This is one step closer to what I predicted
on January 24th, 2008 at 7:38 amNot too long ago, I predicted that sooner or later government would pay folks to wipe their fannies after using the bathroom (gross, I know). Well this next story is just as bad IMO:
Cash carrot for obese people to lose pounds
timesonline.co.uk
Obese and overweight adults in England could be paid to lose weight under plans being considered by the Government. The new strategy to tackle poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles includes the suggestion that people should receive financial rewards or shopping vouchers for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
The £372 million strategy reiterates a target set last year to cut the proportion of overweight and obese children by 2020 to levels in 2000.
Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, and Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said that England should become the first leading nation to reverse the trend for expanding waistlines, especially among children.
A £75 million advertising campaign promoting measures such as fruit-tasting sessions, compulsory cookery lessons in schools and walking buses, where adults lead a group of children to school, will be used to encourage parents and children to lead a healthier life. More schools will be advised to monitor what pupils are eating and parents will be encouraged to use technology to limit the time their children spend on the internet, watching television or playing computer games.
The cross-government strategy, which will be followed up by annual reports, also includes £30 million for the creation of healthy towns, which promote physical activity through safe walking and cycle routes.
Mr Johnson said that the Government would also consider introducing laws if the food industry did not back the idea of a single system for food labelling. The Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives report also sets out the role of the workplace in encouraging people to stay healthy. (more…)
One could even try to defend this by saying “Well, that money would have gone to health care costs for these people anyway.” Before you go there, do you really believe that the UK would extract billions of pounds out of its health care system and still not keep these folks on the dole?
It won’t happen.
