Government tries to get us in shape
THE VIRUS HAS NOT GONE – BUT FITNESS MAY HELP
THERE’S nothing like a brush with death to make you rethink your life choices.
Boris Johnson is on a fitness drive, following his stint in intensive care with the Covid-19 coronavirus.
And he wants the rest of us to follow suit.
Evidence shows that being overweight makes you more likely to suffer serious problems – or to die – if you become infected with Covid.
And it’s a similar situation with other illnesses. Obesity may not kill you directly, but it can make other conditions worse.
An annual health survey carried out by the NHS found that 34% of adults in the North East – more than one in three – are obese (higher than the national average, which is 28%).
And 69% are overweight. This includes those who are obese, which basically means extremely overweight.
Obesity can be life threatening, either because it leads directly to health problems or because it makes other problems worse.
NHS figures show there were 31,855 admissions to North East hospitals over 12 months in which obesity was either a primary or a secondary diagnosis.
People may have been admitted to hospital for another condition, but the fact that they were obese affected the treatment they needed.
What is the government going to do about it? Junk food adverts could be banned before the 9pm watershed and restrictions could be placed on in-store promotions, such as buy one get one free deals. Details will be announced tomorrow.
We all hope there will be a vaccine for Covid-19 soon, and while the experts say that’s not guaranteed, they’re pretty confident that it will happen.
So if Boris’ health drive succeeds, it will have an impact on our well-being long after Covid has stopped being a threat.
Even so, part of the motivation for getting the nation thinner is the knowledge that the virus hasn’t gone away – and might very well make a resurgence.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, told a Committee of MPS on Tuesday that the prospect of a surge in winter was “a really serious concern”.
So don’t panic, but it isn’t over. And for those of us who could do with losing a little weight, there’s now an extra incentive to do so.
If the virus makes a comeback in your neighbourhood, shedding the kilogrammes could save your life.