Consequences of Anti-Obesity Campaign

Upon hearing news of an obesity crisis, the British government responded like an overprotective nanny by launching a national anti-obesity campaign targeting children. Anti-obesity, calorie-counting and healthy-eating messages blanketed classrooms and obese kids were added to the child protection register. The Department of Health began weighing every primary school student to determine those who should be registered as obese children requiring protection.

Meanwhile, unintended consequences from the anti-obesity campaign have emerged.

Although the social services departments keep secret the names of registered obese children, the swarm of emphasis on obesity has caused those same children to be singled out on the school playgrounds for ridicule and bullying by other kids.

Additionally, hammering by the anti-obesity campaign, along with the resultant bullying, has caused an increase in the number of children displaying eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Since some kids are psychologically inclined toward developing an eating disorder, it's logical that anti-obesity efforts and bullying would push more youngsters in that direction.

So, not only has the anti-obesity campaign created a bureaucratic chore in the registration and monitoring of fat kids for their protection, it has also led to problems in the neighborhoods and schools with increased bullying and problems with more cases of girls driven to eating disorders. Neither one of these consequences should be taken lightly. Bullying all too often causes the bullied to strike back with tragic results and anorexia can kill.

In summary, by reacting to a trumpeted "crisis" of obesity, the British government has seriously aggravated two other problems in society. And, that's just so far. It's unknown whether more unintended consequences are waiting to be recognized.

Nevertheless, the march to serfdom utopia continues.