Min - an interesting thought. Are we heading for the situation where there is a fit "elite" (who would probably have been considered of normal fitness even quite recently) and a wheezing, gelatinous mass. A horrible thought and possibly the end of the NHS.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Inactivity Kills more than obesity
(68 posts)-
Posted 7 years ago #
-
I think it's fair to say I walk hardly anywhere these days, though I do have other active means of getting about. But whenever I have to actually walk any distance I find the whole thing a bit alien and disconcerting. And SO SLOW.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Whichever way this goes, we're going to need wider pavements...
Posted 7 years ago # -
PS - LOL. But we all know what we will get is wider roads as cars need to be expanded to fit their occupants. :-o
Posted 7 years ago # -
It's shocking how large modern cars are. I was overtaken by a Suzuki Rascal recently and was amazed how small/comical it looked. Like when minis were actually miniature.
Posted 7 years ago # -
how large modern cars are
It does amuse me when they can't pass each other in ordinary streets.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I suppose in a city it's quite common to live less than half a mile from good public transport so even with a car it would be possible to fall into this category.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
Other proposals include sprinting tracks on pavements, free bikes and cooking lessons.
"
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15497928.How_to_get_Scotland_healthy/
Posted 7 years ago # -
Perhaps a future fleet of kayaks could join city bikes?
Not forgetting the jetpacks.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Structural issues need structural solutions, yes?
(FWIW I'm really uncomfortable with categorising other human beings as "a wheezing, gelatinous mass"* or other similar statements that sometimes pop up here. No matter what the intent. Sometimes I think otherwise apparently kind and socially ept people on this forum would look at some of my closest friends and mentally consign them to a bin marked "fat and thus clearly worthy only of my pity." You surely don't mean it that way, but I wouldn't be keen to have them read some of our threads...)
*lack of movement and time outside is indeed a slow-motion public heath emergency. But public health emergencies are generally not caused by individual poor choices. They emerge out of the things that structure the lives of most people in a society. (Hstory is very revealing on this point. Reading - for example - about Victorian public health and where the blame was often laid is quite enlightening. And depressing.)
Posted 7 years ago # -
There was a very good Life Scientific on Professor Graham MacGregor, who got the food industry to gradually reduce the salt levels in most processed food. It's interesting on many levels but mainly for his insistence that if you want to improve the health of the whole country, you need to make big structural changes because while the middle classes can afford to avoid the cheapest processed food, the very poorest have little choice and bear the brunt of it. He was very clear that salt in the diet was a structural issue and by tackling it right across the board, they actually saw measurable reductions in salt intake and population-wide reductions in blood pressure. Which is quite amazing when you consider we probably got more sedentary over that period.
He also has one of those supremely self-confident BBC English voices which really does sweep all objections before it. I can see both how ministers and food bosses just buckled before him. I found myself wondering 'how can we get him to take on cycle infrastructure as his next cause?' Unfortunately he's already taken on reducing sugar from our diet, so even he might have his hands full.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Given the problems with pedestrian crossing timings it's quite possible to walk around town for an hour without ever getting more than a few minutes of continuos exercise. I would see if that effect was taken into account.
Posted 7 years ago # -
if you want to improve the health of the whole country, you need to make big structural changes because while the middle classes can afford to avoid the cheapest processed food, the very poorest have little choice and bear the brunt of it
If you want to improve the health of the whole country, you need to want to improve the health of the whole country. I'm not at all sure there's a consensus for that yet.
The big structural changes that are needed are;
i) for wealth inequality to be hugely reduced and,
ii) for all of us to be taught and obliged to get involved in big decisions having direct impact on our lives.This from my empirical observation that the more integrated into society and hopeful I feel the less severe are my various self-destructive behaviours.
PS I note with sadness the most recent step change in public health was due to the rationing and physical activity (and sense of equality and purpose?) imposed by WWII.
Posted 7 years ago # -
"I feel the less severe are my various self-destructive behaviours."
Whole debate there on whether "self destructive" is due to ignorance/lack of knowledge or conscious choice or?!
Posted 7 years ago # -
unhurt - thank you. It never hurts be reminded that words can have consequences, regardless of your intentions.
Posted 7 years ago # -
No worries, and I knew it hadn't been intentional!
