Diet and nutrition: progress towards targets

An updated review of survey data measuring performance against the Revised Dietary Goals for Scotland was published by Food Standards Scotland in 2015.  The review found that in general there was little progress in meeting the goals over the period 2001 to 2012.  Specifically the review found:

• Some evidence of increased uptake of fruit and vegetables up to 2010 but a drop between 2010 and 2012, ultimately resulting in no change overall. On average fruit and vegetable consumption was around one and a half portions short of the 5 a day target.
• A small but significant decrease in the proportion of food energy from saturated fat and non-milk extrinsic sugars (e.g. the sugar found in honey, fruit juice and confectionery) but no change in the percentage of food energy form total fat.
• No change in the average intake of red and processed meat between 2001 and 2012.

A number of findings by deprivation (SIMD quintile) were also found:

• Fruit and vegetable consumption was highest in the least deprived quintile where on average, nearly 4 portions were consumed compared to just over two and a half in the most deprived quintile.
• No statistically significant difference in red meat consumption by deprivation quintile
• The percentage of food energy from fat was similar across all quintiles and higher than the goal (<35%). Energy density was highest in the most deprived quintile while the percentage of food energy from saturated fat was highest in the least deprived quintile.