[Loch-Ruadh] Fw: [Elfsea] Why I may move to Scotland

[PBW]

> http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=559032004
>
> Men prize Rab's beer belly over 'puny' six pack
>
> JULIA HORTON
>
> HEALTHY eating campaigns are doomed to failure because
> many Scottish men would rather have a figure like Rab
> C Nesbitt than Ewan McGregor, according to new
> research.
>
> Scientists found that a large number of the Scottish
> males they interviewed prized their beer bellies
> because it meant they did not look weak.
>
> The trend was so pronounced, according to the study,
> that some men of â?~normalâ?T weight even wanted to be
> fatter.
>
> The team from Queen Margaret University College,
> Edinburgh, concluded that the Scottish Executive would
> be better encouraging men to take more exercise rather
> than worrying about what they eat.
>
> Dr Kerri McPherson, who carried out the study, said:
> "The research clearly showed that Scottish men would
> rather be overweight than considered puny. Worryingly,
> not only did overweight men not want to lose weight,
> normal weight men actually wanted to gain weight.
>
> "This would put them at increased risk of
> weight-related health complications, such as
> Scotlandâ?Ts big three: coronary heart disease, cancer
> and stroke."
>
> The research was carried out on 80 shift workers in
> Edinburgh and Glasgow, who were shown a series of
> drawings of a male figure in his underpants, starting
> with a skinny physique with protruding ribs and hip
> bones, right through to a grossly overweight body
> shape with a big beer belly.
>
> Despite a culture full of images of slim movie stars,
> models and musicians, all of the men picked as their
> ideal body shape one of the pictures showing a
> clinically overweight male.
>
> McPherson said: "Men can try to increase their body
> weight through fat or muscle. But the reality is that
> they do not put in the effort in the gym to do that
> through muscle, so the weight is put on as fat."
>
> And she believes that the findings mirror the views of
> men throughout Scotland, and the rest of the world,
> regardless of class.
>
> "I would imagine that this goes across the
> socio-economic spectrum," she said. "It does tend to
> be lower socio-economic classes who are tarred with
> the brush of being unhealthy, which can come down to
> finances and access to health facilities.
>
> "But the phenomenon of wanting to be big will go
> across the board. These are the types of men which
> women express a preference for."
>
> She is calling on the Executive to focus increasingly
> on encouraging men to exercise more, rather than eat
> less, as she believes they are more likely to do that.
>
> And she also suggests that public health campaigns
> should use menâ?Ts vanity to encourage them to be more
> healthy.
>
> "Contrary to popular belief, men care greatly about
> how they look. We are suggesting that body aesthetics
> could be used to bolster the message to people to be
> more healthy.
>
> "It is not just overweight men who need to be targeted
> by healthy-living messages. Normal weight men also
> need to be encouraged to maintain their weight at a
> healthy level."
>
> Her findings are echoed by George McAulay, chairman of
> the UK Menâ?Ts Movement.
>
> He said: "I used to have a terrific physique and now I
> have a terrifically bad physique, I am fat and flabby.
>
> "But I am very strong and I see young guys in the gym
> looking at me enviously because of the weights I can
> lift. They would sooner have the bulk than the
> litheness and agility.
>
> "Since time began, young men and boys, and women, have
> been impressed by the well-built male because it is
> indicative of basic raw power. But we should be
> looking beyond that."
>
> Obesity levels in the UK have soared in recent years.
> Already topping the European obesity league table, the
> number of Britons with weight problems has trebled in
> the last 20 years, partly as a result of eating junk
> food.
>
> Recent Scottish Executive statistics revealed that 43%
> of Scottish men were overweight with a further 20%
> categorised as obese. The one glimmer of hope in
> McPhersonâ?Ts research was that the obese men in the
> study expressed a desire to lose weight, even if their
> ideal body shape remained overweight.
>
> McPherson said: "These men were already suffering from
> health problems, which is probably why they wanted to
> do something about their weight."
>
> The Scottish Executive Healthy Living Campaign is
> aimed at ridding Scotland of its obesity problem
> through a combination of healthy eating and regular
> exercise.
>
> People are encouraged to eat five portions of fruit
> and vegetables each day and improve activity levels as
> part of their daily life, such as by walking up stairs
> instead of taking the lift.
>
> A Scottish Executive spokeswoman today defended the
> Executiveâ?Ts record on obesity, but acknowledged that
> changing peopleâ?Ts attitudes was an uphill battle.
>
> She said: "Campaigns do work. Many people used to
> think that drink driving and domestic abuse were
> acceptable.
>
> "There is nothing puny about being fit and healthy.
> Clearly we need to encourage men to take more
> responsibility for their own health and we are under
> no illusions that changing Scottish attitudes will be
> easy.
>
> "Our Healthy Living Campaign is for the long term, to
> encourage changes in attitudes towards healthy eating
> and healthy lifestyles. This wonâ?Tt happen overnight
> and success will be measured over decades."
>
> A mass of evidence
>
> RECENT statistics from the Scottish Executive revealed
> 43% of men in Scotland were overweight, with a further
> 20% classified as obese.
>
> A simple calculation known as the body mass index
> (BMI) is used to gauge whether a person is overweight.
>
> The BMI is calculated from an individualâ?Ts weight
> and height, and is compared to a standardised chart.
> For example, a BMI score of between 26 and 40 is
> classified as overweight or obese.
>
> The overweight, especially the obese, are at greater
> risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and other health
> problems.
>
> Last week, Scotlandâ?Ts deputy chief medical officer
> Professor Peter Donnelly warned that a combination of
> poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise is the biggest
> threat to life expectancy levels.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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