WHAT with all the negativity against introducing fluoride into our water I am surprised no one has mentioned the effects it may have on weight gain, especially given the recent Daily Echo headlines of ‘Fat-hampton and Obese-leigh.

Fluoride prevents your body from absorbing iodine, which you need for good thyroid health. If thyroid is sluggish, your metabolism will be too and you will gain weight.

The largest study ever conducted on fluoridation and oral health. 39,000 school children in 84 areas around the US showed no statistical difference in tooth decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated cities.

In tests on laboratory animals, fluoride has been shown to enhance the brains absorption of aluminium - the substance that’s found in the brains of most Alzheimer’s patients And excessive fluoride has been shown to damage the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, leading to limited joint mobility, ligament calcification, muscular degeneration and neurological deficits.

So there you have it: Fluoride is not something our body needs. No one has a fluoride deficiency. Health treatments should be a personal choice and not mandated by local authorities and the governme.

D. Alexander, Southampton.