Background makes no difference to weight

I CANNOT believe that Tory MP Anna Soubry could be so judgemental in her remarks that she can tell a person's class by their weight.

Has she, like our MP Jessica Lee, needed to hand out food parcels to her constituents and, if she has, did she quip 'you're too fat to receive this-come back when you've lost some weight'?

It makes no difference to your weight whatever your background.

She should be putting her full weight – along with Tory colleagues, including Eric Pickles – behind measures to ensure that the working poor can afford to feed themselves.

They should be steering us away from this Victorian Workhouse mentality of: "Please sir, can we have some more?"

The fat cats' bank balances get bigger, while the masses should just be grateful?

COUNCILLOR LOUIS BOOTH-SHADOW

Erewash Borough Council

KATHERINE Taylor (Post, January 26) lambasted Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry for her comments on obese poor people and the ability to pick them out from the well off in our society.

Anna Soubry does, in fact, have a point – it is quite plain to see when out shopping and walking down the High Street.

Many people can be seen with pasties and sausage rolls, with high contents of animal fat along with other artificial content that is harmful to our metabolism and diets.

There are those in our society who, for no fault of their own, are overweight – maybe for reasons of the life saving medication they have to take on a daily basis.

There are those who, like me, enjoy their food but not to excess.

Then there are those who eat for the sake of eating and have no concern for their own health – you do not have to be poor and on benefits to be fat.

I – like Katherine and many more people – could do with losing a few pounds or so.

We could take a step back in time and change the curriculum in our education system and once again include Domestic Science – and not just for the girls.

Over the years we have fallen into the supermarkets' trap of buying the majority of our food in pre-packed and pre-prepared form.

If our children were educated that cooking is very interesting and creative – and might just taste better when it is not so bulked up with fats, preservers, salts, sugars and other man-made content – and then throw in some physical education, we might just be on the right road to a fitter and a slimmer population.

I have to agree to some extent with MP Anna Soubry's analysis and her assessment of the poor.

Obesity is a growing problem in society in general and unless people are educated then it will not diminish.

Don't forget it takes courage to speak out on issues that affect a small minority of our population who need to be helped out of their situation.

Eat less, exercise more and eat better basic food.

Would Katherine agree with this?

KENNETH BURTON

Redland Close

Chilwell

I FEEL very sad to hear the big Co-Op in Ilkeston is closing.

It was once a thriving and busy town and a pleasure to visit.

There was a market twice a week and shops of every description.

There was also plenty of work for people – especially women and girls – in the big factories and industries.

I didn't live there but I know the place very well.

My family live there and the people are the salt of the earth – always a cheerio, ayup and a welcome smile.

Now nearly all the pubs are gone and the bottom part of Bath Street is a ghost town.

Once a thriving area of shops of every description it now all boarded up.

Not everyone can travel to these outlets out of town.

It's all very sad – no jobs, no industries, no proper way of life for people who need to work.

Whoever would have thought that once prosperous England would go back in time to the desolation of our way of life today.

We need another Jarrow March to London ... not that it would wake up this Government we have in 2013.

MRS KATH PRICE

Plungar Close

Beechdale Estate

Nottingham

AS well as benefiting the East Midlands, a high-speed rail link from London to he north will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in deprived regions, like parts of Lancashire.

Opposition to the railway is mostly confined to a few people living in affluent villages between Aylesbury and Coventry, who want to continue enjoying a free view of someone else's farmland from their back gardens.

This attitude is selfish and disgusting – just like the objection to the Nottingham tram extensions.

And the anti-HS2 campaign is heading for the same political scrapheap.

Nearly all MPs, regardless of party, strongly support HS2.

That consensus shows the project is on the right track.

GEOFFREY BENNETT

Ruddington Lane

Wilford

It's as tough as old harry! (the devil)

I can see you chiking! (peeping)

Hutch up (move up)

Too slow to carry hats (at a funeral)

Gerrit down (Eat your dinner)

Go down the twitchell (passage way)

Bobbo/gee-gee (horse)

Ten to nine (mail train)

Get on the trolley (go to town on the trolley bus)

Alan Broadhurst

by e-mail