But I don’t like Melton Mowbray pies!

Scots all over the world today woke up to the news that ‘we need to be eating like the English“.  First off I must stress that I am in no way, shape or form anti-English, but us Scots are a pretty patriotic lot and like it or not I acknowledge that there still a divide between Scotland and England.  You only have to look to the future and our Scottish Government’s proposals for independence.  It’s a kind of touchy subject.  I question this message’s place and effectiveness in promoting health.

In my past my work background was firmly rooted in health promotion, I am also studying in the areas of public health and social care at the moment but it is my Scottishness that was piqued by this message.

Health promotion messages are powerful things but it’s a fine line. I understand that people may feel that they are being blamed for their poor health.  Many health promotion messages impact on people by making them feel even more isolated and bad about their choices and place the blame on lifestyle instead of evoking the proactive positive change response they intend.  Lets be honest, change can difficult for us all, any change, and for us to initiate change we need to feel empowered to do so. So is the message to Scots to ‘eat like the English’ really the way I to go about it?

Lets be honest though the state of play in Scotland is that death rates from heart disease and cancer are higher than in England.  Diet is an important factor that cannot be ignored if we are to address these scary statistics.  Last year researchers figured that more than 30,000 lives per year could be saved if everyone in the UK stuck to the dietary guidelines on fat, salt, fibre and fruit and veg.  Experts from the Department of Public Health at the University of Oxford have, quite rightly, turned their attention to the difference in eating habits in the UK.

So how will this message be received in Scotland?  Well listening to a debate on Radio Scotland this morning the presenter (unhelpfully) joked that a balanced diet in Scotland is a pie in each hand.  Funny, but not really helpful (although I also have to accept that there is a bit of truth in this).

OK I’m Scottish and I think that there are lots of ‘healthy’ Scottish food out there.  I do eat haggis, neeps and tat ties – and not just on Burns Night.  I love Scotch Broth and oat cakes.  I love to cook and so I know what is going into my pot of Scotch Broth – unlike eating it out a tin which is probably higher in salt content than I would dare (or want to) include in my homemade version.

We all hear the jokes about chip shops making deep-fried Mars Bars in Glasgow – I’ve seen this, it’s not made up, people actually do eat this stuff.

Yep it's true - and comes with chips and an average calorie content of 400++++ !!!!!

I think part of all of this is education, but it really is on part of the solution.  There are a high number of people living on very low incomes.  It’s all fine and well telling them to eat more fruit and veg but if you’re trying to do this on a budget and only have access to a poor selection at a local overpriced shop I can understand why people give up when their kids turn their nose up at the stuff.  It might not be right but it’s real.  How does the message to ‘eat like the English’ help a young mum faced with this type of scenario day in day out?

On the flip side does this send a mixed message to the people in England (who think it’s OK to have chips for lunch and take-away for dinner) that their diet is OK?  Simplistic I know, forgive me, it is not my intention to over simplify what is a complicated situation – however I do believe you kinda have to look at it from this stance too.

This health promotion message is clearly accurate, sadly I just don’t think it’s really helpful. I don’t believe it’s going to dramatically change the eating habits of people in Glasgow East who are living in poverty and have a life expectancy lower than the Gaza Strip (sadly THIS statistic is true).

I know what I need to do to improve my diet – sure my diet is OK but there is always room for improvement, right?.  Importantly I know how to cook smart in order to make meals healthier.  You can make healthier fish and chips for example, you don’t have to stick to the traditional version sold in paper so that it soaks up the grease.

Small steps - healthier fish and chips

So it’s not always about foregoing things you love, it’s just about doing things a wee bit differently.  As I say I know how to cook and arguably I can afford to buy healthier food. Many folks aren’t able to and if no one has taught you to cook smart then the reality is that you don’t.

There is no sweeping solution to this problem and it’s not going to change overnight but as a nation we ignore the impact of inequality at our peril.

Like many Scots I will be interested in our Scottish Government’s response to the instruction for us to ‘Eat Like the English’ – not in terms of how they as a Government feel about this instruction but how they, in their position of some significant power, are going to address the deep rooted social problems that contribute negatively to the health of our nation.

Lest we forget health is a devolved issue in Scotland – so come on Mr Salmond how are you going to help us all to eat more like the English?

So I’ve had my rant, and although this is an issue for Scotland we are all targeted by health promotion messages.  So what do you think – do they work?

Can health promotion campaigns help us change our choices and behaviour?

What’s the best/worst health promotion campaign/message you’ve come across?

I should say I published this blog and was shamed prompted to come back and post these two photographs taken by my husband on our recently holiday.  Healthy eating – NOT

Yes burgers were also involved

Holidays don’t count though – do they?