Thursday 21 February 2013

Medway obesity trap

mmmm Chicken *drool*
One of the on going issues within the Medway towns is the growing levels of obesity.

Now I have divided lines of thought on this.

Firstly, everyone has the freedom of choice and action. If you wish to gorge yourself on chicken wings until either you wipe out their feathered scourge or your heart explodes then please, be my guest!
If you want to only eat organic fruit and veg that has voluntarily fallen from the tree rather than been picked, please do knock yourself out...

However, the choice is somewhat of a myth and people are railroaded into buying crap.

It is true, I once served in an evil MacEmpire fronted by a creepy clown at a time when the Poundsaver menu first cane into being. You would quake to know how much a cheeseburger actually costs to make and the mark up but it is still a dirt cheap quick and easy snack. The smell of cooking burgers fills our high streets and station concourses catching is at our hungriest - if it isn't them it is those pasty shops!

They smell appetising - you know what doesn't smell appetising? Apples or sandwiches in the sterile supermarket aisles. We are victims of very clever marketing.

Then there are the frozen meals. It works out ultimately cheaper and less time consuming if you buy ready meals with enough E numbers in them to make the ingredients look like Enigma code strands and with "Meat" of unknown origin.

How many people make their own lasagne? Their own pizza? Buy from a butcher?

Time and shopping economically mean that people don't go to butchers and buy joints or chops, they'd rather supermarket things. Indeed the Medway Messenger reported last week that local butcher sales were up because of the horse meat scandal.

The playing field needs to be levelled and the education of families needs knocking up a notch.

Then there is exercise. Who has time? After 13 hour days I just want to trudge home and collapse before the TV or Xbox with the family. My days off are mostly engaged in house work, keeping track of hurricane Sophie and attempting to indulge in my hobbies. I can't afford a gym membership nor really have time. I do walk everywhere though as I cannot justify the expense of public transport which I count as exercise but that is about it.

Companies have got greedy and people lazy. Put in some effort and make a proper meal with fresh veg rather than chips.

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