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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/global/2017/sep/09/obesity-brexit-prison-suicides-natural-disasters-slow-radio
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Obesity costs lives – we have to alert people to the dangers | Obesity costs lives – we have to alert people to the dangers |
| (25 days later) | |
| Sonia Sodha decries medical professionals’ “special sort of cruelty” in rationing treatments for the overweight (“Must we really be a nation of fat-shamers?”, Comment). However, obesity and physical inactivity in 2017 pose the highest noncommunicable risks to health. | Sonia Sodha decries medical professionals’ “special sort of cruelty” in rationing treatments for the overweight (“Must we really be a nation of fat-shamers?”, Comment). However, obesity and physical inactivity in 2017 pose the highest noncommunicable risks to health. |
| While it might seem unkind to prescribe weight loss before a hip or knee operation, this can in itself reduce the burden on a joint. The surgical and anaesthetic risk is significantly higher for an obese person, let alone the exponentially rising cost of obesity-related disease in the UK. | While it might seem unkind to prescribe weight loss before a hip or knee operation, this can in itself reduce the burden on a joint. The surgical and anaesthetic risk is significantly higher for an obese person, let alone the exponentially rising cost of obesity-related disease in the UK. |
| A very small proportion of obesity is due to medical factors and while these are important to identify, over-medicalising lifestyle as pathology should be avoided. Fat stigma must be avoided, but medical professionals can have an important role in educating and engendering behaviour change in patients | A very small proportion of obesity is due to medical factors and while these are important to identify, over-medicalising lifestyle as pathology should be avoided. Fat stigma must be avoided, but medical professionals can have an important role in educating and engendering behaviour change in patients |
| Dr Julie RobinsonSheffield | Dr Julie RobinsonSheffield |
| Brexit rerun a democratic right | Brexit rerun a democratic right |
| The democratic legitimacy of a second referendum on Brexit need not depend on what Nigel Farage said before the first one (“Why Britain’s voters must have a second referendum on Brexit”, Commentt) or interpretations of the recent election results (Letters) but, rather, on the important principle of precedence. | The democratic legitimacy of a second referendum on Brexit need not depend on what Nigel Farage said before the first one (“Why Britain’s voters must have a second referendum on Brexit”, Commentt) or interpretations of the recent election results (Letters) but, rather, on the important principle of precedence. |
| The Conservatives were elected in May 2015 on a clear manifesto commitment: “… we will negotiate a new settlement for Britain in Europe and then ask the British people whether they want to stay in the EU on this reformed basis or leave.” Surely democratic precedence demands that the British people should be asked if they want to leave the EU on this reformed basis or stay? We know that the Conservatives will not offer a second referendum because it would split the party, but isn’t a call for a second referendum something that could unite Labour?Emeritus professor Keith BarnhamFrome, Somerset | The Conservatives were elected in May 2015 on a clear manifesto commitment: “… we will negotiate a new settlement for Britain in Europe and then ask the British people whether they want to stay in the EU on this reformed basis or leave.” Surely democratic precedence demands that the British people should be asked if they want to leave the EU on this reformed basis or stay? We know that the Conservatives will not offer a second referendum because it would split the party, but isn’t a call for a second referendum something that could unite Labour?Emeritus professor Keith BarnhamFrome, Somerset |
| Prison suicides are avoidable | Prison suicides are avoidable |
| On World Suicide Prevention Day, we are calling on the government to take urgent action to prevent the loss of life among people in prison, where last year more than 100 people took their lives. | On World Suicide Prevention Day, we are calling on the government to take urgent action to prevent the loss of life among people in prison, where last year more than 100 people took their lives. |
| Research by the Centre for Mental Health and the Howard League for Penal Reform shows that preventing this loss of life requires major changes to the way prisons work. So many prisoners have poor mental health and are at risk of suicide and serious self-harm that we need to make systemic changes to save lives and make prisons places of rehabilitation. | Research by the Centre for Mental Health and the Howard League for Penal Reform shows that preventing this loss of life requires major changes to the way prisons work. So many prisoners have poor mental health and are at risk of suicide and serious self-harm that we need to make systemic changes to save lives and make prisons places of rehabilitation. |
