June 22, 2015

 

Today, it's been reported on almost all news sites across the UK that the fattest man in Britain died in his home over the weekend. According to The Telegraph, emergency services were called in at about 10.30 am on Saturday after Carl Thompson was found dead.

 

At the time of death, Thompson weighed more than 65 stone which is an equivalent of a whopping 412 kilograms.

 

One month prior to his death, Mr Thompson had made a national appeal calling on dieticians and psychiatrists to help him lose some of his weight. He stated: "I don't want a gastric band, they're dangerous. I'd like the help of a dietician and a psychiatrist to help shift the weight. I will go anywhere which will help me lose weight. It's taken over my life. I can't move and it’s time for that to end."

 

Mr Thompson had reportedly consumed about 10000 calories of food a day. His daily food intake included whole loaves of bread and large quantities of takeouts such as pizza and chips.

 

In an interview before his death, Mr Thompson attributed his eating disorder to the grief he suffered after the death of his mother in 2012.

 

Following Thompson's death, a number of reactions on the obesity pandemic have made their way to the media.

 

In an article on the Food Manufacture website, a business strategist has suggested that fat people should pay more for the care they receive from the NHS.

 

Mr Eric Hilton, vice president of Business strategy at a nutraceuticals firm, Park Acre, was quoted: "They become obese because they think it's ok; they've got the NHS as a solution. But that needs to change."

 

He added: "If you're healthier, then you're working longer and more likely to pay into the system longer than if you had a disease and had to rely on the NHS."

 

In an interview with Brighton Foodstyle, Sussex University's Professor Erik Millstone said that the policies to address the problem of obesity have worsened since the elections that brought in the coalition government in 2010.

 

Professor Millstone, an expert in Obesity Prevention Policies, said: "Prior to 2010, the Food Standard Agency with strong support from Prime Minister, Gordon Brown favoured compulsory "traffic light labelling" on packs of food."

 

"The coalition government, on the other hand, went for voluntary agreements instead of regular pre-action."

 

In another perspective, the British Medical Association, has also suggested that taxes be placed on sugary drinks as part of ways of tackling obesity.

 

For more on the debate about sugary drinks, click here

 

Tags: obesity    UK    fat    debate