Forum Topic

The horror! The horror!

'Coronavirus: GPs to prescribe cycling in new obesity strategy'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53541866

John Whitworth ● 2289d92 Comments

It's a great idea but walking is better for weight loss .

Anita Blake ● 2289d

People who are fat know they are fat, what ever happened to taking personal responsibility for oneself, horror of horrors that the taxpayer has to prescribe anything, eat less, eat healthier and exercise doesn’t take a genius to work that out if you want to lose weight 😂😂😂😂😂 walking costs nothing, eating less saves money eating healthy is less expensive than fat food ha!

Jayne Thorburn ● 2289d

Maybe it’s in place of the 12 gym visits with a NHS personal trainer

Bernard Allen ● 2289d

Will the GP prescription include the bicycle that I will need?

Jeffrey Cope ● 2289d

If you are on benefits you will of course be given a state of the art bicycle by your local authority if your GP prescribes cycling to assist with your self inflicted obesity.

Steve Taylor ● 2289d

What happens when the bicycle gets stolen?  Who buys all these stolen bikes anyway?

Maggie Dodge ● 2289d

Who buys them?  Fat people obviously.

Micki Hawkes ● 2289d

No, no God forbid, the ever benevolent Nanny State does everything for you now.  You don't even have to think for yourself, make any choices at all, the State will provide!The Nazis nowadays would have had a simple walk-in to the United Kingdom with only a dwindling handful of aged sturdy backboned people to fight 'em off!  Surely our Country has not come to this?

Jennifer Selig ● 2289d

Possibly the most stupid post ever

Carl Wynne ● 2289d

so says the Brain of ChiswickW4 or probably the Brain of Britain!

Jennifer Selig ● 2289d

No the fat people don’t have to buy bikes. They can get them from the council if their GP prescribes that they are too fat.

Steve Taylor ● 2289d

Are you serious?  Why on earth should my taxes subsidise those idle, lazy .... slobs?  You should have seen the enormous fat diabetics in the hospital ward I was in wolfing down plates of the fatest, sweetest options on the menu.  Their families came in bringing chocolate bars, sweets and cakes and were equally as fat!  I am not talking about the miserable people who are fat through no fault of theirs such as a disease, or enforced idleness caused by a disability but all the others.

Jennifer Selig ● 2288d

Sadly it is cars that enable such lifestyles to be viable.If everyone had to walk or cycle they would have to remain fit enough to get around that way.

Will Watson ● 2288d

The rot set in with the invention of the remote control.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2288d

Actually, the stupidity has just been exceeded

Carl Wynne ● 2288d

the ready meal and the delivered high calorie meal.We need to go back to hunting for our food.

Philippa Bond ● 2288d

Cycling, walking any exercise all good for our body and minds, just wondering fantastic idea but what's being done about bike theft? Do they think people have hundreds of pounds going spare to then invest in a push bike which undoubtedly will be stolen soon after.

Julie Greenjam ● 2288d

With bows and arrows, Philippa, and loin cloths?

Claire Moran ● 2288d

Anyway one refers to Nazis in any context other than the correct context is incredibly insensitive.

Andrew Steed ● 2288d

You mentioned Nazis. Godwin's Law. You lose.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

Ken Munn ● 2288d

"We need to go back to hunting for our food."Are pets good eating? Coz I don't fancy parakeets or foxes.

Ken Munn ● 2288d

Many now just now order up a hot delivered meal.  I suspect many don't even transfer it into on a plate.Many of these meals are very high in fat.Simplifying meals and not asking children what they want to eat, not eating double carbohydrates and reducing the amount should make a difference.  Growing your own and going out hunting on a cycle for your meal would be even better!

Philippa Bond ● 2288d

I guess calling you the Brain of Britain was pretty stupid. ;-)

Richard Greenhough ● 2288d

"..going out hunting on a cycle for your meal would be even better!"Cat owners beware !

Richard Greenhough ● 2288d

Dogs are probably easier, because they usually held captive on a leash. And they can't run up trees.

