Tobacco can show us the way to tackle our obesity disaster

Those who need to lose weight are not encouraged to by GPs

The public are confused. One in four adults in the UK is obese and the problems caused by a poor diet lead to diabetes, heart disease and many cancers too. Yes, we eat too many calories, too much saturated fat, sugar and salt and too little fibre. Yet we are not receiving clear advice about what to do — witness the latest debate that pitches fat against sugar, when it’s blindingly obvious (and science tells us) that both are risks to health.

If we are going to change eating habits, we have to wake up to the need for serious action and advice.

Most people know vegetables are good and sweets are bad, but this doesn’t mean that we necessarily change our behaviour. We may