14 DAY TRIAL // The “obesity epidemic” that is now sweeping over the world has long been acknowledged as a serious problem that must be dealt with before it spirals out of control. With all that and despite all sorts of active measures, positive results fail to appear – quite on the contrary, things are only getting worse. In the UK alone, figures show that more and more people demand each year to be put on incapacity benefit because their weight does not allow them to work, the Daily Mail informs, based on numbers made public by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Right now, 2,130 people are asking for incapacity benefit as a direct result of obesity, the publication informs, according to the figures made public yesterday. Most of them will even get the benefit if they pass the Personal Capability Assessment test, which is meant to determine whether they are physically able to work a day full-time job.
Adding to that the fact that, in 2007-2008, 5,018 individuals ended up in British hospitals because their health was seriously endangered by their weight, the conclusion seems to be that the obesity epidemic is getting out of control, the British media is saying.
With the Government not really doing anything to prevent obesity but only to adapt to it (like paying for enforced medical equipment and for treatments for issues derived from being overweight), taxpayers are now pushed into making their “contribution” as well, by spending money to the benefit of the obese, it is being pointed out. Consequently, several media outlets have taken to asking for concrete measures to stop the epidemic from spreading even further.
“Labour has neglected the ticking obesity timebomb we are facing, and now we are seeing the detrimental effects on our economy. We urgently need action now, but unfortunately this Government’s record has been one of obesity targets missed and scrapped, budgets for information campaigns being raided, and dithering over food labeling. They’ve missed the opportunities they’ve had to make a real difference, and now hard-working taxpayers are paying the consequences.” Tory Work and Pensions spokesman James Clappison stresses for the Daily Mail.
At the same time, the Department for Work and Pensions is defending itself in telling that being overweight or obese does not necessarily guarantee an incapacity benefit, although that has proven to be the case many times so far. “Being obese does not mean that someone is considered incapable of work. Obesity on its own will not mean that someone can qualify for IB. The new Personal Capability Assessment now focuses specifically on the work that someone can do, not just their eligibility for benefits. We are determined that people who can work are given the help and support they need to help get back into the labor market.” a spokesperson for the Department explains in a recent press statement.