Ken Munn ● 2288d

In the olden days rich people were fat, poor people were thin. These days rich people are thin and poor people are fat. There are reasons for this and cars aren't really a part of it. Most UK supermarkets have ready meals and unhealthy food at lower cost than buying fresh. Add into this that people either don't have the time or the knowledge to cook a meal from fresh and you get obesity. It's not difficult to work out.  Until the government makes supermarkets responsible for obesity, nothing will change.  Obviously the supermarkets are in the pockets of government (of all colours) or something would have been done by now to help with the state of the food choices we're given when shopping.  Just look at the fuss the industry made when they tried to put in the traffic light system. Why don't we have a sugar tax? Because supermarket lobby the government and won't allow it. If you go to Europe and see their supermarkets, the fresh food is cheaper than the unhealthy food and they don't have an obesity problem. Go to America and it's cheaper to eat take-aways than it is to cook and they have a terribly obesity problem.  Supermarkets must have immense power over the government (and always have done, regardless of who's in power) or else why don't they do something to sort out a basic problem?

Tania Bapuji ● 2288d

"Growing your own and going out hunting on a cycle for your meal would be even better!"Focus, love. We live in a city.Tania is right. Will is, how shall we say, ____. It isn't limited to supermarkets. It's also fast food chains and things like diet soda which tricks the brain somehow so people keep consuming it to their detriment. It causes a chemical reaction suppressing the ability to feel sated, if memory serves. And these meals are cheaper than buying the healthy equivalent or the ingredients. Eating healthy isn't as economic as it oughta be. That's driven by the market and the market is driven by demand however fabricated. And that's where ads come in. It's also ingredients used to prolong distribution and shelf life.Two for one pizza deals with a liter of Coke?KFC for less than one can imagine. Salty so you drink more. And the cycle continues.As for fat content, it holds heat so it figures in to engineering a product/meal for delivery.You're welcome to your position, Will, on getting people to drive less. But driving is not THE cause of obesity. Lifestyle choice and the lack of self-discipline is.  Not to mention the biologic causes some are prone to. No matter how hard you try, cycling ain't gonna change somebody's genes.

David Lesniak ● 2288d

Here is the relationship between obesity and cycling in northwest Europe. The less a county cycles, the more obese is its population.

Tom Pike ● 2288d

I'm sure cycling can play a part as your diagram illustrates. A walking and swimming diagram would no doubt show the same correlation. However (and I'm a fine one to talk), diet and the choices we make is such a large part of the picture. I was in a local shop a few days ago and the morbidly obese woman in front of me had a basket containing six beers and three bars of chocolate. My brain kind of switched off when I'm pretty sure I heard her requesting a certain brand of cigarettes. It's hard not to be judgmental. 

Anne England ● 2288d

"Sadly it is cars that enable such lifestyles to be viable."Nonsense. It's the gluttony and bad parenting and processed foods plus a welfare system that enables people to be able to afford junk food.

Steve Taylor ● 2288d

"The less a county cycles, the more obese is its population."That is just one analogy. You may also want to look at - the better the children are educated the less obesity - the less gluttony, the less obesity, the more drinking alcohol, the more obesity, the lazier the parents, the more obesity of children....the list goes on and on.

Steve Taylor ● 2288d

"It's hard not to be judgmental."Indeed.

Steve Taylor ● 2288d

https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2020/04/15/david-vs-covid/

Marlene Plimley ● 2288d

"You're welcome to your position, Will, on getting people to drive less. But driving is not THE cause of obesity."I did not say driving was the cause of obesity. Obesity is caused by people eating more calories than they need.I said cars enable obesity. I.e. cars make it possible for people to be obese and still comfortably function in the world.If you have to walk / cycle everywhere (or use public transport) you will find it much harder if you encumber yourself with 10s of kilos of excess fat.

