3rd April 2009
Change 4 life is the latest in a long line of government health and nutrition campaigns. In the best traditions of marketing (using illusion, jargon, guilt-tripping and promises) it warns that, with so many opportunities to watch TV or play computer games, and with so much convenience/fast food available, children’s health is being affected.
“This means that nine out of 10 kids today could grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their bodies. Leading to life-threatening diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So it’s really important that we do something about it”.
The campaign website urges parents to take five minutes to answer a few questions and apply for a free personalised action plan. Another section hints that, “all sorts of activities could already be happening – right outside your front door. Simply enter your postcode to discover what they are”.
The message is clear. It is the public’s fault that their children eat the wrong food and don’t exercise enough. The remedy if you really care is to fill in a questionnaire providing personal information about your children (so that the government can use it to make more judgmental accusations). In return you will receive “a game of cards for kids” which can be used for playing sedentary snap! While entering a postcode may result in five pages of details of schools, health clubs, leisure centres, spas and golf clubs, not one that I spoke to was aware of the Change for 4 life campaign or offered any special fitness activities, free or otherwise as part of it. Unfortunately for the government the real message of the campaign is that it is no more likely to work than any of its predecessors because it takes more than five minutes to make a real change and real difference to the health of the population.
Real change takes commitment, time, money, and courage. So as a “free” no-obligation offer, here is a real personalised action plan for the government:
- ban all weekly purchases of 60 tonnes of chips and other unhealthy foods by public sector organisations
- ban supermarkets from promoting unhealthy food with buy-one-get-one free promotions
- ban all junk food TV advertising targeted at children under 16
- introduce nationwide Waltham Forest LBC’s policy to use material planning considerations to restrict planning permission for hot food takeaway shops (pizza, burger and kebab shops) that fall within a 10-minute walking distance of schools, parks and youth facility boundaries.
- reinstate free school meals for all school-age children.
- provide all adults and children with one hour’s free exercise a week.