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First things first

Can drugs fix the UK’s adolescent obesity crisis?
A powerful new weight-loss medication may be approved for those aged 12 to 17. But healthcare professionals fear it ignores the underlying socioeconomic causes

We should probably start with the proof that we face a youth obesity crisis. Which we don’t, as Chris Snowdon has been pointing out for years.

So, the socioeconomic cause is that we’ve got liars running the analysis…..

9 thoughts on “First things first”

  1. Prof Keith Godfrey, the nutrition lead at the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, says that while he can see a use for the drug in severe cases, he is concerned about the unknown impact on the many critical developmental processes that occur during adolescence

    Oh, *now* they’re concerned about drugging children.

  2. ‘rates of child obesity are worsening in deprived communities’

    In other words, the ‘deprived’ are getting more and more tucker?

    But to take this more seriously Tim, I’d argue that everyone doesn’t conform to the currently fashionable appearance. And that if you really want to lose weight, you eat less.

  3. “We should probably start with the proof that we face a youth obesity crisis. Which we don’t, as Chris Snowdon has been pointing out for years.”

    Or a climate crisis. Or any other ‘crisis’ from the Litany of Crises used to justify authoritarian government, activist groups, charities, legislation, etc.

  4. Can drugs fix the UK’s adolescent obesity crisis?
    Reduce the street price of heroin & crack?

  5. The Times quoted the NHS’s estimate of the cost of obesity is approx £6 billion. This is back of the sofa change to the NHS, never mind the state as a whole. Why should we give a fuck?

  6. “Can drugs fix the UK’s adolescent obesity crisis?”

    Amphetamine sulphate can, without a doubt. You never see a podgy speed-freak.

  7. Didn’t the diets pull that actually did work back before regulation banned them turn out to be laced with speed

  8. ‘Rates of children being fed more than they need are rising in deprived communities’
    Communities deprived of what?
    Surely time to apply VAT to food and energy at the same rates as other consumption. And uprate the applicable amount of benefit claims to compensate. Then look at the data again when there is a level tax playing field for all consumption. And abolish ag subsidies.
    Because trying to tease out sensible policy proposals from the current mess is a nightmare.

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