Will Watson ● 2288d

Easy just been focus on eating but if you eat quite well then sit on your arse all day you are risking having some problems.Heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer, depression, the list of things directly associated to a lack of physical activity is big and the cost to the economy is staggering.It's getting worst too. Majority of children are getting less than recommended exercise. Being driven to school and then driven home to sit in front of a computer game or mobile phone is creating bad behaviours which can be taken through life. It sets bad habits.What's a good tactic for encouraging people to get more exercise and improve their physical and mental health? What's a good way to get kids outside more often?Giving them a place where they feel safe would be a good start. Somewhere you can stop have a chat in a nice quiet environment could do wonders to someone who struggles with social connections. Having a place to stop and chat to other parents outside of the school could make a huge difference to someone who is struggling with the pressures of parenthood.There are a few on here whose opinions will never change for various reasons. Some will never think like anything other than an individual and others just don't like change and only see risk despite evidence to the contrary. I don't think these people realise that doing nothing is not an option.

Tony Smart ● 2288d

Just as a little 'extra', I have to remind myself that when sitting - and I do - for prolonged periods of time, you should stand up and move around every half hour. Standing for some of the day is supposed to be beneficial and this is why we sometimes see television interviews being conducted at a standing desk (come to think of it, I haven't noticed that for a while).

Anne England ● 2288d

Parents these days are to busy to cook so easier for the kids to get a takeaway, it can work out cheaper than having the cooker on every evening.

Janice Evans ● 2288d

Let's look at the seven other countries in NW Europe compared to us, that's the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Ireland all with lower levels of obesity than us, and with higher levels of cycling.All of these countries have similar average incomes, we're 6/8, but it's the Netherlands and Belgium with the lower net incomes and we have 50% higher obesity.Very similar educational attainment, the UK is only behind Ireland in the PISA rankings 2/8, so if anything the education level and obesity appear positively correlated.Alcohol intake, we're in the middle, 4/8 - Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany higher, Sweden and the Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium lower.So neither wealth, education or alcohol intake explain the high prevalence of obesity in the UK. In comparison, the low level of cycling does, and it's no big surprise that active transport would produce this effect. It's good to see the government recognise this simple fact.

Tom Pike ● 2287d

If a parent allows their child to get fat they should be fined, poor kids will get bullied etc. How can any parent do that to their child, just shocking. It is cheaper to cook than buy junk food and if it matters they should find the time, plan the week, kids are a massive responsibility.

Jayne Thorburn ● 2287d

We had to eat what we were given, these days kids seem to choose what they want to eat so trying to do different meals for each child is not really possible.

Janice Evans ● 2287d

I grew up during the 2nd WW and rationing. We had to eat every scrap of food on our plates - the Russians were always starving according to my mother! Incidentally, someone on here said there were statistics showing the poor couldn't afford cars yet were fat while the rich had cars and were thin!  It all boils down to education and teaching kids cooking from a very early age - it's amazing how many people have no idea how to knock up inexpensive but nourishing meals.  Allotments should be an essential for every tower block resident and educate them how to grow spuds, tomatoes and veg. etc.  Some of these can be grown on balconies or window sills.  It's a strange World where not so long ago starvation was the problem, now it's the reverse!

Jennifer Selig ● 2287d

I prefer growing veg etc., in tubs as it is easier and cleaner.

Janice Evans ● 2287d

"kids are a massive responsibility."Indeed and few take the responsibility seriously.

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

"these days kids seem to choose what they want to eat so trying to do different meals for each child is not really possible."Simple answer to that!  They are told to eat what is put in front of them. Only an irresponsible parent would do different meals for each child unless they are allergic to something.

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

"In comparison, the low level of cycling does, and it's no big surprise that active transport would produce this effect."Health experts on LBC this evening contradict that and claim that all the exercise makes little difference if you continue to eat processed 'food' and sugar or worse, sugar substitutes! Our European neighbours have a much better diet than we do these days.

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

Nobody is denying that diet has an effect on obesity rates. But no public health expert, including Professor Jebb, would claim that physical activity makes little difference.We need to improve our diet and increase our levels of physical activity. Given we have the lowest levels of cycling compared to our neighbours, as well as the highest levels of obesity, it's clear more people need to be encouraged to cycle. The government's raft of measures announced over the last couple of days recognise that fact.

