Obesity: policy context
Following a public consultation the Scottish Government published their obesity strategy in 2018, A Healthier Future: Scotland's Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan. The delivery plan works towards five key outcomes:
- children have the best start in life - they eat well and have a healthy weight
- the food environment supports healthier choices
- people have access to effective weight management services
- leaders across all sectors promote healthy weight and diet
- diet-related health inequalities are reduced
The publication Obesity Indicators 2018 reports figures for sixteen obesity indicators selected to monitor progress of the Scottish Government's 2010 previous obesity strategy - Prevention of Obesity Route Map.
There are currently Scottish Government test sites of a ‘whole systems approach’ to diet and healthy weight captured on the OAS website.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Europe has produced a policy brief on Obesity and inequities. Guidance for addressing inequities in overweight and obesity (2014).
Childhood obesity
The Scottish Government aims to reduce the number of children at risk of obesity by 2030.
In England, the Commons Health Select Committee repeatedly called for greater action around marketing of products high in fat, sugar and salt to children (see - Childhood obesity - brave and bold action (2015)) Since then a levy has been introduced on sugar sweetened beverages, with the revenue raised being used to fund schemes to improve children’s health and wellbeing (See https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/soft-drinks-industry-levy).
In 2018 the WHO published a report, Taking Action on Childhood Obesity. In this report, all countries agreed to a set of global targets to stop increases in childhood obesity, including no increases in overweight among children by 2025.
Management of obesity
There is specific guidance on the clinical management of obesity in Scotland in the form of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) Guideline No. 115 (although some recommendations may be out of date). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also published several reports and guidance on the prevention and management of obesity.
