Well it is called fight against the flab...
So, obesity is back in the news again with the latest statistics showing that 40% of Britain's adults will be obese by the year 2030. This has sparked several reactions ranging from a 'fat' tax to obese people paying for NHS treatments. But what is the right reaction?
My view is this, the fat tax is maybe a good thing, it possibly could reduce the amount of people eating high sugar foods. People argue that the cheapest foods are the unhealthiest, a view I don't agree with, but if this is the case then making the cheapest foods the healthiest would appear to be the right reaction (although lowering the price of healthier foods would probably be the better way of going about it).
Clinically obese people paying for there own treatments, or being refused treatments? This is already happening, I know of several NHS trusts that refuse certain operations to people with a high BMI, in fact I was working with a lady 2 years ago who was refused a hip replacement until she reduced her BMI to below 31! So, it may not be wide spread or well known about but PCT's are already playing god with who can and cant be treated.
If Britain does continue to increase in size the projected figures for the NHS are not good. In fact if it continues with the added strain of Diabetes and Diabetes related diseases, heart conditions, and other weight related issues then the NHS will simply go bankrupt in a very short space of time.
So what can we do about it? This really is simple, a multi faceted approach needs to be taken. Start with the basics, bring cooking back into schools with teaching children to cook healthy basic foods, along side this you teach nutrition, not complicated, but basic nutrition, what food groups do to your body, how eating high salt high sugar and high starch foods makes your body react. Along side this, maybe we do introduce a 'fat tax' on unhealthy foods (I am not convinced) but we also encourage people to be more active. Make PE compulsory in schools and allow our children to go out and play. I was horrified 2 years ago when at several industry shows the main sellers was Wii fit and dance mat type games to schools for PE as we had sold off the school fields to developers! I remember running cross country and playing rugby in the rain and snow, why should this be stopped? There is no need to spend money on exercise 'games' for the children so they can take part in PE.
The easiest thing in the world to do is to reduce our portion sizes. These have grown massively over the years with our perceived idea of what good value for money is. Bigger portions, BOGOF, super size meals etc. Bring it back to basics. Teach and show people what a portion of food should be, I used portion control when I lost weight and I actively encourage people to do the same. Eat what you want, but in the right portions.
So basically what I am saying is this, empower people to make the right choices, and yes help them along the way. I spoke to Julia Hartley-Brewer of LBC about this on Friday. What we can not afford to keep on doing is stigmatising fat people. At the moment it is aginst the law to be racist, ageist, sexist etc, but it is fine to be sizest, and what worries me is that the way this is being portraid and spoken about, then sizest is exactly what the government and the media are encouraging.
I will carry on talking about this at a later time, right now I am off to the gym with Kerry so we are not ostracized by society...
So hello.... :o) Haven't blogged in just over a week, and feel I have to before I lose some of the ideas I wanted to blog about lol...
Firstly the geek stuff....
The new tablet PCs/macs OK, so we have ipad from apple... looks good :-) Although if I hear, theres an app for that I think I would throw it across the room... and the courier from Microsoft... to be fair I haven't been hands on with either of them, and I am not overly sure of the release dates either, except they will be some time this year... in fact I haven't even done my normal geek research into the specs... in fact I just looked at the pictures, read through a few articles and then looked at them again... The design on the apple is almost futuristic and it is amazingly light and thin... it reminded me of a film I had seen recently, think it was 2012 where the crew members are walking around with these tablets reading instructions off of them... Nice touch... However the iPad is terrible. No multitasking, no camera, no expandable memory, no USB port, no Flash, no stylus. If I wanted an iPod Touch, I would have bought one by now. Apple had the opportunity to really corner a market in its infancy but they failed.
Hello, once again I have left a gap in my blogging life... apologies...
Work is beginning to look up with a couple of new contracts and new customers coming in and making enquiries, so look out for more info on our up and coming new builds and projects, its quite an exciting time.
The latest project I have been involved in, MyGift, is now live although we are still tinkering with it a little bit so please feel free to go and have a look and let us know (constructively) your points of view and criticisms.
We got involved with MyGift because we believed in there product, MyGift is unlike any other online fundraising and donation services with commercial interests or links, such as Just Giving, Be My Charity and Virgin Money Giving. MyGift offers free on site advertising to charities and there will be no set up or admin charges; meaning millions of pounds worth of charges to charities could be avoided.
Hello people, sorry once again for the delay in my postings... I know I am terrible...
Anyhow, a brief overview of what has happened...
After the fight in October I trained immensley hard for the world championships in Ireland.. I enjoyed the trip, I lost in the quater finals by 1 point, which is not so bad for my first year competing. I made a lot of friends on the trip and would like to shout out to all of the peeps on the England team, with a special thanks to Kenn Forrest (now WKC world Champion) who is just the nicest bloke alive! I hope you are well.
On top of that work has been keeping me busy, along with an injured muscle in my back which keeps going into spasm and causing immense discomfort. It has kept me out of the gym and the dojo, I am hoping to return to it this week. With all this my weight has crept up to 21 stone 12 lbs, the heaviest I have been for a while, I know I will drop it again, and I will have to start soon, I want to compete in the WAKO and WKC opens in February I think. So weight has to go again and the exercise has to start again lol.
The Diet Plate now has a new site, which is up and running and now allows affiliate sign ups!! Come and earn money for nothing by becoming an affiliate!! Club Diet Plate forums are also up and running people, so please register and come and talk to us about your weight loss journeys and experiances, good or bad.
Say hi folks and let me know your alive...
Wahooo...... today (9th March) is my birthday... so I should be happy, joyous, excited... generally in a good place...
And I am in some ways, and I am not in others...
Looking back over this year, it has been an exciting time, I have had high highs, and low lows... but I guess the same could be said of every other year. Still... it could be worse.
This year I have:
got engaged to my best friend,
made the England Kickboxing team,
came third in the English open,
Held my weight steadyish,
so all in all a good year...
I smile looking back, and wait in trepidation looking forward. This year is a huge year in my life, if all goes well I will compete in the World Championships for my country, get married to my best friend, move house and sort out my finances... so a lot to look forward too. :o)
I cant wait....
I just want to take this moment to remember the people that I have lost this year, friends and family, you will always remain in my thoughts and my heart.