Tom Pike ● 2287d

"increase our levels of physical activity"Let's have a look see as to how that can be achieved, shall we?WalkingRunningAny sport whatsoeverWeightliftingMartial ArtsYogaPilatesTo name but a few.It's about aerobics no matter how it is done. And when balanced with specific dietary intake can lead to ketosis as with a low carb, high-fat diet. Might not work for all, but that's just one example.There are plenty of viable alternatives to cycling,but surely a doctor would know that. I'm not nearly as smart, but even I know it. You should get out more, Tom.

David Lesniak ● 2287d

"Obesity is caused by people eating more calories"Partially true. Sweet drinks, too much fruit juice and booze also contribute. All those pints at the pub don't help."Cars enable obesity"Plenty of overweight folks pedalling by as well.

David Lesniak ● 2287d

"Easy just been focus on eating but if you eat quite well then sit on your arse all day you are risking having some problems"Indeed. But there are plenty of ways to exercise.Given the boom in cycle sales during the pandemic, I'd've thought the government could turn and lend a hand to the embattled fitness industry. Why not issue these £50 vouchers to be redeemed at gyms or other fitness studios?And so long as overall health is the goal, why not talk about smoking and vaping?

David Lesniak ● 2287d

David, when you walk or cycle rather than drive you reduce pollution and emissions. And if it's part of your commute you're saving money and time compared to achieving the same level of activity though sport.The government is emphasising active travel because it delivers on multiple goals, all of which I'm sure you support.

Tom Pike ● 2287d

Gosh Tom, when you put it that way why not outlaw any other form of activity and physical fitness?Running to work would do the same. Plus it doesn't require all that pesky smelting of metal to make bikes churning who knows what into the atmosphere. Ditto the rubber tires. But do go on.It will result in the cycling autocracy you desire. A sad world to me, but you're gonna love it.

David Lesniak ● 2287d

"But no public health expert, including Professor Jebb, would claim that physical activity makes little difference."You would need to listen to the interview on LBC between 17:00 and 17:30 yesterday afternoon.t

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

"The government is emphasising active travel because it delivers on multiple goals,"Boris was blabbing on about early morning jogging to reduce obesity. Do you really think the mass production of bicycles in China doesn't contribute to the world pollution?

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

There seems to be something of an obsession with exercise. Cycling is a useful and efficient means of transport which can be done at a leisurely pace, yet increasingly it's seen as a way to exercise, hence the pedal pounding, personal best, Lycra approach. It's not even an efficient process, as it takes about 10 minutes of vigorous cycling to consume 100 calories, when one less mouthful of chocolate brownie would achieve the same result.

Peter Evans ● 2287d

Exercise strengthens the body (muscles including heart, bones) and is good for mental well-being ... not eating a chocolate brownie doesn't do that...

Cecile Parfitt ● 2287d

A bike's carbon footprint is tiny compared to a car, and that's including the emissions from manufacturing and transportation.

Tom Pike ● 2287d

You and Adam Pycz must get on very well together. You're both very fond of reductio ad absurdum: for Adam it's that cycling will mean the banning of all motor transport, for you cycling leads to the outlawing of all other exercise.I'm sure both of you could spend your time better than concocting such fallacious arguments.

Tom Pike ● 2287d

There a some arguments for the benefits of cycling which are relevant during this time of year.I wonder how many of the zealots will continue throughout the winter months.Much of what has been said on this website advocating cycling does not address the problems that some of the older generation can experience. Are they to be consigned to their homes permanently and forced to accept home deliveries? Above, there is some debate about home deliveries and the problem concerning of the unavailability of some ordered products. Someone commented by saying that there is an option when ordering to specify "accept no substitutes" How does this help? Surely this means no supply of a wanted item and consequently the proposed recipient would still need to egress their home in search of what is needed. Not so much of a problem for the fit and healthy but I repeat there are some that are not suited to cycling who must be taken into consideration at all times.

