International coalition of the slimming?

[bowerbird]

Europe is committing itself to rolling back the flab. The world's first international charter for tackling obesity, involving 53 nations, will be unveiled in Istanbul, Turkey, later this month.

"We think it's a milestone in the fight against obesity," said Francesco Branca, the World Health Organization's European adviser on nutrition and a key architect of the charter, speaking at a press conference in London last week.

Although soaring rates of obesity in the US have attracted most attention, the situation in Europe is equally dire, according to the WHO. If current trends continue, a tenth of Europe's children will be obese by 2010, twice the proportion a decade ago. And if no action is taken, almost 150 million Europeans across all ages will be obese by 2010, compared with 125 million in 2002. "The immediate target is to stop the increase in children,"

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19225774.400-international-coalition-aims-to-fight-flab.html

[AgentM]

British Columbia is seriously talking about taxing junk foods, at a rate of about 40% or so. It's probably a good idea overall, though it will hurt when I give into temptations and get myself something. Oh well, for the greater good...

[GI Joe]

British Columbia is seriously talking about taxing junk foods, at a rate of about 40% or so. It's probably a good idea overall, though it will hurt when I give into temptations and get myself something. Oh well, for the greater good...


Typical

Thats the liberals answer to anything
TAX IT

[AgentM]

Typical

Thats the liberals answer to anything
TAX IT

Because it works. The quickest way to get people to think twice about buying something is to hit them where it hurts the most, the wallet. What would you suggest?

[bowerbird]

Worked here for cigarettes - to an extent. But it does depend on what you classify as "junk food". I think there would have to be fairly stringent guidelines.

[GI Joe]

Because it works. The quickest way to get people to think twice about buying something is to hit them where it hurts the most, the wallet. What would you suggest?



I believe in personal responsibility

[bowerbird]

Does that go for children under 5 as well?

The big problem is not personal responsibility it is finding out exactly how our diet does affect us - far far more difficult than a lot of people realise.

GI do you know the reasons for weight gain?

[AgentM]

I think there would have to be fairly stringent guidelines.

Yes there would. I'm pretty sure they probably just mean things along the line of candy, chips, and pop.

[JoeR]

Why should everyone else who manages to eat those things and not be obese have to suffer?

[Alvin T. Grey]

I believe in personal responsibility
So without any legislation, there is no problem.....hang on a sec, there isn't a tax or law covering junk food now.

So how is that 'Personal responcibility' working out currently.

[blueactive]

While the nanny states of the EU are telling people that they should not be fat they are also complaining that the fashion world is warping people's minds into thinking they should be skinny.

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
When Frederique van der Wal, a former Victoria's Secret model, attended designers' shows during New York's Fashion Week this month, she was "shocked" by the waiflike models who paraded down the catwalk. They seemed even skinnier than in previous years.
"This unnatural thinness is a terrible message to send out. The people watching the fashion shows are young, impressionable women," says van der Wal, host of Cover Shot on TLC.

Psychologists and eating-disorder experts are worried about the same thing. They say the fashion industry has gone too far in pushing a dangerously thin image that women, and even very young girls, may try to emulate.

The Madrid fashion show, which ended Saturday, banned overly thin models, saying it wanted to project beauty and health. Organizers said models had to be within a healthy weight range.

That means a 5-foot-9 woman would need to weigh at least 125 pounds.

Officials in India, Britain and Milan also have expressed concerns, but some experts say consumers in the USA will have to demand models with fuller figures for it to happen here.


She doesn't buy into the idea that fashion models are creating a cult of thinness in the USA. "The biggest problem in America is obesity. Both obesity and anorexia stem from numerous issues, and it would be impossible to attribute either to entertainment, be it film, TV or magazines."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-thin-models_x.htm


Its like the Save the Seals people being pissed at the Save the Whales people because the whales are eating their seals like popcorn.:laughter:

Perhaps there is a compromise. Any European weighing in at above the State approved weight would pay $300 Euros for a pizza, but if you are under the weight the pizza is free? Or to order any food in a restaurant above a State approved caloric range, you have to pass thru an 18 inch wide opening first?

I thought I'd just offer a few suggestions since it hasn't really occurred to you folks yet that in supposedly Democratic countries THE STATE HAS NO BUSINESS TELLING YOU HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD WEIGH!!!