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Obesity

My Lords, first, I urge the Minister to accept the generous offer of the noble Earl, Lord Onslow, to act as exhibit 1 in school lectures on this topic. On a more serious note, the Minister has given us a frightening figure for the cost of obesity and said that, for example, people who are obese will die 12 years earlier. Does the figure therefore take into account the fact that the Government will save 12 years of state pension and 12 years of care? Does it also take into account the fact that since we all have to die of something, if people do not die of obesity, they may well have another serious illness such as cancer or Alzheimer’s which would cost the state the same amount? Or does it merely measure the cost of obesity without in any way paying attention to the savings?