Obesity increasing in Scotland could impact on level of diabetes

The new Scottish Health Survey has found that over a quarter of Scottish adults are now obese, a health issue that is costing the NHS more than GBP450 million every year. The survey showed that 27 per cent of Scots aged between 16 and 64 were obese last year, a dramatic increase from the 17 per cent level found in 1995.
With about 65 per cent of Scottish adults now being classified as either overweight or obese, it is thought that the numbers of obese adults in the country could amount to 40 per cent by the year 2030, adding up to a GBP3 million cost for the health service, especially as obesity pushes up the risk of people developing type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke and hypertension.
A spokesperson for the Scottish government, which commissioned the report, commented “Our action plan published earlier this year sets out actions being taken to change the environment in which we live to make it easier for everyone to make healthy choices, including eating more fruit and vegetables and less salt, fat and added sugar and becoming more active.”
They added “We have introduced a range of measures to improve diet and are spending over GBP7.5 million in the next three years on projects to encourage healthy eating.”