Madam, – I was surprised by the relatively libertarian standpoint taken in the article “When too much sugar leaves a sour taste” (HEALTHplus, February 1st).
The expert opinion quoted seemed to support the view that responsibility lay mainly in the hands of individuals, or parents. Considering the amount of money (estimated at $4 billion in the US) spent by the fast food industry on advertising aimed at children, the average family (with an annual income of €29,900) is facing an uphill battle. This is before the issues of cost and access are even considered, never mind the degree in nutrition one may need to decipher the package labelling.
People are not simply just eating more. There have been significant changes in food production and accessibility, which have contributed to the obesity epidemic. With 50 per cent of our adult population now overweight or obese, we need to think wider than “let them not eat cake” (or cereal-based equivalents) and take a stronger stance than “chiding”. – Yours, etc,