Healthier options?

摘要

What are the Government's expectations of local government in public health? Is there still a role for councils to intervene for the common good in the public health arena, as they did in the 19th and 20th centuries when taking the lead in sanitation, waste disposal and providing social housing? The Public Health White Paper offers mixed messages. It is tempting to attribute this to the conflicting influences of Numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street. The White Paper's title, Choosing Health, suggests that leading a 'healthy lifestyle' is a matter of personal preference, and of 'taking responsibility'. By this doctrine, health should therefore be 'marketed' as a commodity like soap powder.