The great voucher swapathon

[okra]

Just heard on the news that as part of the Change4Life scheme to make us all healthier the Government has got together with companies like Asda, Unilver Nestle and many others to give away 250million in vouchers to promote healthier choices.

To me it's like putting drug dealers in charge of treating drug addiction.

[Milims]

Yea - I read that too and I wondered abou it. On one hand at least it's a step in the right direction - encouraging those who already eat those brands, with which they are familiar and with which they feel safe, to eat healthier versions of what they usually eat. However I do think that the money would be better invested into education. Why don't they bring back good old fashioned home economics in school for a start? They state that healthy foods are the more expensive option - but isn't igorance, laziness and inability really the more expensive option?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Just heard on the news that as part of the Change4Life scheme to make us all healthier the Government has got together with companies like Asda, Unilver Nestle and many others to give away 250million in vouchers to promote healthier choices.

To me it's like putting drug dealers in charge of treating drug addiction.

Come, come Okra: a little cynical, surely?

These organisations are concerned first and foremost with ensuring that the consumer gets the highest quality products that give the greatest possible health benefits.

The business of making money is very much secondary. Indeed, they only do so with the greatest reluctance.

Likewise, governments are composed of people with a vocation to guide and help the populace, not the kind of self-serving ratfinks that would - say - take advantage of their postion to ensure future lucrative employment on the boards of large, publically quoted, multinational companies.

[okra]

Just heard on the news that as part of the Change4Life scheme to make us all healthier the Government has got together with companies like Asda, Unilver Nestle and many others to give away 250million in vouchers to promote healthier choices.

To me it's like putting drug dealers in charge of treating drug addiction.

How can we trust these multinational with our health

Nestle - is targeting hundreds of rural communities to gain control of their most precious resource water. By strong-arming small towns with limited economic means, Nestle are part of a growing trend to privatize public water supplies for economic gain in the ballooning bottled water industry.

With sales of over $35 billion worldwide in the bottled water market, corporations are doing whatever it takes to buy up pristine springs in some of our country's most beautiful places. While the companies reap the profits, the local communities and the environment are paying the price.

Unilever - is a company that produces many of Britain’s best-known household brands has been exposed as contributing to the destruction of rainforests by buying thousands of tonnes of illegal palm oil.

[Milims]

I've checked out the change4life website. It's clearly aimed at those who live almost entirely on convenience foods and takeaways. In which case I see the point of swapping to the healthier option. But clearly it's just a huge marketing ploy - it's not actually encouraging anyone to eat better quality, healthy options, to think about what they are eating, to learn how to cook healthy meals - it's simply feeding their addiction to carp!

[oldjerry]

In that case I hope to god my cat doesn't get sent any.

[Milims]

In that case I hope to god my cat doesn't get sent any.

Lol! Yeah - if they really were addicted to carp there wouldn't be so much of a problem! lol!

[Helsbells]

When I saw the title of this thread I though "Oh what a good idea, people can say what vouchers they got for Christmas and swap them with people who got vouchers for shops they prefer"...silly me....

[Big Al]

I only saw a few seconds of it on the news but got the idea and more from here. My take on it is that it won't do anything of long term benefit because a lot of people who are obese and I include myself in that is that they know what they have to do but don't. I know I have to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, no sugar, salt, only good oils, lots of oily fish at least 3 potions a week, take a lot of exercise that makes me slightly out of breathe and all will be fine and dandy.

What buggers me up is that I do all of the above except the exercise because of my chronic back problem but have you ever thought what a portion size is ?

Here is a test for you all that eat the correct foods and correct amount of food. What is the correct portion of carrots for 1 person as part of the five a day message? The answer is here http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfec ... 1&x=45&y=9but guess how many carrots you can / do eat as one of the five aday campaign before you look.

To give the big food manufacturers the money is tantermount to a tax refund but they could never get such a plan past the people unless they give it to them this way. Having said that they could give the general populus this money but that would only be around £3.87 per person so that wouldn't even buy a bag of fish and chips...

As for education it is ok to educate the new kids from say five year old upover but it is the current people such as me and my wife andd the kids of many who are at risk of diabetes, high blood preassure and strokes.

The positive note of this is that in 2009 I lost over 40 kg in wieght so it can be done but then put 10 on in 2010.... another 45 kg to go this year.....

[Milims]

have you ever thought what a portion size is ?

Here is a test for you all that eat the correct foods and correct amount of food. What is the correct portion of carrots for 1 person as part of the five a day message? The answer is here http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfec ... 1&x=45&y=9but guess how many carrots you can / do eat as one of the five aday campaign before you look.

Well that's ok for carrots - because carrots are carrots, but I looked at rice and it doesn't say if it's white or brown rice! We tend to eat less refined foods such as brown rice and wholewheat pasta which fills you up more - so maybe if we ate what they recommend we'd be eating too much! Also does it take into account your daily activity? When I worked on building sites I ate much more than I do now - because I was very physically active. I know that I still eat too much - it's a really bad habit, but I'm trying to work on it - new years resolution!
I still think that the encouragement should be aimed at eating less refined additive filled foods - like carrots! lol!
Well done on your weight loss Big Al!

[Big Al]

It's like the BMI thingy, they try to fit the whole nation into one thing and fail miserably for all. Following on from my post above, what has sparked me into action again is that my Blood preasure is going up again as my weigh has increased and at the opticiens in May he was concerned about one eye. A 6 month check revealed that to be ok but his May concern was that my sugar was high and starting to cause eye damage.

You can cojole, threaten, worry people with all the statistics you want but if the obease don't want to lose weight then they won't. Vouchers won't work but having symptoms of obeasity will, well they will for me. For me the only thing that will work is if the government refuse treatment of illnesses attributed to obeasity.....

[crowsashes]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ating.html

ok i know its a daily mail article you can ridicule later BUT the fact bakeries GAVE the tories money for whatever before they came to power (probably others did as well) ... and now the payback is free advertising in the form of government policy to help fight obesity ...

i dont like any consumerist drive if is wrapped up in politics like this...

i just dont like it...

[Flo]

Here is a test for you all that eat the correct foods and correct amount of food. What is the correct portion of carrots for 1 person as part of the five a day message? The answer is here http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfec ... 1&x=45&y=9but guess how many carrots you can / do eat as one of the five aday campaign before you look.

Silly flaming calculator - the Xmas dinner tab is only for carnivores. Throws out portion control completely for vegans and vegetarians then.

Bet you none of the vouchers involved are any use to fat vegans and vegetarians either.