Paphos People

OBESE people may be offered vouchers or cash to lose weight under plans being examined by the Government.

The Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives strategy — a £372million initiative launched by Health Secretary Alan Johnson — sets out how people will be encouraged to take greater care of themselves.

The Department of Health is looking at a report that highlights several projects.

The Well@Work scheme, led by the British Heart Foundation, offered rewards to employees losing weight.

One competition, called Cold Turkey, ran over 11 weeks, with the team losing the most weight receiving a trophy.

Evidence from the US showed financial payments to those losing weight had “proven particularly effective”.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “The use of incentives is at a very early stage of development.

“We are working with experts, looking at the success of schemes worldwide.”

A national examination has been carried out and the results will be published next month.

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If there is any rewarding going on, surely it should be to those who actually do look after themselves. A lot of people put time and money into keeping fit these days - you shouldn't have to bribe someone to make them look after themselves. I just don't get it!

I know a lot of people who have been overweight and have worked hard to lose it - I think everyone should take responisibilty for looking after their own bodies (medical conditions are obviously an exception to that rule).

It's the same with all these little projects they have where they whisk bullies and badly behaved kids away on holiday. What about the well behaved kids that don't get any holidays because their parents simply can't afford it? If you see the bad kids being rewarded - wouldn't you just think - aha, I need to act up and I'll get a treat?

It's the same with this incentive, put on some weight - get some extra cash to lose it. There are seriously people out there who would do it. What happens when they lose this weight and the incentives stop?

Help those who actually need help.

How can they distinguish between people who really need help and those that are just at it?

I bet the vouchers are for KFC or MacDonalds!!!!

P.

Going along the thread of not fair:

A SINGLE mum told last night how she has had babies with two brothers – and she’s just 17.

Elizabeth Rawling became pregnant by jobless Michael Bayford and gave birth to son Kaylum 16 months ago.

Then she split with Michael and slept with his older brother Alan – who fathered five-week-old Harvey.

Elizabeth says the lads have abandoned her and their sons.

She lives in a Bristol council flat on £160-a-week benefits while the CSA chase her ex-lovers for cash.

She said: “It was just one of those things.

“I’d have liked to have settled down with a nice man first but it didn’t happen. I was ready to have a baby anyway.”

Michael, 17, said: “I know Kaylum is my kid.”

But Alan, 19, is not convinced he is a dad.

He said: “It was a drunken moment. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

Elizabeth, who lost her virginity at 14, now has ANOTHER boyfriend, Mark Finegan, 22, and hopes to train as a nurse.

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When do you think kid number 3 is coming along????

GBP160.00 per week - that's a wage to a lot of people in the UK and they've got kids and a mortgage too!

When I was 17 I was still rollerskating to school and thinking of what I wanted to do with my life - but having a baby was never on my list of things to do in the next 10 years!!! But I suppose it's become a career choice for a lot of young girls!

Why don't kids just want to be kids and enjoy their teens?

It all part of the blame culture that dominates the UK these days - nothing is ever anyone's fault anymore - where there's blame there's a claim, and no win, no fee.

Clinically obese you say? Not your fault pet, it's those pesky food manufacturers stuffing hidden calories in the food, plus those nefarious ad companies of course - I mean, you tune in to watch Corrie and they're practically force-feeding you chocolate, what chance do you stand??

3 kids by 3 different blokes aged 17 is it? Don't worry love, you can't help it if you keep slipping over and falling on your back with your legs apart - here's a free house and a big wodge of cash every month for the next couple of decades to help smooth things over.....

Too many people not taking responsibility for their actions IMO, and too many policies reinforcing the wrong behaviour - I mean, friend of mine who's a teacher was telling me about an incentive scheme where badly behaved kids were being offered rewards for being good - decent stuff like MP3 players, computer games and the like.

Now I'm all for positive reinforcement, but it doesn't take a Machiavellian mind to figure out the way this is going to get the good kids thinking??

Fundamental changes required in many areas to redress the balance IMO, and it will take an awful long time even if this does happen - just glad I'm out of it....

Aaaannnd, relax!

I think the government is running around in circles and do not know how to deal with these issues now.

Mr brown has been left a wonderful legacy to sort out.

frank

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Why give money to people who are obese. Don't they think these people won't go out & spend said money on more food? They should just open free clinics for obese people & that way help them overcome their illness instead

As for teenagers with kids. This started way before Labour got into power, as it was around when I was a teenager, and girls I knew in school were getting pregnant just to get a flat & money, so its nothing new & the only way to stop it, is either to raise the age of consent or stop giving money or flats to teenagers who get pregnant, make the parents responsible for their children, not the tax payer

You don't feed a virus, you find a cure