identify ‘rules’ which contribute to obesogenic environments” (Swinburn,
2008 ,p. 5). Stressing the need for people to change their lifestyles, US
First Lady Michelle Obama stresses that the task of the government is
“Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice” (see http://www.white
house.gov/blog/2011/09/15/first-lady-michelle-obama-making-healthy-choice-
easy-choice).
The Summary of Key Messages from the Foresight ReportTackling
Obesitiescombines both approaches. Assuming “modern living ensures every
generation is heavier than the last” the report speaks of “Passive Obesity,”
seemingly removing individual responsibility. Projecting trends forward to
2050 they estimate that “60% of men and 50% of women could be clinically
obese. Without action, obesity-related diseases are estimated to cost society
£49.9 billion per year.” To turn this tide around the report claims “individual
action alone” is not enough; effectively reintroducing responsibility for
citizens. Furthermore, they stress that “tackling obesity requires far greater
change than anything tried so far, and at multiple levels: personal, family,
community and national” and that the challenge is “similar to climate
change” (UK Government Office for Science, 2007,p. 3).
Recently the UK government has localized its approach in this respect,
statingthat its “radical new approach” will...
reflect the Government’s core values of freedom, fairness and responsibility by strength-
ening self-esteem, confidence and personal responsibility; positively promoting healthy
behaviours and lifestyles; and adapting the environment to make healthy choices easier;
and...balance the freedoms of individuals and organisations with the need to avoid
harm to others, use a “ladder” of interventions to determine the least intrusive
approach necessary to achieve the desired effect and aim to make voluntary approaches
work before resorting to regulation. (Secretary of State for Health, 2010, p. 6)The picture that emerges from such statements is that individual citizens
need to change their lifestyles and start making healthy choices. The task
of governments is to help make the necessary changes easy. To do this,
governments should introduce “obesity impact assessments” into their pol-
icy formation routines. Also, they should see to it that private organiza-
tions too take up their responsibility for stemming the tide of the obesity
epidemic.
OBESITY AS DISEASE AND DEVIANCE
The combination of the obesity epidemic and the urgent need to prevent
the obesity tsunami from causing an ever increasing obesity pandemic
128 ROEL PIETERMAN