Posted 7 years ago # -
"
The First Minister is one of 14 members on the new body, which is looking at how tax and spending policies can help fight lifestyle diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
"
Perhaps some of the other 13 will be able to explain the benefits of ActiveTravel.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@chdot
You laughing or crying? I don't know which to do first.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Good question.
Posted 6 years ago # -
You mock the great Scottish government at your peril, non-believers. Everyone knows this country leads the world in health - we'll show them how it's done. Our amazing tax and spend policies have produced...er...the highest rate of obesity in the world after Polynesia, US and Mexico...
Would like to go large on the fries with that order? Shall we bring it direct to your car?
Posted 6 years ago # -
@crowriver
Would the great English government be preferable?
Posted 6 years ago # -
I like the guy Mickey D that is prez of Ireland. My Irish friends at work have made me an Irish passport. sadly they used the photo of me as an 18 year old deck chair attendant Ayr beach from my British and overseas passport you used to just pop in to the post office and buy before going inter railing in the day.
Posted 6 years ago # -
My Irish friends at work have made me an Irish passport.
My maternal great great grandmother was Irish, though she crossed in a fishing boat, changed her name on arrival and never spoke about it so no one is quite sure which county she was from. Have a word with your mates see if I qualify?
Posted 6 years ago # -
"Would the great English government be preferable?"
That's such a straw man, Worzel Gummidge would invite him round to Aunt Sally's for a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake.
Posted 6 years ago # -
This'll help keep obesity in check.
(Dons glasses, hi-viz and serious face) I'm also convinced Dashboard Dining is A Major Contribution To Road Safety.
---
Scotland's first drive-through bakery open for business
Stephens Bakery offers pastries, rolls and cakes to dashboard diners in Dunfermline.From Thursday, customers at Stephens Bakery in Rumblingwell, Dunfermline will be able to buy pastries, hot rolls and cakes without leaving their car. Stephens managing director André Sarafilovic, 54, attributed the idea to his wife Rona, 53, who has worked for the business since she was 16-years-old. He said: "Time is of the essence now. Everyone seems to be out of time so this stops you from getting out of your car. Dashboard dining is a big thing. It was really my wife's idea."
https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1406475-scotland-s-first-drive-through-bakery-open-for-business/
Posted 6 years ago # -
@crowriver
I was being quite serious. This Bill (particularly Clause 11) would allow the London parliament to freely make law in areas where it presently allows the Edinburgh parliament a free hand.
For all that Scottish governments of all stripes have clearly been uninterested in, and uncomprehending of, active travel they are at least close at hand for the purposes of lobbying.
Anyway, an electoral programme based on telling folk their kids are going to cycle to school would be suicidal wouldn't it?
Posted 6 years ago # -
“an electoral programme based on telling folk their kids are going to cycle to school would be suicidal wouldn't it?“
We’ll never know.
A programme seriously encouraging/enabling ActiveTravel would be a start.
Any car-restricting measures best not mentioned too loudly (though there might come a time when it’s clearly reasonably popular.
One problem remains - whatever Govs (UK and Scottish) say, they rely on LAs to deliver. So if a scheme is unpopular locally, Gov can look other way.
Similarly LAs can say ‘Gov didn’t give us enough money’.
Has the SG ‘money doubled for ActiveTravel’ (or maybe ‘sustainable travel’ - inc electric cars) claim been clarified yet?
Posted 6 years ago # -
chdot - yes, the Transport Minister told the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 20 December 2018 that:
"Just to clarify, the additional £80 million will absolutely be for active travel—
John Finnie: And it will not be used for charging points.
Humza Yousaf: No, that is part of the sustainable travel money. That will come largely from the future transport fund, which is being increased by more than 100 per cent. I hope that that provides some clarification."
Details: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11282&mode=pdf
Posted 6 years ago # -
Good to hear the confirmation. Cynically I'll say that this confirmation has only come about since they were caught trying to redirect the money, and if they hadn't have been called out on it, it would quietly have become an electric car fund!
Robert
Posted 6 years ago # -
@IWRATS, so much straw there I'll need a combine harvester to cut it all down.
[+] Embed the video | Video Download Get the Flash Video Posted 6 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
