That Lifestyles Election 'Choice' In Full

Don't let anybody tell you ... don't let anybody tell you that there is no real choice at this election - David Cameron

Fair enough, Dave, I'll let the respective party manifestos do the job instead.

Hmm, which to choose? More of the same from Labour, perhaps?

This must involve improving public health and preventative services [...] supporting** people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families [...] The approach will include targeted investment and action for high risk groups such as smoking cessation programmes.

Or, how about a completely different approach from the Lib Dems?

Our health should be getting better – but alcohol, smoking, obesity, bad diets and not enough exercise means it is getting worse***. What’s crazy is that only a tiny fraction of the health budget is spent on preventing people getting ill in the first place. We will reform incentive payments to health boards and GPs, linking them more directly to prevention measures.

Nope, it'll have to be that fundamental 'change' Dave was talking about from the Conservatives.

Today, the NHS faces unique upward pressures on spending. Lifestyle-linked health problems like obesity, smoking and alcohol abuse are putting huge demands on health services**** and are harming people’s quality of life.

Prevention is better than cure, so we will provide separate public health funding to local authorities, which will be accountable for–and paid according to–how successful they are in improving their local communities’ health.

So let's get this straight.

The choice - for public health issues which should be none of their fucking business - appears to be either nagging, hectoring, nannying and bullying by the state directly; or nagging, hectoring, nannying and bullying indirectly by way of financial incentives for local authorities to do so instead.

Of course, the real choice, generously offered by all three main parties, is to live how they tell you to ... or else.

** For 'supporting', read 'forcing'.
*** This is a big fat lie
**** Only if you ignore income from duties, and the irrefutable fact that healthy people cost more over a lifetime than those considered 'unhealthy'.