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Hi there, welcome to Rick Weatherall’s first blog (scary stuff). Please note these are my ramblings, my opinions, not my professions, and personal to me. I don’t want to offend, I’m happy to discuss and if a better argument is put forward I will happily cave in to you. Obviously I have many influences that have shaped my views; friends, family, students, lecturers, being a parent etc.
The topic that’s on my mind at the moment is Jamie Oliver’s stance on sugar in our diets, how as a nation we are making the wrong choices with food, leading to obesity, heart disease , tooth decay, poor behavioural issues in school, etc. etc. leading to chronic health issues being the norm in our society. No wonder the NHS is creaking at the knees, and let’s face it, bankrupt!.
Jamie Oliver has suggested a tax on sugary drinks, and crystal clear labelling on all food and drink. Jamie’s detractors would suggest this was the nanny state at play, and why is a multi millionaire entrepreneur sticking his nose in. I’m 100% behind Jamie, he’s passionate about it, and I believe he has already placed a sugar tax on drinks in his restaurants. I applaud him whole heartedly, and he is using his celebrity and expertise to good effect. Something drastic has to happen ASAP, to re balance the nations appalling health, let’s face it what are the government doing? Other than copying up to the massive players in the food industry.
Why can’t legislation be changed overnight to put clear labelling on food, i.e. have a picture of a teaspoon or a table spoon with exactly how many spoonfuls of sugar are hiding in that product. I have naively trusted these huge household names in the food industry, to have mine, and my family’s best health interests at heart (what an idiot I have been).
I’m no academic, no leading brain in my field, but I’m of reasonable intelligence, and for the life of me I can’t fathom out food nutritional labelling. I also haven’t got the time to work out all values whilst tearing around the shops. If not a sugar tax, use the spoonful labelling idea and make it impossible to miss. Even I can’t get that wrong.
At least if you make labelling fool proof and transparent we can all make up our own minds on whether we want to eat that product or avoid it.
How many products are sneakily packaged to appear healthy, when if you had time to dig deeper you would realise that it was a poor choice.
So let’s make some drastic changes. Ask yourself, is it within the food industries interest to get us hooked on sugary food, I would cynically reply yes, and I’m speaking as one who feels addicted to it, and I’m ashamed to say that I feel my children are heading that way because my bad food choices.
Treats are allowed but as your grandparents said, everything in moderation. It’s the hidden sugar I think is the real culprit. So come on Jamie you get my vote.
Hear endeth my first blog. Better not fall off this soap box.
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