Britons need busybody governments to keep them healthy, says the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, an influential thinktank, in a new report on public health. It focuses on alcohol, smoking, obesity, infectious disease and fluoridation of water. "People often reject the idea of a 'nanny state'," says Lord Krebs, the chair of the committee. "But the Government has a duty to look after the health of everyone and sometimes that means guiding or restricting our choices." Amongst the Council's recommendations are increased taxes on alcohol and restricted opening hours; changing food labelling to prevent obesity; less "obesogenic" environments; and giving aid to developing countries to monitor infectious disease. Coincidentally, the British Fertility Society has released guidelines which stipulate that obese women should be refused fertility treatment and told to do more exercise.

The recommendations were criticised by Mick Hume, a "libertarian left" columnist for the London Times. He thought it hypocritical to enforce conformity while invoking the patron saint of liberalism, John Stuart Mill. "And who are the vulnerable people that the steward State must protect? More to the point, who aren't they? Those labelled 'vulnerable groups' now include children, women, the elderly, ethnic minorities, disabled people — in short, most people. So, we supposedly live in a society where almost everybody is vulnerable, and millions are harming the health of others. No matter that we are actually living longer and healthier lives than ever before." ~ Nuffield press release; London Times, Nov 16