A Hughmongous challenge ahead
TACKLING Britain’s obesity crisis is a huge (ouch!) undertaking – especially for one man with a placard and dodgy megaphone. So it was with enormous (oh dear) admiration that I watched celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall take on the challenge single-handedly in Britain’s Fat Fight on BBC1. It wasn’t always easy viewing thanks to frequent disturbing images of cheese burgers, pizza and cake. In fact it should have come with a health warning: “Flashing images may increase your desire for a takeaway.” Just as I resolved to A: Eat more veg and B: Be less lazy, there before me was a latte with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Starbucks anyone? But it’s a serious problem and the statistics were terrifying. Two thirds of the nation are overweight, including nearly a third of children. And Britain is well on the way to becoming the fattest country in Europe. Obesity is killing us and crippling the NHS. “But the good news is this is a crisis we can all do something about,” said Hugh, as he declared war on waistlines.
Poor old Hugh. I did feel rather sorry for him, though, when he visited a GP.
He was genuinely shocked to discover that he too is overweight and at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Fortunately the news spurred him on.
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In one brilliant stunt, Hugh stood outside a branch of WH Smith with a wall of chocolate bars – snappily labelled WH Sugar – to protest at the chain’s chocolateladen checkouts.
He also asked a group of seven-year-olds to do the weekly supermarket shop.
The kids had three trolleys and 20 minutes to pick what they liked. It was like Supermarket Sweep on a sugar rush.
“Fill your boots!” shouted Hugh, as they practically fell over each other to reach the chocolate aisle. Fizzy drinks and highly sugared cereal were a hit too. Not a vegetable in sight.
We learnt that cereal companies are far from transparent with their food labels.
Has anyone in the history of the universe ever actually weighed out a 30g portion of cereal? Well I now have. And it’s a lot less than you’d think. Hugh also kicked off a year-long social experiment in Newcastle to see if a whole city can shed pounds.
Recruiting for Newcastle Can was occasionally more like Newcastle Can’t, even with the help of comic Ross Noble.
Hugh met one family whose fridge salad drawer contained three tomatoes, an apple and what looked like 50 chocolate bars. There’s a battle ahead, for sure.
But viewers took to Twitter to voice their support for Hugh’s growing (sorry!) campaign.
Here’s hoping next Wednesday’s episode will take it from strength to strength.