A writer in the British Medical Journal has called upon the manufacturers of extra large sized clothing to add an obesity help line telephone number on the inside labeling of the clothes so that the wearers can get help. The report that was written by some nutritionists and health professionals felt that by placing phone number on large sized clothing they would highlight the problem that the obese or overweight person had and encourage them to take stock of their situation and get proper medical help. The recommendations say that the telephone help line number should be placed on all clothing for women of size 16 and over and also on men’s clothing that shows a waist measurement of 100 centimetres or above.

The idea is that provided that they do not cut off the labels of the clothing they will be confronted with their weight problem every time they put on and take off their clothing and see the label. Overweight people all over the UK who say that the recommendations are insensitive and stupid have greeted the report with ridicule and anger. They say that obese people do not need reminding of their problems and that help is easily at hand for those that want it. They said that this labeling of overweight people could be just the beginning of a slippery slope where obese people are discriminated against and labeled as different. Others said that obese people should not be treated as children and that clothing manufacturers had no right to tell them how to live.

The problem of obesity is however being felt by manufacturers all over Europe and America who are having to make bigger clothing to accommodate the growing number of over weight people. At present many different ideas are being touted in the media as ways to get people to become thin and the weight loss industry in the UK is growing fast. The issue of weight loss and obesity gets people very worked up much more so that most medical conditions. Many feel that overweight people are lazy and eat too much and others argue that obesity should be treated like any illness.