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Combating Obesity

I certainly agree, and each intervention has touched on the fact that there is not one, simple solution to the problem; it is about what we eat, where we eat, how the food is prepared, what our knowledge is, opportunities to exercise, the way we arrange our lives, and about making choices. The role of government is to create partnerships, offer choices, and provide information, then support individuals as they seek to make those choices. That is our strategy, and it means anything from improving parks to building more cycle routes; cookery classes in school; encouraging children to do more sport; and working with employers and retailers to make it easier and more practical for people to take more exercise and eat more healthily. What the Government are being told is that people understand what the choices are and want the opportunity to act on what they know, and that is what we have to provide. As we step back from the foresight report, we must give due prominence to local ideas and local actions—families, individuals and communities taking action. Ultimately, that means we must make sure that what is happening on the ground—in the family, in the parks and in shopping centres—contributes to a healthy lifestyle.