It appears the powers that be must have run out of paper to push around their desks at the Ministry of Health this week, with the latest dictat to doctors (like they’ve nothing else to concern themselves with) that they should not use the word obese when writing letters to parents telling them that their child is er...um... obese.

Apparently, by saying their child is "very overweight" will not alienate parents and inform them in a clear and non-stigmatising way which doesn’t point the finger of blame at anyone.

Of course, this latest exercise in euphemisms by our caring, sharing government has its critics who have dismissed the whole thing as being prissy and namby-pamby and we should "tell it like it is and not skirt around the issues".

Ironically, when it comes to people who are at the peak of fitness and health, the government’s softly, softly approach goes out of the window.

Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe, who is no doubt, having an exhausting and torrid time in Macau at the Great Britain Olympic training camp, has demanded 41 medals with at least 10 golds from the Beijing Olympic Games, "taking into consideration the investment which has been put in".

And if the veiled threat is lost on our athletes, he wades in by saying there could be "financial implications" if Team GB fail to reach or exceed that target.

So, Mr Sutcliffe cannot be accused of namby-pambying around that’s for sure. But, does he honestly think that our athletes, who have spent most of their lives slogging through painful training regimes, sticking to strict diets and working to physical extremes beyond most of our comprehensions, to finally realise their dream of appearing at the Olympic Games will put their feet up?

Unlike our Minister for Sport, they’ll be spending their time in Beijing keeping in shape, avoiding injuries and doing their best to conquer their nerves as they prepare to compete on the biggest stage in the world.

Just because our fit and healthy sportsmen and women rely on a huge amount of funding from the government, it doesn’t give its ministers the right to bully them at such an important moment in their careers. Mr Sutcliffe could do with a few lessons in mental toughness from the very people he’s waving a big stick at as he, obviously, is beginning to get a little nervous over his job prospects should our athletes fail to come up with the goods.

Perhaps the straight-talking MP would be better employed for all of our sakes as minister for health as he insists on telling it like it is. Then everyone would know exactly where they stand.