Obesity "not individuals' fault"

[London Calling]

Public health
Healthcare in Sweden is viewed as very developed. Sweden ranks in the top five countries with respect to low infant mortality. It also ranks high in life expectancy and in safe drinking water. The university hospital in Lund, the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, the Linköping University Hospital in Linköping and the University Hospital in Uppsala are examples of world-class hospitals in Sweden.


[edit] Sports

Stockholms OlympiastadionMain article: Sport in Sweden
Sport activities are a national movement with half of the population actively participating, much thanks to the heavy government subsidies of sport associations ("föreningsstöd").The two main spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. Second to football, horse sports have the highest number of practitioners, mostly women. Thereafter follow golf, athletics, and the team sports of handball, floorball, basketball and bandy. American sports such as baseball and American football are practiced but do not enjoy widespread popularity.

The Swedish ice hockey team Tre Kronor is regarded as one of the best in the world and has won the World Championships seven times, and Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006. In 2006, as the first nation in history, they won both the olympic and world championships in the same year. The Swedish national football team has seen some success at the World Cup, finishing second when they hosted the tournament in 1958, and third twice, in 1950 and 1994. Athletics has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to several successful athletes in recent years.

In schools, on meadows and in parks, the game brännboll, a sport similar to baseball, is commonly played for fun. Other leisure sports are the historical game of kubb, and boules among the older generation.

Sweden hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup in 1958. Other big sports events held here include 1992 UEFA European Football Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup 1995, and several championships of ice hockey, athletics, skiing and bandy.

And if you go there, one of the first countries to establish a network of cycle paths, the only National Park in an urban area, great free recreational facilities in parks, safe parks.

I saw a football pitch of a kids football club that surpassed Withdean in its quality.

Government does have to preach to its people, to get them fit, it just needs to provide the facilities.

I believe the following facts are correct. Paris has 50 x more Tennis Courts than London. Paris has more Olympic Swimming Pools than the UK. London first Olympic size pool is now being planned for Hillingdon in 2009.

 

[The Large One]

I can't find the initial story, but these articles are along similar lines...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7024585.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7041321.stm

I had got the impression that they were significantly down, rather than down in line with previous trends, although I'm not sure.

From my own experience, people don't seem to realise the dangers that arise from being overweight/obese. My father was diagnosed with Type II diabetes about 3 years ago, and said at the time that if he'd realised that all the boozing and unhealthy eating he had been doing was going to cause this, he wouldn't have done it. Whether that is true or not I don't know, but it certainly made me look at what I eat and drink.

There is also the fact that I would imagine that any illness due to being obese is ultimately going to cost them little (in real terms). They go to a doctor and get seen on the NHS (paid for by the taxpayer), they have time off work sick (and on full pay).

What is your take on the reasons, TLO?

For me, the reasons are varied and complex. That second link is a good article, and does touch on a whole range of interesting theories.

For instance, the idea of consultation as to what goes into the school meal is a very good idea, provided that the school does not allow the junk food back into the school - even if kids are requesting/demanding it.

What neither article touches on is something I feel is the key to all of this. It's not just the children who need educating about food and nutrition - the parents do too. I recall having no education about food and its consequences, and little seems to have changed. And because the state is telling us about this food and that food, there is a culture of inherent mistrust about it - which is a pity.

My partner runs her own school, although does not provide school meals. All of the children bring packed lunches. What she does do - if requested or if she sees children not being fed appropriately - is to give parents guidance notes and suggestions as to what the children ought to be eating in their lunches. That might sounds provocative and possibly even condescending, but there are parents who don't or won't feed their children properly. Thankfully, it's rare at her school, and I suspect there might be a social class divide issue about all this. However, in doing what she does, it also means that all of the children have a greater aptitude to learn and are less disruptive to other children on account of eating better food.

Those parents who say they'd rather their children were fed burgers and chips rather than see them go hungry are completely missing the point. They are not educating the children into eating proper food. As for those mothers in Rotherham - sorry, mate but what a bunch of nasty slags, actively promoting ill health within their children.

We talk about personal responsibility and there are far too many parents who, while not only refusing to take responsibility for themselves, promote the knock-on effect of not being responsible for their children, to the effect that the children themselves do not learn personal responsibility, because that's not the environment they are being brought up in.

 

[Collar Feeler]

So being a fat bastard is no longer your own fault, no surprise there really. Add it to the long list of excuses for the feral residents of Britain including being unemployed, being a drug addict, having ADHD, getting cancer through smoking, being alcoholic none of which are your fault if you are unfortunate enough to be the recipient. Clearly someone else is to blame and you are yet another 'victim' of society. On the other hand just stop eating the friggin pies you bloaty lard arse.

 

[London Calling]

Is that a fresh fruit salad, or treacle pudding with double cream?

and laced with loads of alcohol

 

[Les Biehn]

ADHD seems a bit harsh.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I believe the following facts are correct. Paris has 50 x more Tennis Courts than London. Paris has more Olympic Swimming Pools than the UK. London first Olympic size pool is now being planned for Hillingdon in 2009.

