A recent parliamentary report blames the government and the food industry for the growth in obesity. The Department of Transport is blamed for not doing enough to 1 facilities for pedestrians and cyclists while submitting to pressure from motoring organizations representing car users. The Ministry of Education is accused of selling off school playing fields and not doing enough to 2 adequate facilities for physical education and games. Young people in Britain have become crazy about football (soccer and rugby), but too often as 3 “couch potatoes.”The food industry is blamed for promoting junk food to school children and not doing enough to 4 down on sugar, fats and salt in prepared foods. The industry, stung by the current popularity of the Atkins lowcarbohydrate diet, has begun to 5, but it is trying to protect a huge market and will need to do considerably more if it is to 6 off increased regulation. Japan seems less 7 so far by the problem of obesity, but as the Japanese diet becomes increasingly 8 (burgers and doughnuts) the problem will grow. Interestingly, Japanese cuisine has become highly popular in Britain. It is seen as healthy in a different way from the Mediterranean diet 9 its emphasis on tomatoes and olive oil combined with red wine. A fairly small amount of red wine is now accepted as beneficial to the heart, 10 its other encouraging properties. But Britain has to do more to tackle the problems of alcoholism associated with the binge-drinking culture—including violence and vandalism. Limited consumption of alcohol, as long as it is not combined with driving, is harmless and possibly beneficial.