To encourage mothers-to-be to cut out risky health behaviours like drinking alcohol we recently relaunched Start4Life.
The only problem with the argument is that it is entirely gibbering nonsense, unhealthy behaviours reduce costs to health care systems: if we are to accept the initial logic then we should subsidise them, not tax them.
FORBES: Alcohol, Obesity and Smoking Do Not Cost Health Care Systems Money
But the argument we cannot use is that these behaviours increase the costs of health care.
FORBES: Alcohol, Obesity and Smoking Do Not Cost Health Care Systems Money
The team will then work with families and schools to support the child in changing their behaviours and can also identify any other mental health problems e.g. depression or ADHD.
The report said a key aim of government policy should therefore be to encourage people to remain active, engage in regular exercise and refrain from behaviours that could have a detrimental effect on their health, such as binge drinking, smoking and overeating.
Ms Ferguson also stressed that health professionals are often reluctant to talk frankly with expectant mothers about behaviours, such as smoking and having an unhealthy diet, which can put unborn children at risk.
We humans are subject to hyperbolic discounting, not taking full account of long distant future costs for current pleasures, sometimes those running the public health system really do know more than us, there are externalities associated with these behaviours (late night drunks, passive smoking and the visual pollution of someone 300 lbs overweight perhaps).
FORBES: Alcohol, Obesity and Smoking Do Not Cost Health Care Systems Money
Thus those unhealthy behaviours should be taxed more heavily so as to pay for the costs to those health care systems.
FORBES: Alcohol, Obesity and Smoking Do Not Cost Health Care Systems Money
Also giving evidence, Dr Siobhan Jones, from Public Health Wales, said that "they should raise all the risks with mothers and families about some of the lifestyle behaviours".
"The study also reinforces what has been identified by previous research, that stress at work is often associated with unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, lack of exercise and a poor diet - all which can impact on heart health, " said June Davison.
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