The Sick Man of Europe

As part of our press brief, our tutors have asked us to contribute 3 images on the theme above. With their prediliction for deep-fried pizza, cheap cigarettes and alcoholism, Scots have long been known for having an apalling attitude to the healthy lifestyle. There are more Greggs per capita in Glasgow than anywhere else in the UK (probably). On the small street of shops near my house you can find an off-license, 2 newsagents, a greasy spoon and several 'Turko-Scottish' eateries (kebabs, chips, pies, curry sauce). Rank.
So, there was no shortage of material for this project. My first attempts were shot in Bridgeton, my old 'hood in the East End. I think everyone I saw had grey skin and few teeth. Seriously, I was appalled that such an area could exist in a city in Scotland. So many shops were shut down, grotty little fast food places with hand-written signs on neon card did a roaring lunchtime trade. The pub (draped in Union Jacks and Red Hand's of Ulster) was packed at 10.30am. Heart-disease and early death seemed to be on the cards for pretty much everyone I came across. My idea was to take photos of the 'dealers' - kebab shops, the Liquour Barn (real name) off-license and then contrast this with slides showing the effects of heart disease, alcoholism etc. But these 'dealers' were run down and horrible, in a horrible and run down area. Their customers shopped there because it was what they had always done and in the local area there were no other choices. What about the centre of Glasgow? Surely it would be easier to find an alternative? The answer is that yes, of course you can find a healthy option if you know where to look and have the money. But the fast-food industry and breweries don't want that, they want to bombard you with ads for cheap food and drink, get it down you while you can, happy hour is over soon, why would you by a salad for 3 quid when you can get a burger for 99p? It was depressingly easy to find examples of adverts extolling price over quality. A Pizza Hut buffet costs less than a fiver, and you can stuff your face as much as you like (depressingly, for your fiver you are probably only getting about 40p worth of food.) Hey look! You're hungry! We're right here! Do you want to get drunk? Do it as quickly and cheaply as possible! Who needs restraint when you can get bladdered and fed and still have change from a tenner? This is the attitude that the healthy-eating lobby have to deal with and it is not helped by the food and drinks industry.