UK Health Official: Betting Shops are Making You Fat

This week a UK health official voiced her opinion that betting shops are the chief cause of the country's obesity epidemic, as the shops leave punters without money and thus unable to afford to purchase healthy food.

Rachel Flowers, the director of public health in London made the shocking claim, which comes as nearly 30% of the country's population is obese, and less than half are at a healthy body weight. No proof of her claim has been given, which may be a bit hypocritical as the health profession often relies on scientific proof to make decisions for patient care.

Betting shops and fixed odds betting terminals have been controversial in the UK, as gambling opponents have criticized them as being predatory and the "crack cocaine" of the gambling industry as detractors claim they are addictive.