Scotland is to get a food tsar to tackle growing health problems, related to poor diet and obesity.
A three-year survey published today reveals that 62% of men and 54% of women in Scotland are classed as either overweight or obese. Despite health campaigns, even young Scots are storing up trouble for the future.
To better promote health, lifestyle and diet changes, the Scottish health minister, Susan Deacon, is appointing a national coordinator to be in the post soon.
Researchers, who questioned more than 13,000 Scots, discovered that about one in five could be officially classified as obese.
Despite Glasgow's informal status as the coronary heart disease capital of Europe, there was little difference in diet between regions or across social class. The study, led by Sir Michael Marmot, found about a quarter of Scots suffering from a cardiovascular disorder; the levels being far higher than those in England. Researchers put this down to inactivity, hard drinking, poor diet - particularly the "deep-fried culture", and smoking.
A Scottish executive spokeswoman said: "The state of the nation's health as revealed in the survey is in line with everything we have said is a priority for us; it gives us a really accurate picture to work from."
The survey also revealed that young Scots, particularly girls, are taking less exercise than did previous generations. The amount of exercise taken by boys stays roughly steady through the childhood years, at 15 hours a week; girls only manage seven hours by the time they reach 14 or 15.
But Professor Marmot, who works at University College London, said that the drop in exercise should be looked at in broad terms. "Taking the issue of obesity and exercise, it is not enough to say to people: 'you must do more exercise'. There is also the whole question about where that fits into people's lives. Are there sports facilities available, is it safe for people to ride bikes?"
There was, however, a glimmer of hope in the survey. It revealed a rise of 6% in the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables eaten by Scots.
