‘Ugly, Joyless and Miserable’ – Here’s What People Really Think About No.10’s New Obesity Strategy

People have hit back at No.10 for deciding to put calories on menus and for encouraging people to measure themselvesThe government has unrolled two new approaches towards maintaining a healthy weight this week – but they have not gone down smoothly.Calories will now be displayed on all menus in large chains (restaurants, cafes and takeaways more than 250 members of staff) in England in a bid to tackle obesity.However, this policy has been criticised for missing out on the nutrition in each meal, and it means restaurants will probably have to spend more to print their menus – despite many still recovering from the pandemic.It could also exacerbate harmful habits around eating as people focus on their numbers instead of the meal, although the Department of Health and Social Care has countered this by saying obesity is one of the biggest health issues in the country.Then on Friday, health body NICE unrolled a new waist-measuring technique as an alternative to BMI (body mass index).It advises that an adult’s waist should be less than half of their height if they want to be healthy – accumulating weight around your middle can put you at risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.It comes after BMI has been heavily criticised for blocking people from getting IVF, and for failing people of colour when it comes to calculating their risk of diabetes, although NICE still said measuring BMI was helpful. Measuring people around the waist is supposed to take into account how some groups are more prone to carrying weight around their waist, putting them at higher health risk even if they have lower BMIs.Yet, this technique has also been criticised as it is not accurate for people over 35, pregnant people or children under two.Here’s what people think of the government’s decision to make health a numbers game.Masterchef winner Sven-Hanson Britt said adding calories to menus would “end creativity” in restaurants and encourage children to focus on “that little number below a dish”.Calories on menus this week guys. The law kicks in for “large hospitality businesses” to display calorie info on menus. What a terrible, terrible thing to happen to the hospitality industry and a waste of time, money and a potential danger: a thread…— Sven-Hanson Britt (@Svenhansonbritt) March 28, 2022He wasn’t alone in saying that any enjoyment found eating would now be negatively impacted by these numbers.just so cruel that the government is making calories on menus mandatory – especially for those in recovery from eating disorders – but it also spreads the message that food is just about mathematical units of energy, not comfort, happiness and joy. that's no way to live— ellie ??✨ (@ellieredpath) April 6, 2022I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t want to go to a restaurant and see calories on the menu. It’s ugly, joyless and makes people feel miserable and weird about eating. I hate it.— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) April 8, 2022Just met my first pub menu with calories and it’s a disaster. Campaign to reverse this nonsense begins immediately pic.twitter.com/x5q7mbFXrD— Freddie Sayers (@freddiesayers) April 7, 2022People said there was not “a single productive, healthy reason” to measure the calories in drinks such as black coffee.Can’t imagine a single productive, healthy reason that you’d want to check the calories in a black coffee or a dash of milk https://t.co/AVSa9XVNKX— Sean Bernard (@seanbgoneill) April 7, 2022calories being on menus in restaurants has genuinely ruined my week— em (@emxlyyyy_xo) April 6, 2022the calories rule: it’s near impossible to not be influenced by the numbers. we all know what they mean. we honestly must do our best to say “fuck the tories, i’m eating it” while continuing to do our worst. please don’t let them take more pleasure from you. they’ve taken enough!— Hannah Ewens (@hannahrosewens) April 8, 2022Others described it as “pointless nannying” which also ruined the restaurant experience.Calories are already on food labels and people are still unhealthy – why ruin the restaurant experience for pointless nannying? It’s the sort of thing that the columnist Boris Johnson would’ve torn into as ludicrous interference. https://t.co/40d0RgRaE8— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) April 8, 2022Glad to hear Govt are putting calories on menus.Otherwise there’d be no way of knowing if a double stack cheeseburger is worse than the risotto.— Geoff Norcott (@GeoffNorcott) April 8, 2022Calories on the sauce????? Leave me the hell alone. pic.twitter.com/CNb6spE5mW— vic (@victoriasanusi) April 8, 2022While some noted that actually poverty is the main cause of obesity – a poignant point, considering the UK is caught in a cost of living crisis at the moment.GOV: We need to tackle obesity!SCIENCE: Well, if you want people to be HEALTHY, it’s actually best to eradicate poverty, since that’s the most unhealthy thing for the mind and body, so you could try raising living standa-GOV: CALORIES ON MENUS!!!— Sofie Hagen (@SofieHagen) April 6, 2022Please. Show me a fat person who hasn’t known the exactly number of calories in absolutely fucking everything since they were first put on a diet as a child. No one’s going to be like ‘whaaaaat, this burger is fatty!? I am so shocked and will now eat a salad instead.’ pic.twitter.com/0lWBTY6aLd— Sofie Hagen (@SofieHagen) April 6, 2022After NICE suggested BMI is still a useful tool, people pointed out that BMI in general was also a “terrible indicator” of overall health, particularly for people with chronic illness.Once again, has to be said, BMI is a terrible indicator of overall health. For large parts of my life i was well within the "healthy range" and those were the days where 3/4th of my meals were junk where I drank and smoked like there is no tomorrow. (1/n)— ?Serene ?bimbo ? era ? (@Sherinapoyyail) April 8, 2022Since last year or so, i moved to the "other side" meaning my BMI is higher than 25 but guess what? I've been eating way cleaner for months now, vices are down to a minimum and I've been more or less consistent with working out EXCEPT… WHEN I AM FLARING FROM MY CHRONIC ILLNESS.— ?Serene ?bimbo ? era ? (@Sherinapoyyail) April 8, 2022Others asked why body shapes haven’t been taken into consideration, and how this could differ for shorter people.Surely your body shape makes a difference? I’m an hour glass shape so although my waist is 1/2 my height, my BMI is in the massively overweight category???— Charlee Peters (@Charlee_Munn) April 8, 2022I feel this is a tad unfair on us short people. ?‍♀️ https://t.co/MIfOzidtF6— Eve Keith (@EveK1979) April 8, 2022And then, there were the inevitable jokes…I'm very glad that I'm 8'2"… https://t.co/xaOVY88gCcpic.twitter.com/vGjRMETWty— Ian Muirhead (@ian_muirhead) April 8, 2022I need to get taller ? https://t.co/tzaXCujy2p— Kate Wheeler (@KateWheeler007) April 8, 2022https://t.co/A2TCSHCfYfpic.twitter.com/4ZY4TRLfuc— eleanor, a once promising young woman (@luminoustico) April 8, 2022What do you think of the new strategies? Related…Instead Of BMI, Doctors Now Recommend Doing This To Monitor Your WeightHow History Still Weighs Heavy On South Asian Bodies TodayPSA: You Probably Don’t Need To Be Weighed At The Doctor’s Office