Monday 17 December 2012

Progressing To The 1950s

As we approach the festive season, with all the culinary delights it entails, here is a seasonal message of goodwill from public health talking shop, the Conversation.
Interestingly, during the years when rationing was enforced, the prevalence of obesity was negligible in the United Kingdom. And waste was minimised as both individuals and government agencies were busy finding new ways of reducing the waste of food resources to a minimum (sustainable consumption). 
Is it conceivable that some form of food rationing and portion control may help address the dramatic rise in obesity and the sustainability of our foods supply? If we continue to over-consume foods in unsustainable ways for both our health and our planet, we may be left with no other choice.
When you've picked your jaw up off of the floor, we'll continue.

It is interesting to note that political groups who like to call themselves 'progressive' are the most enthusiastic towards bans and restrictions on lifestyle choices such as this. A sizeable majority of public health professionals, too, would willingly describe their agenda as 'progressive', though how a return to 1950s food control can be remotely linked with progress is entirely beyond me. I wonder if this rationing will be suspended for Christmas time? Whaddya think?

Well, considering über-progressive George Monbiot was arguing last week that we should make Christmas presents out of sticky back plastic and egg boxes, I suspect not.

Good grief.

H/T MyChoice Australia

UPDATE: I've just noticed that Snowdon was quick off the mark with this public health claptrap.


11 comments:

DaveAtherton20 said...

As I posted in the comments "Ms Davey talks about rationing in WW2 as an example of government controlling and imposing a diet on people. Also the British government suspended Habeas Corpus, which requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court. It allowed the state unlimited powers of arrest and detention.

Also the government suspended the free press and mass censorship of the media was a legal requirement. May I add that a woman was jailed for three months for feeding the ducks stale bread, such was the state's desire not to waste food.

While in an extreme situation as a world war some of these measures are understandable, in peace time this is A Brave New World and quite unacceptable.

I believe Professor Simon Chapman of Sydney University has been vigorously denying the slippery slope that the tactics employed by tobacco control will not be used for other health issues. I feel a little misled."

Dick_Puddlecote said...

It is rather funny watching Chapman slithering down the slope on a sled at Mach 2 and insisting it's sticky as treacle. ;)

Lou said...

Seems the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is way ahead of them. Both the control aspect and people with a BMI of 17.

What the.... said...

Why not go the whole way…… the package deal, as it were? Let’s have a World War. What a splendid idea! It will add authenticity to the rationing. War, given that it leads to rationing and weight loss, is obviously wonderful for public health. I’ll start drawing up invasion plans and reverse my tank – purchased just for this very contingency – out of the garage.

People such as Davey, and there are many of them in contemporary Public Health and occupying academic positions, are scary. They are materialists. They abide by a dangerously superficial world view and perverse definition of health. They don’t know – are utterly clueless - how much they don’t know; hence the arrogance of ignorance and stupidity. These “educated” nitwits and their mental disorders are quickly becoming the major problem/threat of the time.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

It's as if these people have never heard of the term 'black market', isn't it?

Dick_Puddlecote said...

You may jest, but many progressives may secretly like the idea of a large scale war. Most of the deaths would be inevitably among those lower classes which they sneer at, plus it eases over-population thus easing pressure on the environment. ;)

What the.... said...

If only I was jesting :)

Tom said...

Which might also translate into, "more for the progressive ruling class", what with everyone beneath them dead and out of their way.

Tom said...

"Interestingly, during the years when rationing was enforced, the prevalence of obesity was negligible in the United Kingdom."

... could have as easily read:

"Interestingly, during the years when smokers were abundant, the prevalence of obesity was negligible in the United Kingdom."

Tomsmith said...

These people are conservatives, not radicals

trespasserswill said...

"Interestingly, during the years when rationing was enforced, the prevalence of obesity was negligible in the United Kingdom."


Not in my family it wasn't. I've seen plenty of photos of them to know that. They were carrying as much lard in the late forties and fifties, as they had been in 1939. In fact more.


What's more, where did this notion come from, that anyone was even monitoring obesity during the years of rationing?