Jeffrey Cope ● 2287d

Cycling is not a cure for obesity. Drinking less alcohol, s and eating no processed foods and no sugar is a quick-start way to reduce fat.Cycling is a good leisure activity and mode of transport but it is not a cure all and it won't save the environment. Eat less meat if you want to help the environment.

Steve Taylor ● 2287d

Bikes ain't what they used to be.Back in the day they were heavy lumps with three gears,five was very cutting edge.Cycling to the village and beyond took some effort. Today's machines are lighter than an ant's eyebrow with enough gears to climb Snowdon so I seriously question how much aerobic exercise the average big person will benefit from.My hand built bike racing bike is about forty years old with five gears and was something in it's day. It gives me a proper workout around the hills whilst modern ones wizz past with little or no effort.As for electric bikes,well you would burn more calories opening a can of larger.

Adrian Irving ● 2287d

In my cycling days, for a bike to be practical it had to be easy to lift and carry over a shoulder to negotiate awkward terrain or go up and down flights of steps outside and stairs indoors. E-bikes weigh at least 20kg and would be difficult to lift and nigh impossible to carry any distance.

Peter Evans ● 2287d

The narrowing of roads and the increase in cycle lanes makes way for a massive increase in e-bikes and e-scooters.

Steve Taylor ● 2286d

It's like going for tea to an entire family of Victor Meldrews..

Stuart Kerr ● 2286d

For practical and cost reasons, most e-bikes and e-scooters will be operated by multi-national rental companies, most likely using the 'leave it where you like' principle employed by Mobike and others, and probably using Chinese-made bikes which have been flooding into Europe in anticipation of this moment. So we'll have more street clutter, more companies using our public spaces to store their equipment at no cost to them, and more Chinese involvement in our economy. Say no to Chinese bikes! Where's our own Great British, world beating, all-electric Boris bike?!

Peter Evans ● 2286d

Will there still be room to lock up your own bike at Turnahm green Station?

Mike Chisholm ● 2286d

No, the station will close. No need for trains. We will all be on e-bikes and e-scooters.

Steve Taylor ● 2286d

Wonderful idea..I think.... possibly saving TFL money...no need for expensive signal upgrades near Turnham Gray St afterall.

Mike Chisholm ● 2286d

"No, the station will close. No need for trains. We will all be on e-bikes and e-scooters. ""The Tories will be annihilated at the next (last) election and Brexit will never happen." Or words to that effect.So insightful.

Adrian Irving ● 2286d

"possibly saving TFL money...no need for expensive signal upgrades near Turnham Gray"Precisely - in fact no need for expensive TfL executives and useless design staff as their jobs will be redundant.  Huge savings for the taxpayer.

Steve Taylor ● 2286d

"The Tories will be annihilated at the next election and Brexit will never happen."Yep.

Steve Taylor ● 2286d

an effective opposition would have helped Nov 19..and they can only go one way...upwards.  Unlike the current party?

Mike Chisholm ● 2286d

and remember what happens if they do hop across the line a 4th election time??? A goldmine for the Blair/Brown politicians to exploit.  For their own politicial sake they need to sort messes like this out.

Mike Chisholm ● 2286d

"Yep"The Tories will be annihilated at the next election and Brexit will never happen."Nope. What you said was the Tories would be annihilated at the LAST election and Brexit will never happen.You really should take up knitting.

Adrian Irving ● 2286d

Nope - I said 'next'. It's in print!

Steve Taylor ● 2286d

Now that's a real horror.How cycling can RUIN women's bodies.To upsetting to paste quotes. Very concerning.https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8568885/Doctors-say-thousands-keen-women-cyclists-blighted-genital-injuries.html

Adam Pycz ● 2286d

Someone send Silly Steve a book of knitting patterns.

Richard Greenhough ● 2286d

"Plenty of overweight folks pedalling by as well."True. Including some councillors and even some Mayor's deputy for transport. So how come cycling did not help them?

