Boris Johnson has branded the nation’s children as ‘fatsos’ amidst the obesity crisis gripping Britain, reports suggest. Reflecting on his own school days, the 60-year-old former Prime Minister said it was a rarity to see an overweight child in class, but now people are ‘gorging themselves’.
He cast blame on the Church of England, Most Revd Justin Welby and other religious leaders for this, suggesting that people’s ‘spiritual needs’ are not being met. “Now [children are] all fatsos, and I’d be shot for saying they’re fatsos, but that’s the truth,” Johnson said, according to The Times.
Later, he added: “You talk about living bread of spiritual sustenance – well, it’s not being provided by the blooming church, I can tell you that much. The living bread is being provided by Tesco and they’re gorging themselves on the real living bread, that’s what they’re doing.”
The term ‘obese’ typically refers to individuals who are significantly overweight with a body mass index (BMI) over 30. Currently, the NHS estimates that one in four adults in the UK are obese, along with one in five children.
Deemed a ‘serious health concern’, obesity can also worsen your risk of experiencing other problems, including cancer, heart disease, type two diabetes and strokes. “Obesity is a complex issue with many causes,” the health body explains.
“Obesity and overweight is caused when extra calories, particularly those from foods high in fat and sugar, are stored in the body as fat. Obesity is an increasingly common problem because the environment we live in makes it difficult for many people to eat healthily and do enough physical activity.”
It’s understood that Johnson’s remarks came as part of his contribution to a report by health expert Dolly Van Tulleken and co-founder of Leon, Henry Dimbleby. He was reportedly joined by three other ex-PMs and ten former health secretaries who shared the view that insufficient action has been taken to combat current obesity trends.
However, Johnson’s comments have now triggered a wave of criticism online, with numerous X users swiftly condemning his comments as unkind. One person wrote: “Boris Johnson isn’t very nice, is he? #fatso,” as someone else added: “‘Fatso’ Boris Johnson said what ?”
Meanwhile, another remarked: “Definitely the most eccentric thing I’ve read this week.”