Damage of measuring success in Gold

Alison Johnstone Green MSP reckons that Glasgow 2014 is our chance to tackle our unwanted label of 3rd fattest nation on earth.  Highlightighting that the NHS spends a fortune on this.

I believe Alison is right, however she is also wrong, because Glasgow Games won’t do this because sport in the UK is measured on Gold Medals.  The fact that the Olympics has had no detectable effect on obesity in this country in my opinion is scandalous, and it has been heralded a success.  I am looking in the mirror when I say this as I was part of the Games working as a Technical Official for the Wrestling.  I too thought, what a success and, more interested in how the games looked to the rest of the world.  However it is not fair on the rest of the country when it spent £8.92 billion on an Olympic games, and the country isn’t healthier as a consequence.  There won’t be any economic benefit from increased productivity from a fitter healthier population, when we need an economic boost.  This needs addressing as we need a stronger economy, and simply to invest in sport and, not get a fitter healthier population is the same as bailing out the banks and, not getting our money back.

We’ll be continuing to invest in sport going into Rio 2016, and funding won’t be allocated to sports that have the biggest impact on the countries health.  The concept that a sport of mass participation should get the funding is a concept that doesn’t exist.  We’ll be instead funding sports that aren’t accessible to the general public, and we’ll continue to have a reputation for excelling in sit-down sports.  We’ll basically be only investing in sports which require expensive equipment, and the Aussie’s will be right to critise us.  I believe the Aussie’s are doing more for us than what we are doing for ourselves.