Alex Shpinkov ● 2286d

True. But roads are for transportation, for getting from A to B. By car, bus, bicycle, motorcycle, scooter... Exercise is something completely different. Exercise on public roads is inappropriate. Exercise should be in special places - gyms, tracks, etc.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2286d

@Tania  Do you remember Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's programmes on Britain's Fight Fat? Jamie Oliver has worked on this as well.  Hugh F-W I remember going to try to talk to the PM or Health Minister about this and he was at a Conservative Conference sponsored by a well-known sugar making company...  not even British.https://www.farminguk.com/news/-disgraceful-foreign-sugar-company-sponsors-conservative-conference_47544.htmlThose programmes were very interesting and the kids were eating cereals for breakfast and when they were hungry. Larger portions than recommended and it's quite horrifying how much sugar is in so many cereals.  I think sugar is addictive and you need to wean yourself off it - just like many of us did here when there was a sugar shortage. Others - presumably those with an interest in the sugar industry etc disagree. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/apr/25/britains-fat-fight-with-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-review-mischief-with-a-message

Philippa Bond ● 2286d

Has anyone found themselves/made themselves a desk/shelf where they can put their laptop so they no longer work sitting down all day?We are also supposed not to spend a continuous amount of time looking at a screen for health and safety reasons.When I went back to work after a break I used to offer to make people a cup of tea when I made one.  I thought I must make dreadful tea until someone told me that they liked to make their own because it made them get up and go downstairs and get a break from the screen.

Philippa Bond ● 2286d

Completely agree with Janice on this.  We could rely on our parents doing their best for us and knowing what was good for us to eat.  Don't be a restaurant!  You often see parents walking around the supermarket with small children asking them what they want to eat. That is a recipe for disaster and will make a rod for your own back.  If we really didn't like something then we could have less or there was bread and butter.We all have our favourite meals but that doesn't mean that we don't enjoy other meals.

Philippa Bond ● 2286d

Look out you will have women designing everything next and the world will be a better place.  Not enough women in government.  Caroline Nokes (Conservative) was brilliant at asking Boris questions and telling him that.

Philippa Bond ● 2286d

Roads are used by all forms of transport for leisure purposes as well as necessary transport.Cars drive out to the country for a picnic, or to visit friends or a million other leisure reasons.If cyclists want to use the roads for their leisure purposes (including exercise) what is wrong with that?

Will Watson ● 2285d

Is it not widely recognised that you can’t out-train a bad diet?

William Beausire ● 2285d

"for you cycling leads to the outlawing of all other exercise"Thanks, Tom, for crediting me for something I never said.Absurd, indeed.I simply point out that you have a myopic view. There are myriad ways to achieve a healthier lifestyle which don't include cycling. It's down to choice and no one is better than another if the goal is reached.

David Lesniak ● 2285d

And a pair of sneakers has a minuscule carbon footprint compared to a bike. Yet you, Tom, the smart one in the room, fail to acknowledge that. How a doctor skews data is beyond me.

David Lesniak ● 2285d

Sneakers and the medium of walking are great but as a replacement for vehicle journeys a bike is an obvious choice.  A bike is a fantastic item, yes it has a carbon footprint but that embodied carbon will remain in an item that provides low carbon sustainable transport for many many years sometimes decades. That's why I like the PM's idea of a voucher to fix bikes because you are reusing items with embodied carbon. Nothing more democratic than a bike as a mode of sustainable transport.

Matthew Swain ● 2285d

Cars drive from A to B. If cars drive for a picnic or to an attraction - it is in 99% it is where driving is simply the reasonable way to get from A to B. A lot of cyclists just ride for fun from A to A.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2285d

Are you denying that drivers don't drive from A to A for fun?

Philippa Bond ● 2285d

And a lot of cyclists ride for utility from A to B. BTW, cars don't drive. Drivers do.

Ken Munn ● 2285d

"Guns don't kill people rappers do,I seen it in a documentary on BBC2"

Richard Greenhough ● 2285d

Quite. Guns don't kill people. People using guns kill people.

Ken Munn ● 2285d