We’re stepping up fight to beat obesity

Equally, it seems that these days somebody or some organisation has to be to blame. There is a culture that fault must lie somewhere, and whoever or whatever is in that place must be accused.

But when you think carefully about these things – and obesity is only one example – the blame, or the fault, lies with society as a whole. 

Yes, the UK is the fattest nation in Europe, but why? Is somebody, or something, deliberately making people put on weight? Is somebody, or something, deliberately stopping people exercising? Is somebody, or something, deliberately making people lazy?

The answer, of course, is nobody is deliberately doing these things. There might be a question about processed or fast food, but, so far as I can see, society is to blame – not the individual, not the council, not the Government. 

That doesn’t mean the individual, the council or the Government shouldn’t work to reduce obesity, but it needs an education campaign. 

Here in Thurrock, we are working to combat obesity – and its risks of an early death – in our schools and in our communities as a whole, but we’re trying to do it in an educational and family-oriented way. 

Persuading the children eating healthily is fun will help their families to eat well; persuading parents to eat healthily is affordable and easy will help the children. 

Likewise, going to and from school on foot or bike is good for the children and the parents, but it needs to be made more fun and interesting than sitting in the car, and we’ve been working on that too. 

This summer’s Beat the Streets campaign was a great success and something that has continued. Now everyone needs to look out for Thurrock World 100, a long-term scheme involving schools, children and the community as a whole encouraging walking and linking in to Thurrock’s exciting and expanding artistic and cultural life.

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