UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson posted a video on his official Twitter account and stated that he was too overweight when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was admitted to intensive care earlier this year.
Johnson's battle with obesity
Johnson said in the clip that he posted on Twitter on July 20 that he always wanted to lose weight for years. He also said that like many people, he is also struggling with his current weight. According to Johnson, he had a change of lifestyle after the recovered from the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister goes jogging every morning and he brings his dog Dilyn along. He also talked about the benefits of shedding a few pounds and how it can help the NHS or the National Health Service.
The video of the Prime Minister has been released together with the launch of the UK government's strategy to lower the obesity rates in the country.
According to the records released by the government, around 63% of adults in the UK are above what is considered a healthy weight, and half of those in the percentage are considered obese.
Another data released by the UK government showed that alarmingly, 1 in 5 children, ages 10 to 11, are already considered as overweight or obese.
The data also indicates that children who are living in low-income households have a higher chance of being obese.
On July 20, the government policy paper was released and makes it a point of linking the risk of being overweight during the pandemic.
In the last few months, the government has seen that being overweight or living with obesity puts a person at risk of dying from COVID-19, as the excess fat tissue on vital organs like the lungs, heart, and liver makes it difficult to treat the patient.
The UK government is hoping that the campaign will encourage those who fall under the category of overweight or obese to lose at least 2.5 kg, stating that losing weight could help save the NHS around £105 million or $135 million in the next 5 years.
The whole campaign comprises of numerous measures, from making the restaurants in the country put calorie numbers on menus so that people can watch what they eat, to banning the promotion and advertisement of unhealthy food in shops, newspapers, and television.
Changing his tune
Johnson said that the government's plan will help those in the UK to lose weight and that the measures are designed so that it won't come off as bossy in any way.
However, the Prime Minister was opposed to the exact same plan proposed by the previous government to help the UK to fight against obesity.
In 2007, Johnson wrote in a column in Telegraph UK that the plan of the government to add calorie numbers on menus and wine bottles was "loony." Johnson also wrote that the "bullying" plan could lead to a legal challenge.
In 2004, Johnson also wrote in a column in Telegraph UK about the plan of the government to ban smoking in public and to have designated smoking areas. He stated that the previous government is comprised of people who are "dogooders" and who just want to stop the public from doing things that they do not like.
