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The portion sizes of some of Britain's most popular foods are to be cut, with health officials telling the public it is time "to get on a diet".
Public Health England is targeting pizzas, ready meals, processed meat and takeaways, in a new obesity drive.
The government agency has also urged the food industry to start using healthier ingredients and encourage the public to opt for lower calorie foods.
It is all part of a drive to cut calorie consumption by 20% by 2024.
This is ridiculous on many levels:
1. People would just buy 2 instead of 1
2. Most food producers have been cutting portion sizes for years but keeping their prices the same.
3. They shouldn't be dictating how big a portion of food people want to eat.
4. There is a chance that this (call me a cynic), is an attempt to help out some big providers of foodstuffs to maintain a steady decline in portion size to keep their profits high, whilst telling -through marketing- their customers they're doing them a favour.
5. Education is fine, but there is often too much interference...
which I'm amazed hasn't been mentioned here, as for years so many forumites have been most vociferous on such matters about the nanny state.
Public Health England is targeting pizzas, ready meals, processed meat and takeaways, in a new obesity drive.
The government agency has also urged the food industry to start using healthier ingredients and encourage the public to opt for lower calorie foods.
It is all part of a drive to cut calorie consumption by 20% by 2024.
This is ridiculous on many levels:
1. People would just buy 2 instead of 1
2. Most food producers have been cutting portion sizes for years but keeping their prices the same.
3. They shouldn't be dictating how big a portion of food people want to eat.
4. There is a chance that this (call me a cynic), is an attempt to help out some big providers of foodstuffs to maintain a steady decline in portion size to keep their profits high, whilst telling -through marketing- their customers they're doing them a favour.
5. Education is fine, but there is often too much interference...
which I'm amazed hasn't been mentioned here, as for years so many forumites have been most vociferous on such matters about the nanny state.
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But the good news is millennials are the most obese generation ever ,so with heart attacks and strokes we won't have to listen to their snowflake whining forever.
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The information on the net and tv regarding healthy eating is incredible. Govt intervention is well intentioned but people are making choices. And their choice is to get fat.
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We've seen these sorts of things before with regulation.
Warn the industry that if they don't do anything, the govt will act. Industry makes minor concessions and the govt pretend to be satisfied. All takes years to achieve and in the end little change. |
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The food industry is doing really "well" in the UK.
Household availability of ultra-processed foods and obesity in nineteen European countries https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/household-availability-of-ultraprocessed-foods-and-obesity-in-nineteen-european-countries/D63EF7095E8EFE72BD825AFC2F331149/core-reader "Across the nineteen countries, median average household availability amounted to 33·9 % of total purchased dietary energy for unprocessed or minimally processed foods, 20·3 % for processed culinary ingredients, 19·6 % for processed foods and 26·4 % for ultra-processed foods. The average household availability of ultra-processed foods ranged from 10·2 % in Portugal and 13·4 % in Italy to 46·2 % in Germany and 50·4 % in the UK. A significant positive association was found between national household availability of ultra-processed foods and national prevalence of obesity among adults." ...and I agree with Jack Hacksaw. |
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There is a chance that this (call me a cynic), is an attempt to help out some big providers of foodstuffs to maintain a steady decline in portion size to keep their profits high, whilst telling -through marketing- their customers they're doing them a favour.
This is exactly what I thought before I finished reading the post. And I am afraid this is the only explanation for this drive by the govt. Every food business loves selling smaller portions. Now they have the govt's support. |
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They cant just p1ss off.
There is no one size fits all anyway, why should an inactive 8 stone young woman be given same kcal in a meal as an active healthy 14 stone man? I've been to restaurants and had small portions and my thought is that I won't go back there in a hurry! I doubt the problems here are what people eat in meals (who eats out that often anyway?) it's the bad choice of what to eat in the first place, at home, and eating and drinking rubbish inbetween, and that's personal choice. |
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As I said, the portion sizes of almost everything have been reduced quite a lot, for supermarkets and big chain takeaways.
They'll love this sort of "interference" because you can guarantee prices of food will not reduce. For small food producers it is at best, unworkable and at worst going to create loads of red tape and other business destructive nonsense for restaurants and other outlets. All is not how we're led to believe. |
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If it shuts down half the sh!thole kebab outfits it won't be a bad thing.
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You watch these programs with obese people and they can be ordering more than one carry out (or a huge combo with extras) every night plus eat stuff inbetween.
On this subject, there's been a large amount of "get fit / lose weight" type programs on TV this January period onwards? I mean there are normally a couple but weight loss is now getting more coverage than **SNOW**!!  |
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Is there a correlation between weight and watching TV? Loads of fat buggers on Gogglebox.
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There is a chance that this (call me a cynic), is an attempt to help out some big providers of foodstuffs to maintain a steady decline in portion size to keep their profits high, whilst telling -through marketing- their customers they're doing them a favour.