| The prison system must be built around the understanding that nine out of 10 prisoners have at least one mental health difficulty and many have been through traumatic events in their lives. | The prison system must be built around the understanding that nine out of 10 prisoners have at least one mental health difficulty and many have been through traumatic events in their lives. |
| Prison staff need effective training in working with people who have experienced trauma. They also need support for their own wellbeing in such a stressful environment.Sarah HughesChief executive, Centre for Mental HealthFrances CrookChief executive, Howard League for Penal Reform | Prison staff need effective training in working with people who have experienced trauma. They also need support for their own wellbeing in such a stressful environment.Sarah HughesChief executive, Centre for Mental HealthFrances CrookChief executive, Howard League for Penal Reform |
| Disaster research can help | Disaster research can help |
| Peter Preston may like to know that it could have been images taken from his helicopter in 1970 that became an influence, albeit a negative one, for the formation of the first disaster research unit in the UK (“Death doesn’t get a look-in against Disaster Barbie”, Business). | Peter Preston may like to know that it could have been images taken from his helicopter in 1970 that became an influence, albeit a negative one, for the formation of the first disaster research unit in the UK (“Death doesn’t get a look-in against Disaster Barbie”, Business). |
| Personal despair of desperate people in floodwaters crying out for help from helicopters when all helicopters could do was to take photographs! The Bradford University Disaster Research Unit was funded by the Leverhulme Trust and established in 1973; its members ever since having continued to influence disaster reduction and research. There are now more than 40 UK disaster research programmes. | Personal despair of desperate people in floodwaters crying out for help from helicopters when all helicopters could do was to take photographs! The Bradford University Disaster Research Unit was funded by the Leverhulme Trust and established in 1973; its members ever since having continued to influence disaster reduction and research. There are now more than 40 UK disaster research programmes. |
| Hazards may be natural but the disasters they cause largely result from activities of humankind. John Vidal’s report (“From Houston to Mumbai to Sierra Leone, the flood waters have surged…”, In Focus) gives rare media acknowledgement of an issue on which UK research commenced almost half a century ago and which is continuing. | Hazards may be natural but the disasters they cause largely result from activities of humankind. John Vidal’s report (“From Houston to Mumbai to Sierra Leone, the flood waters have surged…”, In Focus) gives rare media acknowledgement of an issue on which UK research commenced almost half a century ago and which is continuing. |
| Why does it take so long for appropriate action to follow?James Lewis Co-founder of the University of Bradford Disaster Research Unit | Why does it take so long for appropriate action to follow?James Lewis Co-founder of the University of Bradford Disaster Research Unit |
| Not all baby boomers are bad | Not all baby boomers are bad |
| I note, yet again, your economics correspondent has inflicted another dose of collective punishment on us baby boomers for the financial woes visited upon the young (“Look under the bonnet and the US economy is in for a rough ride”, Business). Some of us oldies with adult offspring are all too aware of the financial burdens that have been disgracefully heaped upon the young and consistently vote for parties that would radically rebalance the financial and social inequalities.Richard EllerkerHuntingdon, Cambridgeshire | I note, yet again, your economics correspondent has inflicted another dose of collective punishment on us baby boomers for the financial woes visited upon the young (“Look under the bonnet and the US economy is in for a rough ride”, Business). Some of us oldies with adult offspring are all too aware of the financial burdens that have been disgracefully heaped upon the young and consistently vote for parties that would radically rebalance the financial and social inequalities.Richard EllerkerHuntingdon, Cambridgeshire |
| Hooking the listeners | Hooking the listeners |
| If the BBC wants slow radio on the cheap (“Slow radio is a silly idea”, Comment), then how about a fishing commentary? Nothing much will happen and it will save licence-payers a fortune!Keith WyattSouth Stainley, North Yorkshire | If the BBC wants slow radio on the cheap (“Slow radio is a silly idea”, Comment), then how about a fishing commentary? Nothing much will happen and it will save licence-payers a fortune!Keith WyattSouth Stainley, North Yorkshire |