James Cracknell is a British athlete and two-time gold medal Olympian. But now he has his sights set on politics. His pet issue? Tackling obesity. But wait until you hear what he believes are model countries for battling the obesity epidemic.
Spit take warning: You may want to slowly put any hot beverages like your coffee or tea down before you watch this video.
Yes, you heard that right. Cracknell told Sky News this morning that he believes Cuba and North Korea are shining examples of countries that have tackled the obesity problem.
“If you think of the two countries in the world who’ve got a handle on obesity, what do you think they are, which two countries?” Cracknell asked a Sky News presenter.
“I’m stumped there, I don’t know,” the presenter said.
“North Korea and Cuba,” Cracknell said proudly.
The presenters all take a moment to wait for the punchline or something and then kind of politely agree before realizing that he’s serious. Cracknell insists that these dictatorial regimes influence “behavioral change.”
“Yeah, but people are starving in North Korea, aren’t they. They’re not obese because they haven’t got any food,” another presenter chimes in, trying to inject some sanity into the conversation.
“Exactly,” Cracknell says, responding with what should have been the end of it before continuing on. “Well, there’s sanctions and everything else, but, well, the example is that it’s behavioral change.”
Yes, behavioral change. Like in the case of North Korea, where money is being pumped into a standing army of 1 million troops and developing nuclear weapons instead of providing food for its people. Behavioral change like that.