“International obesity expert Dr. Maurice Larocque told a conference in Dublin this weekend that ‘much of the obesity epidemic worldwide has been caused by a more sedentary lifestyle.’ Surprised? Sounding like she took a chapter straight out of CCF’s ‘Small Choices, Big Bodies’ report, Dr. Larocque continued: Food is not the problem. If food was the problem, diets would be the answer. Following a diet without a good behaviour modification programme is pointless and a total waste of time and money. I often say it is like taking aspirin for a toothache, you only get short-term results. The treatment of ‘mental weight’ is the core issue. In light of this revelation, it’s safe to assume that heavy-handed anti-obesity measures that take aim at regulating our diet are way off target.” (03/31/08)