That isn’t an imaginative solution – it is just a government planned solution that would probably fail, and if it succeeded would only do so in the most wasteful way possible. It is badly targeted too – what evidence is there linking employment with obesity, and why exclude the unemployed? How could you reasonably exclude disabled people from this bonus just because they are unable to exercise? And why the hell do you need an expensive gym to do some exercise?

The paid half hour would act as a subsidy to the already fit, and be ignored or misused by the unfit, unless you forced people to take it and keep a close eye on them while they did, in which case welcome to North Korea!

I would contend that people’s body weight is not actually any of the government’s business, no matter how fat we get (I don’t think it is a major problem now and I think future extrapolations rely on some rather dodgy assumptions), because we are individual humans, not farm animals. Unfortunately, I am not able to make that contention unconditionally because it is possible that government is partly RESPONSIBLE for us eating less healthily than we otherwise would. The Common Agricultural Policy appears to penalise fresh fruit and vegetables more than processed food and meat products. Only a government would deliberately keep the price of healthy foods artificially higher than they need be, then force supermarkets to label how healthy they are!

Or drink driving for that matter!

BMI is bollocks. I’m 31, I’m a runner, climber and rugby player, but my BMI has me borderline obese despite the fact that I can run a 7 minute mile for 10 miles or so, cycle to work every day. Almost everyone on my team is the same.

Sure, I could probably shift a half a stone of fat, but I call that a reserve.

The numbers were guessed at in the 1830′s when people were smaller and less well nourished but took a lot more exersise, and as a result, the figures by severely overestimating the lean body mass of most people underestimates the level of obesity in a modern western population.

But this is irrelevant. What business is it of the state’s what you eat and how stretchy your pants are? So the tory policy of saying “you’re fat, do something about it” but not actually doing anything as a government is the right one.

Hmmm. Exactly HOW does one imagine any government can stop people over-eating? Indeed, Cameron has noted that it is in most peoples’ cases, a natter of choice that the rest of society then has to pay for as they get sicker and sicker.

Personal responsibility anyone? I know New Stasi believe the state should intervene as and when it fancies it – what to you liberals believe?

BTW, another reason people like Guido’s blog is that humour factor is some 100 to 1,000,000 better than her or any left wing blogs, where po-facedness is taken to a high art. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The problem with political thinking based on elections it is incapable of dealing with rapid changes over a 10-25 year period. The massive decline in heavy engineering , farm work and sports at school; increase in use of cars with the decline in cycling and walking and increase in central heating means that the vast majorities of peoples energy expenditure has declined. Combined with the increase in fat and refined carbohydrate intake mean that obesity is rapidly increasing. Part of the problem is that as the saying goes ” birds of a feather flock together”. Therefore unfit and fat people are more likely to mix socially together and thefore not recognise they are fat and unfit. WhenJamie Oliver tried to improve school food and make it more healthy , those who resisted were largely the fat and unfit. Unless we are to have some Communist/Nazi government control on our every day lives , any change in peoples life styles are only likely to occur over a 10-25 year period. Perhaps success would be more likely if people were encouraged that leading a healthier lifestyle would be more enjoyable. Those who are fat and unfit tend to have low levels of energy and are tired. It is highly unlikely that any form of stick or attempt to stigmatise the fat and unfit would be of use, the are already likely to have very low self esteem. Someone who is isn their mid 30s or older, is several stone over weight, may have never been fit even in their youth, is the child of at and unfit parents and whose partner and friends are in similar conditions are highly unlikely to take up the triathlon. However , people could be persuaded to attend their GP who could persuade them that changes, not necessarily massive ones, could lead to healthier and more enjoyable life, we may have success; but only over a 10-25 years .

“Might not a cause of obesity be a result of the rise in price of surviving leisure facilities and the declining level of these overall? For each town and city, per several thousand people we could provide gyms and we could compel companies to write into their staff contracts paid time every week-day for a work-out session.”

It’s not that it’s “unworkable”, it’s just very authoritarian.

People are responsible for what they eat and how much they exercise. End of story. There’s no excuse for not doing twenty minutes of push-up and sit-ups a night, or whatever. Not that I’d care if there was one; it’s none of my business.

The best you can do is encourage sport in school, a good policy not just for the benefit of health, but also because of the societal importance of team sports.

This not about health. This about the Tory party not wanting to say anything bad about big corporations. So if the big corporations want to fill their food with shit, the tory party will say fine with us.

I was watching the other night, when the BBC said that major banks had lost lots of data on their customers. I was waiting for the Tory spokesperson to come on a tell us how naughty the banks had been. *crickets* Silence.

I just thought seeing that the Tories come on everytime the govt lost data ,they would come on to attaclk the bad govt. But no, if you are the private sector you can do what you like do who you like.

“This not about health. This about the Tory party not wanting to say anything bad about big corporations. So if the big corporations want to fill their food with shit, the tory party will say fine with us.”

And the EU’s CAP! It is not as if big, special interest led, government has the best interests of the consumer at heart. The corporations just follow suit.

Also, while you join banks, states join you! If a bank fucks up over data, you can leave it. Refuse to comply with the government and you will find your rights and liberties are taken away.

I’m sorry, have I tuned in to “illiberal conspiracy” by mistake??