Eyebrows are always raised by press articles that highlight a council decision to spend £6.2 million on weight loss programmes.

There is a very strong tendency for many people to ask why taxpayer money should be spent on this, especially when there are so many other areas which are underfunded, including the maintenance of our roads !

Setting aside all the thoughts you might have about individual responsibility to live healthy lives and keep your weight down… the simple answer is that programmes that are funded by this money are effective.

Many thousands of people benefit from a nudge and encouragement to eat better and take exercise.

I have written about the importance of prevention, better than cure. When you look at the financial cost of health and social care from obesity in Hampshire, the NHS healthcare costs come out as up to £180 million a year. However, the true costs, when you factor in things like loss of productivity, sickness, absence, loss of quality of life etc…. you are nearer £1 billion.

So, spending £6.2 million to save all those other costs sounds like a good investment to me…

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26238636.councillors-approve-6m-weight-loss-scheme-hampshire/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawSwWCRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF1bFVKb3V2U3RhRXp1YVJ0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHrRhGUjC7cl8yMb8nvb1YNJw98NN8_jkUmNxganA5xjhIICI618xlrAyCWJC_aem_FLJvZeXxSWBjtFP_ys7mIw#Echobox=1782755980