Shoppers in the plus-sized section of United Kingdom department stores may find an extra tag on their clothing, if a team of experts writing in the British Medical Journal have their way. The tags -- which would have a weight loss helpline number printed on them -- would be placed in all clothing with a waist size larger than 40 inches for men, and in anything size 16 or above for women. I think this idea is absurd, as well as demoralizing and insulting to the intelligence of overweight shoppers.

However, the group did manage to come up with more reasonable ideas to help reverse the ever increasing trend of obesity in their country. Marketed mainly to children, and placed directly at their eye level, the group would like to see candy bars and sugary snacks removed from grocery store aisles and checkout lanes. Health screenings for children leaving primary and secondary schools, as well as only allowing new urban roads if they had adjacent bicycle lanes, also topped the list.

Believing that just advising people to exercise and eat right will not do enough to reverse the obesity epidemic, the group's aim was to give "help, advice, and sympathy" to those struggling with obesity. I think their hearts and minds were in the right place. But I still can't get past printing a help line number on plus-sized clothing. Shopping is hard enough, without your clothing telling you that you need help!

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