Stop all further research and act

doi:10.1136/bmj.39435.486146.3A

BMJ 2008;336:7 (5 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39435.486146.3A

Letters

Obesity

Stop all further research—and act

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

How many studies into obesity does it take to build one cyclepath for children to get to school on? I believe we have nowreached saturation point as to how many studies and articlesit takes to convince us that we are too fat as a nation.¹ ²What good does it do to advise people that they need to walk/cycle/swimwhen the infrastructure is doing its best to prevent exactlythis?

Given all the suggested health assessments, dietitians’advice, government guidelines, and supermarket labels, thereis something missing: action to force planners, developers,councils, and local authorities to end totally unsustainable,fat making practices. These practices include building roadswithout cycle lanes (or trying to get away with painting a thinwhite line on a 70 mph road and declaring it a cycle path) andputting up a nice little "walk to health" road sign along atraffic jammed . . . [Full text of this article]

Nicole S Lavery, community adviser

¹ Northern Ireland BT45

nicolelavery@hotmail.co.uk