Given that the real world won’t improve fast enough for my life and your life, some of us will have more BMI-life-chances due to personal effort, education, access to better jobs/nutrition,,,,

This article seems to play down the importance of individual effort and emphasize the environment factor. This article is a credible argument, but I maintain my perception — effort is the biggest factor within one’s control. Better jobs and better nutrition is also within our control.

— My reflections on https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/obesity-public-health-problem-solutions-weight-loss-2844661, written by a FinancialTimes reporter.

“Obesity is not the cause of a problem, but a symptom. Over the past 50 years, no country has reversed the trend of rising obesity.”

Q: Given the increasing public awareness, consumer education, why are citizens not improving our waistline?

There is now a scientific consensus that whether or not someone becomes overweight is, for the most part, the result of the interplay between genetic predisposition (responsible for around half of variation in body mass index), and environmental factors… The ‘individual responsibility’ idea, that people gain weight due to self-destructive decisions that they can be enlightened out of, has proved false…Obesity shows us primarily what is being done to people, not what people are doing to themselves….”regularity of dietary habit is simply incompatible with irregularity of work and income​​”

Q: why are low-income families more affected by obesity?

The author points to stress, overwork, unreliable income, financial insecurity,,, I feel these factors are indeed important. An outrageous analogy — in an world of increasing work stress, food insecurity, income insecurity, and increasing availability of addictive substances [alcohol, sugary drinks, cakes,,,], is some form of addiction inevitable for most? I guess we already see the widespread addiction to screens, sugary drinks… the curse of our time.

“But if any country is to reverse one of the world’s most stubborn trends, its policymakers must recognize that the solution will come not from haranguing people, but from improving the quality of their lives and their environment.”

Q: will it help if employer (like mine and Macq) provide free fruits in office pantry?

Q: will it help if employer (like mine) provides relaxation facilities in office?
A: I doubt it. I guess most employees prefer to get as far away from office as possible.

Look at the overwhelming amount of food advertising, esp. in malls. How many percent of them are truly healthy like raw veg, whole fruits, skim milk?

Convenience .. is a key factor in our increasingly busy lives. Those convenient locations and food choices are mostly (like 99%) less-than-healthy.