Homer Simpson to blame for obesity epidemic, says expert

Homer Simpson's weight is sending out a dangerous message to millions of viewers, a prominent weight loss expert has warned.

Steve Miller, the host of Fat Families, has accused the creators of The Simpsons of normalising obesity, and reminded the show's fans: "Being fat is not good."

Miller described the cartoon character as "one of the most iconic faces in the entire world". Homer is "loved by everyone and that's why it's a massive concern," he told the BBC.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

He revealed that he had written to the show's Emmy-award winning creator Matt Groening and asked him to put Homer on a diet. "Homer's indulgent habits make it seem like being fat is okay. [He] needs to put down the doughnuts and pick up an apple."

Widening his targets, Miller also suggested that overweight doctors and teachers should be forced to slim down. "Anyone influential should be sending out the right message and advice," he said.

One in four people in the UK and more than one in three in the US are clinically obese. Obesity related illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer are some of the leading causes of preventable deaths on both side of the Atlantic.