Whilst I actually agree with your sentiments - your facts are not right.
There are 50m pools at Barnet and Crystal Palace so Hillingdon will not be the first. None are truly 'Olympic sized' in that they are all 8 lane and the Olympics is swum to FINA rules which dictate a requirement for an empty lane each side of the eight lanes used.

There are major competition pools at Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, plus further high level 50m pools opening in the next 6 months in Sunderland and Cardiff.

 

[Nibble]

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie...ion-primary-time-spent-physical&int=-1&id=EUR

 

[London Calling]

Whilst I actually agree with your sentiments - your facts are not right.
There are 50m pools at Barnet and Crystal Palace so Hillingdon will not be the first. None are truly 'Olympic sized' in that they are all 8 lane and the Olympics is swum to FINA rules which dictate a requirement for an empty lane each side of the eight lanes used.

There are major competition pools at Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, plus further high level 50m pools opening in the next 6 months in Sunderland and Cardiff.

The orginal press release I saw was wrong, Hillingdon will be west London's first!
But Crystal Palace is now closed and had limited access for the general public?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The orginal press release I saw was wrong, Hillingdon will be west London's first!
But Crystal Palace is now closed and had limited access for the general public?

Crystal Palace is still running, though should have been pulled down years ago [it wasn't as the concrete self-supporting roof structure is listed]. It is often closed for major maintenance though. It is open to the public and hold most of the regional swimming championships. Public free session swimmers do not need a 50m pool anyway.

There are limited access 50m pools at Aldershot [Army], Bath [University] and Millfield School.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

So being a fat bastard is no longer your own fault, no surprise there really. Add it to the long list of excuses for the feral residents of Britain including being unemployed, being a drug addict, having ADHD, getting cancer through smoking, being alcoholic none of which are your fault if you are unfortunate enough to be the recipient. Clearly someone else is to blame and you are yet another 'victim' of society. On the other hand just stop eating the friggin pies you bloaty lard arse.

ADHD is a recongnised medical disorder, a friend of mine has it, he has never absolved himself of his responsibiltie because of it. But the others you do have some point on.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Whilst I actually agree with your sentiments - your facts are not right.
There are 50m pools at Barnet and Crystal Palace so Hillingdon will not be the first. None are truly 'Olympic sized' in that they are all 8 lane and the Olympics is swum to FINA rules which dictate a requirement for an empty lane each side of the eight lanes used.

There are major competition pools at Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, plus further high level 50m pools opening in the next 6 months in Sunderland and Cardiff.

How do you know his fact are not correct? Have you got the statistics about all the Olympic size pools in Paris to hand?

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

Ignore my post above I have read your post correctly now Mr Kraay.

 

[Simster]

I think Crawley now has an Olympic sized pool actually.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think Crawley now has an Olympic sized pool actually.

Again, 'Olympic sized' has no real meaning in this context, beyond the actual length [50m]. Crawley does have a 50m pool at the K2, but it does not have enough lanes, nor wide enough lanes [2m as opposed to the required 2.5m] to be 'Olympic'.

 

[London Calling]

Nope just checked

the Crystal Palace Park


Sports Working Group


18th September 2007



and it states that Crystal Palace pools is closed and GLL (Greenwich Leisure services) the operator is to find alternatives.

Point is HKFC is that facilities in the UK are pants compared to France, and other countries,I would say Sweden etc but I have not undertaken a full survey and do not have such data at hand.

 

[Beach Hut]

Nothing is anyones fault these days - always blame someone else when you are a lard arse

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Nope just checked

the Crystal Palace Park


Sports Working Group


18th September 2007



and it states that Crystal Palace pools is closed and GLL (Greenwich Leisure services) the operator is to find alternatives.

Point is HKFC is that facilities in the UK are pants compared to France, and other countries,I would say Sweden etc but I have not undertaken a full survey and do not have such data at hand.

Its not closed as in 'condemned' though, although it should be. It may yet reopen.
I agree about facilities in the UK being poor in comparison, though swimming pools are not the prime example that they used to be. A huge amount of public pools are being built at the moment, both 25m and 50m. The swimming world championships will be held in Manchester next year, which along with 2012 will be a serious boost to the sport in the UK.

I do have the UK data, as [you may have guessed] it is the industry I work in.

 

[Nibble]

Nope just checked

the Crystal Palace Park


Sports Working Group


18th September 2007



and it states that Crystal Palace pools is closed and GLL (Greenwich Leisure services) the operator is to find alternatives.

Point is HKFC is that facilities in the UK are pants compared to France, and other countries,I would say Sweden etc but I have not undertaken a full survey and do not have such data at hand.

Swedens sports facilities are excelent as can be seen on my earlier post.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

In fact the last 50m pool we kitted out was in Leeds. While I was there I had to test the scoreboard -I'll normally sketch something random, as an example image to display. This was my doodle there..

 

[Les Biehn]

Why is Father Christmas hanging a dwarf?