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Make all staff exercise for an hour, says top health adviser
By Georgina Littlejohn, Evening Standard Last updated at 13:05pm on 23.10.07
Choices: Professor Julian Le Grand
A radical plan to improve the nation's health - including a workplace "exercise hour" - has been unveiled by a leading Government adviser.
New figures today show England is the fattest country in the EU. Now Professor Julian Le Grand, chairman of Health England, hopes to encourage people to improve their diets, give up smoking and exercise more.
He proposed the introduction of a smoking permit, which smokers would be required to show each time they bought tobacco. It is then their choice to go smoke free and not buy a permit.
Companies with more than 500 staff would have an " exercise hour". Employees would have to deliberately choose not to join in. The proposalsare the opposite of the Government's approach which requires people to opt in to healthy lifestyles. Instead it would be up to them to make the unhealthy choice.
In his speech to the Royal Statistical Society last night the professor, a former aide to Tony
Blair said: "It is not like banning something, it's a softer form of paternalism."
Reader views (14)
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War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.
- Mike Glaser, Cincinnati, OH USA
Assuming that the above is a true account of what was said and is not some mischief making...
Is this groundhog Britain? I keep on waking up on 1 April.
A few key ingredients are missing:
We will require a Company song as well-perhaps an X factor type competition will sort this out. How about if we all wore exactly the same style of clothes with the same matching ties and neckscarves and had the same haircuts! When we arrive at work, each staff member will stand out side their managers office and greet them in unison.
What next-a permit to buy chocolate or a fizzy drink? Another tax.
I cannot believe that a professor has come up with such a ridiculous suggestion-clearly no concept of how society works. I am surprised he was not laughed off stage. You can just picture all those financial workers in the City taking time from trading, etc to do their one hour exercise.
Please start treating us with intelligence and not like some little kid that has to have a nanny for everything that we do.
- Roy, Hants
I think it's a great idea. I would love to do sports and get healthy, but I never have time, I'm stuck at my desk all day. An hour of sports a day? Count me in!
- Ali, London
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