead it's left for low level media coverage and a little advertising by community groups to bring this issue to the fore.

If it's OK to tax smokers for their habit (which btw goes into the Health Budget to help fund smoking related illnesses, a sort of insurance scheme) why is it not OK to tax foods and beverages that cause Obesity and their related illnesses?  And a lot of those illnesses in the Obese are life long ones whereas smoking illnesses feature later in life. Is that equality of care?  Is that a fair balance between the two subjects?  No!!

I was at one stage getting to a stage where I was morbidly Obese and a smoker.  In fact my obesity came about from stopping smoking for 2 years.  Two years of food and beverage abuse lead to 20 years of huffing and puffing my weight around.  But one day I made a life changing decision.  Smoking was OK.  Being Fat wasn't.  I am now at my fighting weight, I don't huff and puff through exertion, I'm fit.  I don't have respiratory issues through smoking, in fact I don't have any health issues.  I'm 55 and healthy.  But it's fair to say if I had continued to grow big, the following issues could have arisen and placed me as a huge burden on the health budget.  Click here for the drain on the Health System.

The following figures are what I derived from the statistics above.  They are debatable and hopefully you can understand them.  Obesity is a huge issue.  More than 40% of the population is obese.  No not just fat, Obese.  And the figures suggest it may also be socioeconomically and ethnically orientated.  I don't have a long term fix, but it's fair to say as stated, ok to tax tobacco to lower numbers, do the same in the supermarkets, dairies, bottle stores and takeaway joints.  Legislate, educate, tax.  Get people turned around to healthy choices which should be subsidised, as are stop smoking derivatives.  The figures:

Population last census
4420000
Death statistics in New Zealand 2012
32513
%age of population
0.736%
%age of smokers deaths per smoking group.
0.754%
Number of Obese Adults (15 over)
31%
Number Obese by Population			1370200
Number of Obese Children (2-14)
11%		486200
Number Obese by Population			1856400
Number of smokers per population 2013 statistics
15%
663000	Numbers smoking
Number of Deaths from Smoking (2012 figures)					%age of smokers deaths by population
5000					0.113%
Number of Deaths attributed to Obesity not measured.

I guess in closing, both Smoking and Obesity are not lifestyle choices we want to make in the next 10 - 15 years.  And I wonder if the rules for smoking apply to Marijuana?  Ban all lighters and matches??  Same with food, ban KFC, Maccas, Cadbury Chocolates, Kiddies Lollies packs?  Radical maybe, but that's the harsh reality.  We can beat smoking.  We can beat Obesity.  Just needs a strong lobby group to lead the way!!