28th August 2006

 
Your article about the rise in obesity in the County and indeed the rest of the country, highlights the failures by our government to act (Gazette 25/08/06).

Obesity is costing the UK economy £7bn and the NHS £1bn (i) while the Department of Health is predicting more than 12m adults and one million children will be obese by 2010 if no action is taken. Patricia Hewitt accepts no responsibility for the worsening obesity crisis and is intent on blaming individuals for the epidemic, despite the fact that all the key determinants of public health are in the control of national and local government.

It is simply wrong to suggest that individuals are solely responsible for reducing levels of exercise when it is government that is promoting car based transport at the expense of cycling and walking.

Patricia Hewitt is also very much in bed with the corporate lobby in her refusal to ban junk food adverts. It is obvious that people’s choices are steered by the information they receive so we have to question why she refuses to help people make better choices. The ban on tobacco advertising had a marked effect on people, however it seems that the lobby from the food industry is dictating policy to the government.

Cllr. Philip Booth, Stroud District Green party,