Minister of fitness

Worried about obesity trends, the UK has decided to create a position called the minister of fitness in their government, and the USDA FAS reports on the development here. From the report:

According to the Department of Health, figures due out this week are set to show that, if nothing changes, there will be a significant increase in adult obesity levels in England by 2010. As an example, obesity prevalence in men is currently forecast to rise from 22 per cent in 2003 to 33 per cent in 2010. In addition to the implications for the health of the nation, the cost of dealing with obesity and the diseases it causes, which already runs into billions of pounds each year, are clearly also of concern to the government.
"What is important is that people do recognize that there are some pretty small changes that they can make in their lifestyle in terms of physical activity that can start making a big difference to their health.
"And I think that that is important, because a lot of people think that they have to go to the gym five times a week and if they can't do that, they can't do anything - and that is just not true."


TK: Initiatives both here and abroad focusing on physical activity alone should be combined with messages about the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables - and less of some the sugary foods that doom our efforts to shed pounds by taking the stairs.