30 Jan Horizon shows time for healthy eating to get PR it deserves
This isn’t exactly a revelation, but as a nation we’ve never been so fat and the subject is never far away from the media.
However, despite the so called obesity epidemic, it seems there is not enough healthy eating and lifestyle organisations capitalising on the PR opportunities.
I thought this last night watching BBC’s Horizon, which was about what is more dangerous sugar or fat. To be fair, the first 40 mins when identical twin doctors were put on a sugar v fat experiment, was turgid viewing, but what the last 20 minutes revealed made the programme worthwhile.
In a nutshell, it concluded that the combination of fat and sugar, the mix for most processed foods is killing us. It has the same addictive effect as class A drugs causing a craving, and is not repeated anywhere else in nature.
It also showed that diets are pointless and can be extremely dangerous.
So basically, hardly earth-shattering, but if you eat fast food regularly you are killing yourself.
This is where it gets political and the debate opens up because it’s clear we have a government allowing the food industry to help kill its people, and it’s costing the nation a fortune in healthcare.
Now I’m not going to start some Jamie Oliver school dinners style crusade, but I call on those promoting healthy eating to really start shouting about it. We aren’t going to change the food industry quickly, so we have to change mind sets and you have a wonderful opportunity.
When I left school in the early 1980s people walked more and ate home-cooked stuff like meat and two veg. Eating out was something folks only did on special occasions.
I was shocked when I visited the USA in the early 90s at how obese the people were, but too many of us have followed them, including some close friends whose health I fear for.
Those promoting a healthy lifestyle need to use PR wisely, because if you pardon the pun the media is hungry for you and this is an appetite you have to feed. I wish you well.
