Fat is a PC issue
From Annabel Gill Sir: Tania Kindersley's rough, tough and objective article CA job for nanny', 6 July) was a joy to read. As she points out, obesity is a self-inflicted injury costing the NHS millions every year. As a nurse with 35 years of hard labour in the NHS, I would like to add that the money isn't all spent on drugs and doctors, but mainly on vast quantities of expensive special beds, chairs and heavy lifting equipment. A decree has come down from the Department of Health that on no account should any patient be described as obese as this is akin to racial abuse. The new PC term is apparently ebariatric, which classical scholars (rare in my department) will recognise as Greek for heavy. It's certainly all Greek to us.
Annabel Gill
Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Previous page
