The 'Obesogenic' Society

Nothing for my gossip column from the bus this morning I’m afraid. The motor mouth girl with the mobile was chatting about her usual inane stuff but it was nothing really worth blogging about.

It’s not gossip but its been all over the news again this week. The 'O' word. This time though, they say its all society's fault and not the individual’s, just a consequence of modern life. Everyone is spending too long sat in front of computers and TV screens, driving everywhere and eating totally the wrong kinds of food but it's ok because society has forced them to do this. At the end of the day, society rewards us with a sit down in front of the TV with a snack in one hand and a drink in the other. Well, yes but presumably not until we've all been out on our training runs first!

As my cycling magazine commented, whether they like it or not, our 'obesogenic' society (now there's a good word) will just have to take up bike riding to burn off those calories. Either that or die of diabetes, cancer, stroke etc. Oh, it's about as depressing as a cycling biography by Graeme Obree. Well at least it will solve the housing crisis.

For the Government, the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, said a national debate was needed, e.g. let's talk about it, so we don’t have to do anything. To be fair though, the Government has set one of its famous targets, to reduce the proportion of overweight children to the level they were at in the year 2000 by 2020. So what we increased in 7 years they are going to try and decrease in 13, how unambitious is that? Rant over, for now.

At work Microsoft Outlook has suddenly stopped opening PDF files which means I can’t read any of the sales orders that are sent to me. Hey presto, no work, what I can't read, I can't do.

L's organising some harvesting at work, she won't tell me what she means, she says she'll tell me later, but I have a good idea.

As I'm walking home from the bus, there is a chap who must have been listening to the Government and is exercising his family. His two kids are on bikes, his dog is off lead, and his wife is walking alongside him but all this is occurring on Sutton Passeys Crescent. The dog is miles ahead, in and out of people's gardens, crossing side roads without looking both ways. The kids are the same, although they stay out of the gardens. Hmmm, might keep them fit but they'll all get flattened instead.

I get home and the house is in darkness, which is odd, there are usually at least fourteen lights on if the kids are home alone. Daughter is unwell and huddled on the sofa wrapped in L’s long coat. There’s little sign of life under the coat. I enquire whether she is alive, no answer. Then a finger emerges, prods the remote control and the TV changes channel. Ah, all is well after all.

We're back to our usual slot at Clifton tonight for squash. Perhaps my opponent is another one who's been listening to the Government because he's on the 'eat nothing' diet and says he's lost 5 lbs in 2 days but consequently he's starving all the time and ended up with a hangover after half a bottle of white wine the other night. Hopefully then he'll be too weak to play well tonight. Not that that will give me enough of an advantage, unless he's injured as well and preferably carrying a few cold or flu symptoms.

Unfortunately, he plays the best he's done for months. I play really well too but his serve is on top form and I only win one game. Pint of JHB Extra in the pub, followed by a tinny and a glass of red at home.