MINISTERS may need to introduce measures that are “initially unpopular” as part of a “bold approach” to tackling Scotland’s obesity problem, according to MSPs.
Members of Holyrood’s Health Committee said while policies such as restricting cars in towns and increasing parking charges were “politically unpopular” they could help encourage people to be more active. They have also urged the Scottish Government to consider if regulations could be brought in on where products are placed in shops, in a bid to stop retailers promoting foods that are bad for health.
MSPs made the plea to Aileen Campbell, the Minister for Public Health and Sport, telling her: “We support a bold approach to the new obesity strategy and would encourage you to include options that may initially be unpopular as this could result in an important step towards balancing out health inequalities in Scotland.”
Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of adults in Scotland were overweight in 2015, with this including 29 per cent of the population who were obese. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of children were at risk of becoming overweight, with 15 per cent at risk of obesity.
The committee is currently considering if it could bring forward its own legislative proposals to tackle the problem.
In a letter to Campbell, convener Neil Findlay highlighted the “obesogenic environment in Scotland”, where unhealthy food is “more available and more heavily promoted than in other countries”.
Two-fifths of adults do not do enough exercise to meet guidelines, it added, with MSPs also pointing to a food culture of people eating together less, and snacking more, while poverty forces some shoppers to opt for high calorie choices instead of healthier options.
While the MSPs said “good policies” had been brought in to tackle the obesity problem, they added they were “not necessarily translating into healthy outcomes”.
Campbell was pressed on whether the Government would restore its funding for the jogscotland, saying the project had been “particularly successful in encouraging women to undertake more physical activity”. The committee also suggested money may need to be “ring-fenced” to fund projects when a new obesity strategy is introduced.
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