Label This!

This is an old clip that I found on YouTube. It may not be breaking news today, but the topic is still relative. In December of 2006 Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, recommended that all plus size British clothing come with a label and a help line number to warn the customer of the health risks that accompany being plus sized.

"The suggestion would be to put the label on all clothes with waist sizes over 37 inches for boys or 31 inches for girls. Women's clothes over size 16 would also get a label." (FoxReno)

In addition to being totally ludicrous, this professor has a serious issue with being anything but a size 2! As size 16 in Britain is equivalent to an American size 12. That's not even plus size here! In general a size 8/10 in America has a waist that measures 30/32 inches. So, in actuality, if Sattar had his way, everyone wearing a size 10 and above would be labeled as plus sized and be supplied with a plus size help line phone number every time they went clothing shopping.

He goes on to say that "Britain's fat problem is so acute that it could even bankrupt the health system if nothing is done."(mail online) Sattar's suggestions also include: No ads promoting snacks or sugary foods before 9 pm - what is the "adult entertainment"?? - higher tax on high fat and high sugar foods, and no additional urban highways being built unless they have safe bike lanes. Can we say granola much?

So are Naveed Sattar's suggestions insulting or just plain humorous? It's hard to tell, should you laugh or be outraged? I'm not sure how seriously a skinny bike ridding, tree hugging teacher living across the pond deserves my anger. Maybe there should be a label on all of the health food out there warning "May lack taste, please contact Little Debbie if problem persists"

What do you think?