Tapsearch Com EditorProfessor suggests obesity warnings on clothes
December 16th 2006 21:00
I've never been quite sure why academics in a field feel qualified to dream up government solutions to their problems. There's the occasional trauma room expert who makes the leap from "I know that gun injuries are really bad" to "gun control is the best way to reduce them," for example. Some even conduct poorly-thought-through studies toward that end.
Now Naveed Sattar -- who as a professor of metabolic medicine knows that obesity is really bad -- thinks it's a great idea to put obesity helpline numbers on plus-sized clothes' tags.
He defines plus-size as "waists above 102 cm for men, 94 cm for boys, 88 cm or size 16 for women and 80 cm for girls."
Judging by the story, he cannot support his assumption that the obesity problem is a lack of (A) awareness/shame and (B) ability to find help if one wants it. I'd assume most overweight people are aware of the problem and nervous about it, and also that they have doctors to ask for help. Also, helplines are easily available in phone books. Even if obesity is a government problem (it's not), this is a terrible way to attack it.
It's nothing more than an academic who thinks his specialty is so important the state should get involved -- and is egotistical enough to offer ideas without researching them.
It's for the public health, after all. It's not intervention or force, you see, it's merely incentive distortion:
"'People clearly have some responsibility for their health, but society and government have a responsibility to make the preferred, easy choices healthier ones,' he said."
More Health Police State talking points:
"New urban roads should only be built if they have safe cycle lanes and new housing complexes should be constructed only if they have sports facilities and green park areas...
"Prof Sattar also wants ads for slimming services without independent evaluation banned, TV ads for sweets and snacks stopped before 9 pm, higher tax on high fat and high sugar foods and tax breaks for genuine corporate social responsibility."
Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://www.therationale.com and http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.
Now Naveed Sattar -- who as a professor of metabolic medicine knows that obesity is really bad -- thinks it's a great idea to put obesity helpline numbers on plus-sized clothes' tags.
He defines plus-size as "waists above 102 cm for men, 94 cm for boys, 88 cm or size 16 for women and 80 cm for girls."
Judging by the story, he cannot support his assumption that the obesity problem is a lack of (A) awareness/shame and (B) ability to find help if one wants it. I'd assume most overweight people are aware of the problem and nervous about it, and also that they have doctors to ask for help. Also, helplines are easily available in phone books. Even if obesity is a government problem (it's not), this is a terrible way to attack it.
It's nothing more than an academic who thinks his specialty is so important the state should get involved -- and is egotistical enough to offer ideas without researching them.
It's for the public health, after all. It's not intervention or force, you see, it's merely incentive distortion:
"'People clearly have some responsibility for their health, but society and government have a responsibility to make the preferred, easy choices healthier ones,' he said."
More Health Police State talking points:
"New urban roads should only be built if they have safe cycle lanes and new housing complexes should be constructed only if they have sports facilities and green park areas...
"Prof Sattar also wants ads for slimming services without independent evaluation banned, TV ads for sweets and snacks stopped before 9 pm, higher tax on high fat and high sugar foods and tax breaks for genuine corporate social responsibility."
Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://www.therationale.com and http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.
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