FFS more ammunition for Terry. There is a massive problem with obesity in this country, despite the constant cries of austerity, and this is a poorly judged attempt at attacking the problem. Up there with the SNP imposing a standard cost of alcohol per unit. |
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The obesity forming, processed food is both cheaper and easier to prepare than fresh food. So poorer people are more likely to use it. So it IS partly a result of austerity and not despite it.
The cries of austerity are, for most, justified. |
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The obesity forming, processed food is both cheaper I disagree its more expensive. |
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It is the lazier option SF which might explain the obesity.
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I rather agree with aka, quick is what most people want.
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Even in West Yorkshire ?
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I'd agree that much of the processed food is pretty cheap (at least if you ignore the health cost), quick, and quite delicious. Often both sweet and fatty in a hard to resist combination. I'd eat ice cream every day if I thought it was good for me. The caveman inside me craves it, but the logical educated part of my brain says no
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People are becoming lazier as far as meals are concerned even the healthy stuff can be bought peeled and grated. There is little incentive for business to sell the basic ingredients for people to make meals, the money is adding value in the processing.
Anyway I don't care all those fatties make me look better. |
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takes more energy to open two boxes rather than one
nanny state is shrewd! |
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Look at Wagon wheels and Mars bars etc............it's already been happening for years
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what it is, is small thinking. it's what's the least we can do to show we are trying to do something to tackle obesity?
people will still do whatever they want. you can tell people coca cola will kill you, and people will still drink it. obesity is due to a lack of exercise or movement as much as it is to do with diet. |
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And of course reducing portion sizes simply means that people will buy more thus increasing companies' profits and generating more tax for the Exchequer.
Cynical? Moi? |
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Half the size...............you can eat twice as much !
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Little Britain got it spot on
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Also smaller portions will create more waste.
Anyone that thinks it is cheaper to buy processed foods than cooking it hasnt ever really tried. |
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Young mothers just haven't got the time to cook meals using fresh ingredients.
Facebook and what's app don't read and write themselves you know! |
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They spend a couple of hours in the bath, then a couple more doing hair and make up, no time for cooking. Women are just as bad.
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The working classes are obsessed with food. I don't like to have to think about what I eat its too much trouble
And not very British |
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^Eating is their only pleasure in life.
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One has to run for 45 mins or run 3.5 miles just to use the cals contained in 2 small cheese pizza slices. So you can imagine how much running is needed to use up the cals in a whole days food. Exercise just wont do it. One has to eat less. Now, a number of weightily challenged just don't care. Fair enough.
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How far do I have to run to burn off the 2 Rustlers Flame grilled BBQ ribs I had for breakfast?
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"One has to run for 45 mins or run 3.5 miles just to use the cals contained in 2 small cheese pizza slices."
Not really because the amount of calories burned depends on how heavy you are. "So you can imagine how much running is needed to use up the cals in a whole days food. Exercise just wont do it. One has to eat less. Now, a number of weightily challenged just don't care. Fair enough." But you are burning calories all the time even when you are just sitting around doing nothing. To lose weight your calorie output needs to be greater than your calorie intake. If you are not losing or gaining weight then the two are equal. So in theory if you introduce some exercise and keep everything else the same then your calorie output will exceed intake. The problem tends to be that when you exercise you eat more to compensate so your weight stays the same. But at least you get a bit fitter!! |
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If you eat a bit less you'll simply slow down without any loss of weight.
You need to get your body into fat burning mode to seriously lose weight. Don't expect the lumpenproletariat to take any notice of people telling them to lose weight, they eat for pleasure. If the food is available they'll eat it in any amounts until they're full. It always makes me smile when people go on about the necessity of food banks. Look around you when you go out. Not a skinny rib in sight, and they're all pleading poverty. |
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In my experience the more I exercise, the more efficient my body becomes and the less fat I burn.
I'll often eat one meal a day and I have a physical job. I won't lose a pound. In fact I reckon we should really eat at least 3 meals a day but in small portions. I think by eating once (mostly it's twice) my metabolism slows down and I put on weight. Losing weight is not easy. Exercise is certainly not the answer. It's probably sugar and carbs. I can avoid both though and see little difference. Everyone's unique yet the powers that be often give one size fits all advice. |
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the nhs healthy eating guide is amazing - spuds, rice, pasta, bread - milk is another - the amount of carbs in that alone could be very counter productive on one hand and deadly if you have diabetes, or tend towards that, as you may all know, carbs turn to sugar.
You are so right about portions. I used to cover the whole plate HEAPED. No wonder I put on weight. If you open the heart foundation booklet on the second page the white of the plates can easily be seen and the portions probably half or less of what I used to glug down!!! I use an exercise bike but have taken to the front steps of my house and go at them!! Because I am moving my whole weight it is a far better exercise than sitting on a bike!! Every step is lifting 12 stone. Obvious to those who know but not to thicko me!!! A few minutes of that is worth its weight in gold ha ha sorry for the pun. |
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Balancing hormones for us blokes might be more important than calorie +/- especially as we age.
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injera
I have noticed the difference between one or two meals and several smaller meals or even snacks. |
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I wonder if there's another forum in the world where so many fat fxxkers discuss how to be slim
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