Govt calls for organised fit fight

24/07/2008

Health secretary Alan Johnson has called on employers, retailers and local authorities to join in a new fight against obesity.

He told think-tank, The Fabian Society, the government cannot achieve its goals alone and needed the support of wider society.

"We are calling on everyone - from the smallest community keep fit class to the biggest retailers in the land - to join in this campaign to change the way we live our lives," he said.

"We need a national movement that will bring about a fundamental change in the way we live our lives."

The Health and Social Care Information Centre's data from 2005 showed 67 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women were overweight or obese.

Workers in legal jobs can reduce the effects of sedentary employment by taking regular exercise and reducing their intake of fatty foods.

Further estimates by the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care have suggested that by 2010, if no action is taken, more than 12 million adults in England and Wales will be obese.

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