Posted on 01/28/2006 8:10:44 AM PST by metalmanx2j
THE Prince of Wales warned the British people last night that they were in danger of becoming as obese as many Americans because they did not walk or cycle enough.
The Prince, who has a fleet of chauffeur-driven cars and has rarely if ever been seen in public on the saddle of a bike, said: “We are perhaps not very far behind our American cousins in the ‘super-sizing epidemic’.”
In his speech at St James’s Palace he gave warning of a worrying sharp rise in childhood obesity. His intervention comes after the British Medical Association said that Britain’s fat youngsters, who account for a third of all obese children in Europe, were at high risk of developing life-threatening conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. One million under-16s were so fat that they were putting their health at risk, the BMA said.
The most recent statistics from the Department of Health indicate that more than 40 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women are overweight and 20 per cent of both are obsese.
The Prince, who credits his trim figure to a diet of one organic meal a day, which he calls the Des O’Connor diet, and long walks on the Scottish moors when he is at Balmoral, said that the rise in obesity was partly caused by the design of modern towns and cities.
“Research suggests that walking or cycling for just half an hour a day can have a significant improvement on our state of health. But why don’t we do it more?” The answer, he said, was that too many towns made it virtually impossible. “It might help if the built environment was more appealing and attractive to pedestrians.”
He urged the Government to embrace the work of Richard Jackson, a former adviser on health to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California. The Prince said: “Dr Jackson and his colleagues have pointed to a disturbing link between the built environment, physical inactivity and what he terms a syndemic of diseases, including, perhaps most worryingly, childhood obesity.”
Last year Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, and Margaret Hodge, the Children’s Minister, said that junk food advertisements during children’s television programmes would be banned by law if the industry failed to agree a voluntary code. They were contradicted by Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, who said that the scheme would undermine income for ITV.
The topic of how building design affects public wellbeing is one of the Prince’s favourite hobby horses. He set up the Foundation for the Built Environment, which hosted last night’s event, to promote traditional urban design and architecture that put communities at the centre of the process.
In the past, he has called for greater integration of complementary medicine, to be used to tackle obesity, especially in youngsters. In November he backed demands for healthier, more nutritional, school meals
Prince Charles, at the very least, we can do something about the way we look!
Yes, plopped in front of the television, the computer monitor and the video game machine. It's wretched that the children are kept prisoner b/c we refuse to deal with criminals.
It's partly, too, that no one is home cooking proper meals anymore. Who has the time to cook?
No kidding. When was the last time you saw a bunch of kids involved in a field game when they were not surrounded by mini-vans and SUVs.
Yep .. that is another reason
Yes he is correct...We were outside all day long running around when I was a kid.
Then again the limey has pissed me off as I sit here at my computer!
Around my way??
Very rarely
I'm curious as to where you live.
In those new developments that Prince Charles refers to
Yeah, he has a valid point about our sedentary lifestyle, but it's hard to take from Charles. I saw a recent interview made to highlight his American tour with Camilla. When the camera started rolling, he was still holding an umbrella he didn't want to appear in the scene. Rather than putting it away himself, he gestured helplessly to an aide, who scurried to his side to take it from him. To me, that said it all.
Let me also add
When I was a kid, mom had to work (long story) .. but she always made it a point to make dinner and we all HAD to be home for a family meal every night
Soooo it can be done ...if one really tries
I'm too sexy for my shirt.
ROTFLMAO. Amazing how many people either never heard that story or have forgotten it. If I had time I could really have some fun with Photoshop, a Tampax ad, and bonnie Prince Charlie.
Can I watch it on TV instead, while in my recliner eating cheesy-poof-flavored ice cream?
“Research suggests that walking or cycling for just half an hour a day can have a significant improvement on our state of health. But why don’t we do it more?” The answer, he said, was that too many towns made it virtually impossible. “It might help if the built environment was more appealing and attractive to pedestrians.”
I agree with him. I have to travel to clients all over the city. These office parks and buildings I go to are located on highways and places that in no way encourage walking. It would be so dangerous with no sidewalks and things spaced so very far apart. I'm no urban planner for sure but I think our city should be a lot more walkable. Even these new housing developments are completely car oriented. You'd have to be crazy to walk out there in the street and no way let a kid out to play.
Lost my legs in a tragic factory accident.
See, we have a factory that produces, as it's primary export, tragedy.
No, seriously, just simply watched my calories (determining my calorie-requirement per day with an online tool) and then keeping my intake approximately 700 calories below that. Also I began weightlifting and walked a lot.
I'm getting borderline buffed-out.
Okay okay. Maybe not that buffed-out. But I'm working on it.
Exactly
Everything around my way is located in a shopping mall/corporate center that you have to drive to
Good for her. That's important, and not just for the waistline.
Soooo it can be done ...if one really tries
Yes, it can. It's a question of priorities. I think that a lot of people haven't realized yet how important time devoted to family is, even on just the purely practical level. In the long run, it's cheaper and more efficient to cook a proper meal because it protects children from obesity, diabetes, incipient heart disease and reduces medical expenses for the whole family.
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