UK Obese: Victims of Circumstance

Is a new UK study stripping all human agency from the problem of obesity? On the face of it, that's what some may say. This new report, the largest ever conducted in the UK, has concluded that weight problems are now the norm in society. But what's more is that the researchers on the study say that obesity was inevitable, given the cheap foods, easy transport and rather sedentary lifestyle that typifies the modern West. One scientist went so far as to say that it is, in fact, surprising that anyone has remained thin and uses this as support for her notion that looking at obesity as a product of individual indulgence is now outmoded. According to the report, UK people "are not more gluttonous than previous generations and individual action alone will not be sufficient." Seeming to therefore focus on government programs to combat the obesity epidemic, the British Health Secretary argued that "[s]olutions will not be found in exhortations to greater individual responsibility or in the futility of isolated initiatives." As the cost of healthcare for obese individuals continues to climb, the British government is increasingly hard-pressed to find answers, and may pursue cross-governmental strategies.