Why Is Liverpool Becoming Capital of Tubbies?
By Tim Hughes Liverpool and Merseyside have high rates of obesity, and this in a country that according to some reports is the most obese in Europe. The problem of obesity on Merseyside is particularly chronic, the reasons are not always clear. One report claimed that a quarter of all children on Merseyside are either overweight or obese. Research into food advertising aimed at children by Dr Jason Halford, a psychologist from Liverpool University, led him to the conclusion that “Obesity has a combination of factors; convenience food, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical exercise. Put together it has a toxic effect.” In a recent Liverpool University report, 12,000 people on Merseyside were examined and questioned to discover what sort of lifestyles they were leading. Shockingly, the report concluded that over half the people on Merseyside are overweight, and few Merseysiders manage to eat anywhere near the 5 portions of fruit recommended each day for a healthier life. It is clear f
