We must shape up for our own good...

Being overweight has never been so dangerous. For years we have been talking about Britain’s obesity crisis, but still waistlines have grown, campaigns haven’t worked and governments have lost interest.

But there is now an added scary connection between being overweight and dying from Covid-19, so it’s more important than ever that we get a grip on the problem. The health and wealth of the nation depend on it.

This week, weight-loss expert Dr Sarah Jarvis spoke out on whether health is the new wealth.

I watched her webinar and there was no fat-shaming but it gave real insight into why people find it so hard to lose weight, why they absolutely have to and why the help has to be more forthcoming from above.

Obesity, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer, was already putting a giant strain on the NHS. But now we are learning just how huge an issue it is when it comes to fighting coronavirus.

Around a third of adults in England are obese – more than 15 million – and when you’re in hospital, that raises your chance of dying from Covid-19 by 37 per cent.

Our overweight PM knows all about it, so he should be on the case, but he seems more interested in giving planes a paint job.

The depressing data is clear – aside from social distancing and

without a vaccine, weight loss could be the most powerful weapon we have against Covid-19. Our health depends on widespread adoption of safe and effective weight-loss therapies.

Half of us have put on weight in lockdown and no wonder as we munch our way through the anxiety and stress.

Alcohol is full of calories too, and we’re getting through plenty of that at the moment. Most people are also more sedentary.

I have friends and family who are struggling with their weight and I know the old mantra of telling them to just eat less and move more is not helpful, nor are scare tactics.

We are crying out for a new approach. Boris’s suggestion that now is the time to get “Britain on its bike” and increase physical activity is a start. But it’s clearly not enough. We need to do more. There are

Best footie moment of the week was England star Marcus Rashford kicking Boris’ heartless plan into touch. The 22-year-old Man United player shamed him into a U-turn on free school meals, with 1.3 million kids now benefitting from a innovative non-surgical weight-loss treatments available, such as a balloon pill which is swallowed before inflating in the stomach to prevent overeating.

The therapy comes with a weighing scale linked to an app so that medics can oversee your progress. Studies show it produces significant weight loss. Trouble is, this treatment is only available privately. But it should be accessible to all who need it on the NHS.

The Government really should invest in treating more people with products that help them to lose weight

coping strategies and lifestyle changes – which keeps the weight off.

It’s not just about exercise and padlocking the fridge.

Covid summer food fund. Like Marcus, I was in the “free dinners” queue at school and, while I was embarrassed, I was grateful. My parents couldn’t afford hot meals for me and my three siblings every day.

When you’ve been there, you never forget it and you have empathy. But our PM has been brought up on foie gras, not Findus crispy pancakes, which is why he was so happy to scrap the scheme.

At least struggling families have Marcus on their side.

We need a new approach that’s accessible to all