We are being warned that there is an obesity ‘timebomb’ in Britain (which is to say, as in so many things, we are headed where the USA leads). The great and good of the medical establishment intone in sententious voices that “a far-reaching national strategy is needed” to deal with this.
So we can look forward to the state taking even further control of our very bodily functions, for our own good of course, no doubt starting with the children interned in state’s educational conscription centres. But then why the hell should we care about this whole problem? If obesity causes us to fall ill, we have the state’s National Health Service to look after us and pick up the tab! If being a porker makes us unhappy, we have the state’s social workers to tell us that there is nothing for us to worry about and in any case, how dare anyone utter ‘fatists’ slurs? Do these nasty doctors calling for “a far-reaching national strategy” not realise that by stigmatizing fat people, they are undoing the work of thousands of Guardian reading self-esteem councilors paid for out of tax money?
The solution to this statist regulatory tangle is to set one part of the social-welfare class again the other in a bitter begger-thy-neighbour “our victims have it worse than your victims” battle to the political death.
We could be on to a winner here… Let the welfare state eat itself.
I’m not fat! I’m a
horizontally challenged victim
of the capitalist system!
This seems to time well with the recent release of Dr. Atkins’ “autopsy” by groups which have a vested interest in debunking the Atkins Diet. The health care nannies who want to control our lives undertand that the Atkins Diet is a direct threat to their nannying and concomitant power.
Supposedly we in the States have a law called HIPAA which is supposed to protect patient privacy. Yet none of the media outlets seem to care that Atkins’ privacy has been violated.
children interned in state’s educational conscription centres
Beautifully put.
The great and good of the medical establishment intone in sententious voices that “a far-reaching national strategy is needed” to deal with this.
I’m a believer that obesity has much more to do with sedentary lifestyle than overeating in many (but not all) cases. Portions are certainly big, but parking ones keister in front of the TV and little or no physical activity of any kind are the culprits. Gratefully the State is doing all it can to make sure that prosperity is a thing of the past and all the luxuries that go with it.
Fat? Obese? Horizontally challenged?
I prefer “Famine Resistant” its more positive and esteem building, like differently-able. Instead of acquiring a potential health problem, one acquires amazing starvation avoidance powers!
In “1984” wasn’t Winston Smith forced to exercise every morning in front of his two-way TV set? I personally find that far more horrifying a prospect than omnipresent security cameras.
Thats right Ted, we cant have anything get in the way of the precious “fat tax”, how else can we destroy “big food”? Atkins must be discreditted, and since they couldnt do it scientifically, they had to refute him after he died.
oh, and dont tell the people that they are fat by their own doing, from being lazy and eating too much. It has to be societies fault, how else can society fix it?
Very strange. If I was as paranoid as I was a couple of years ago, I’d say we have a vast conspiracy. Not only do we have the Atkins bit, we also have a report from the UK, and one from Canada. The one from Canada says that “Obesiety” is now the number one killer out ranking smoking as the main killer and the ‘government’ should do something.
Why do I get this feeling I’m in a socialist death spiral again?
I am ‘obese’, although I just call myself a fatass. I LIKE being able to eat things that taste good, I LIKE being able to go to the store and get things I like eat. I also KNOW that my weight causes things like my knees to hurt, and could also ‘contribute’ to things like diabetes (I have my own personal theories on diabetes, specifically that increased incidences of it are not because more people have it, but because it is diagnosed far more).
But really, what are the costs to me of being fat, even if there is NO governmental involvement in my healthcare (thereby taking YOUR interests out of the picture). I have to pay 2 dollars more for a pair of pants at Wal-Mart or Target. I cannot go on some theme park rides (actually, I’m not that big, but a friend of mine is). I MIGHT live a few less years.
So what is the government’s ‘time bomb’ based on? Oh yeah, the ‘increased medical care’ that they, conveniently, decided to take upon themselves, that I’m STILL not sure will really happen (like the controversial smoking costs versus smokers savings by dying earlier). It’s one of my favorite lines from the departed Juan Gato.
“It’s like the government deciding to subsidize sneezes, and then trying to outlaw flowers because it’s costing them too much in sneeze payments.”
Oh be reasonable! The mandatory calisthenics every morning will be good for you.
🙂
And what exactly did I do to you, Perry, to have this pic inflicted on me?!
Now my nightmares about creeping socialism will have a vivid visual add-on. Thanks a lot, buddy!
;-(
And how reluctant they are to note that Dr Atkins was suffering from a form of hypertension that caused bloating. He wasn’t fat when he died. “They” want people to lose weight. But not on Atkins! No! No! We need one more global anticapitalist programme to harbour in the socialist dream of … uh … someone remind me. What actually is the socialist dream, other than being in absolute control of other humans?
It seems like only yesterday that we were being shocked by how all youngsters were starving and vomitting themselves to a bony death trying to emulate the airbrushed and unnattainable figures of models and actresses. Today they are all lard asses struggling to get through the door at McDismal’s to cram their greedy faces. I wish they would make their minds up.
Yes, and lets not forget all the poor kids that will starve to death if we dont massively increase the school lunch program. The poor dears need that government surplus grade B food, cause its so good for them.