What a waste of time and effort the anti-'couch potato' protest and demonstration was (Oxford Mail, June 21).

I always thought that the term 'couch potato', which originated in America, was applied to the non-active, overweight, feet-up, lager-swilling, chips-and-crisps-eating individuals, who spent all their leisure time watching home movies, videos and TV programmes, thereby quickly assuming the shape of a potato.

With obesity on the increase in the UK (we seem to follow the States in many things), I would suggest that we scrap the name 'couch potato' and introduce a new name, 'armchair pumpkin'.

I, of course, apologise in advance for any offence or distress that the change of name might cause to all existing and future true vegetable pumpkins. Charles Cross, Watson Crescent, Sandleigh, Abingdon