The papers are full of stories about the Scottish government’s proposals to tackle Scotland’s obesity problem. Whichever way you look at it, there is a problem and it is set to get much worse. The government’s proposals to deal with the problem are laid out here and many of them, such as working with schools to encourage healthy behaviour, look spot on.
What seems much less sensible, never mind practical, is the threat of state intervention in restaurant menus. There is a move to try and standardise portion size across the catering trade. How that can be enforced is a mystery. Do you determine portion size by weight, volume, calorific content, the amount of fibre or vitamins a dish contains? Will restaurateurs be asked to police these ideas? Can you imagine a restaurant manager having to go up to a table and say, ‘I’m sorry sir but that side order of mash isn’t allowed. You have had your quota of carbs for today?’
What do you think? Should the state decide what is on our restaurant menus or can you make your own decisions about what you want to eat?