Wednesday, January 2

BBC Survey Misses the Mark

BBC Ignores Department of Health Advice.

The article on the BBC website today quite rightly points out obesity is on the rise across the world. BMI graphs from many countries has led the BBC to bend the question of obesity, leading with junk food as the cause. Some people see through the simplistic view in the BBC's fully moderated forum.

The BBC decides to take marketing research to promote an article that contains no story at all. It is a pity the publicly funded BBC does not spend these public monies on programming. Public money has already been spent on research that goes deeper into the issues. The advice from the Department of Health says calorific food intake has not increased in 30 years.

The expert health website goes on to say

Although the rise in obesity cannot be attributed to any single factor, it is the imbalance between energy in (through the food choices we make) and energy out (mainly through physical activity), which is the root cause.

Advancement in technology has given us all the excuse to get our entertainment without putting in physical effort. The freely available statistics from the USA show youth obesity follows video game play. Game time certainly eats into time previously spent outside being active, because it is more enjoyable, convenient and less effort.

So what has risen over the last 30 years? Obesity? - yes, eating more? - no, video game entertainment? - yes. Look at the evidence and do the math.

Despite been very disappointed by the BBC for missing an opportunity with the article, I am at least encouraged to see fitness technology showing the way forwards. Seeing Gamercize help show people that exercise can be fun is a real bonus. That is just the start, a more active outlook gives the motivation and ability to take up many more healthy past times.

Why the BBC cannot report on positive aspects of obesity is not surprising, bad news is more popular. Why the BBC cannot report bad news without sensationalist bias is very surprising.




1 comment:

gamercize @ said...

Fixed! The BBC has had time to think about it, get a decent health reporter on the case, do some research and publish a balanced article that makes a lot more sense.