The recent broadside from the British Heart Foundation aimed at the leisure sector http://is.gd/4DZdO and the news that Taybarns all you can eat restaurants are booming (some are serving up to 10,000 customers a week!) http://is.gd/4E7GK shows that we have a long way to go in the battle against obesity.
Some of the leisure centres that are undoubtedly benefitting from the recent MoreActive4Life/Change4Life campaigns seem to be undoing their good work by vending calorific junk food. While it is correct that we should be revising our food offering to be more healthy at these places it does seem a bit unfair to target the leisure sector which is doing it’s best to get young people more active more often.
The fact is that young people visiting these leisure centres do see the benefit of exercise and that is part of the battle won. Would the studies commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and the Food Commission be better placed helping the leisure sector understand those young people that are not active, and therefore in far more danger of becoming obese than those undertaking physical activity?
Some of the leisure centres that are undoubtedly benefitting from the recent MoreActive4Life/Change4Life campaigns seem to be undoing their good work by vending calorific junk food. While it is correct that we should be revising our food offering to be more healthy at these places it does seem a bit unfair to target the leisure sector which is doing it’s best to get young people more active more often.
The fact is that young people visiting these leisure centres do see the benefit of exercise and that is part of the battle won. Would the studies commissioned by the British Heart Foundation and the Food Commission be better placed helping the leisure sector understand those young people that are not active, and therefore in far more danger of becoming obese than those undertaking physical activity?
UPDATE 28.10.09 Check out the FIA's thoughts http://thefitnessindustryassociation.blogspot.com/
