The UK will soon be Europe’s fattest nation

Ray Hill
Founder and Secretary of the Health Food Institute

In a league table of Europe’s fattest nations, Britain is currently third with 28% of the adult population who are obese, after Turkey and Malta. By the early 2030s this is expected to rise to 37%. Much of it due to takeaways, according to The Times.

One of the problems we have in getting the health store message across to customers and the public at large is the fact that one has to be careful how one approaches the subject. This is particularly difficult when it comes to the issue of weight. It doesn’t help when there are warnings that one should not draw attention to a person’s figure when it begins to expand.

It appears to be complementary when one congratulates a person who has lost weight, but an absolute ‘no no’ to comment that a person is putting on weight and to try to open the conversation to help before it gets out of hand.

One wonders why when it is clear they know they are getting heavier but it mustn’t be mentioned - a sort of “let’s all pretend it’s not happening”. And the person continues with whatever they have chosen to consume too much of, and/or a failure to exercise. With every month or year that it continues it becomes more difficult to undo.

Only when the overweight are prepared to talk about it in a move to seek help does it usually arrive at the doctor’s surgery where they receive the standard advice, “it’s all about calories and one needs to eat a balanced diet”. Although, to be fair, there are instances where a more detailed enquiry ensues as to what mental or physical concern created the impulse to overeat.

But getting to have a face-to-face conversation with one’s doctor these days is rare. And if one is fortunate to get an appointment, ten minutes is not enough time to get to the heart of the person’s underlying problem. A problem, more often than not, which is compensation for a negative emotional or material experience. It is that which has to come out. It is the desire to keep it hidden which is usually the reason for what is called comfort food consumption.

If one followed the advice of some of the wiser early naturopaths, one would simply fast for a few days on fresh juices, fruit and/or vegetables and water. Followed by what was referred to as the 80/20 diet. Meaning 80% alkaline-forming food (fruit and vegetables) to 20% acid-forming food (proteins, carbohydrates and fats).

It is the imbalance of the average diet being excessively acidic which contributes significantly to obesity, but is also the cause of many of the diseases to which man and woman are heir as they pass through the years until one of them leads to the grave.

This is but a brief insight into the basic principles of natural dietetics.

Please note the HFI’s new address is P.O. Box 10978, Nottingham NG2 9XG, tel 0115 9234 534 or 07582 134470, email [email protected]