Scotland is the second-fattest nation in the developed world, with only the United States having higher obesity levels, a report revealed yesterday.
Figures show for the first time the full extent of the link between obesity and serious illness in Scotland, with obese people 18 per cent more likely to receive hospital treatment than those of normal weight
Women are particularly likely to develop serious health problems from being obese, according to the report by the Scottish Public Health Observatory, a collaboration of public health information bodies in Scotland.
Obese women are nearly 13 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women of normal weight, more than four times as likely to suffer from high blood pressure, and about three times as likely to develop cancer of the colon. They are nearly 30 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke.
Obese men are more than five times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those of normal weight, 2.6 times as likely to suffer from high blood pressure and about twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis. Their chances of suffering a stroke are also 30 per cent higher.
Based on 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available, nearly 500,000 cases of high blood pressure, 36 per cent of the total, and more than 50,000 cases of coronary heart disease were a direct result of obesity, according to the report About 900 cases of cancer, mostly of the colon, were also attributed to obesity.
Under new rules for Schools in Scotland , at least two portions of fruit and vegetables will be served every lunchtime, oily fish will he served once every three weeks, while deep-fried food will be limited to three items a week. Sweets and fizzy drinks will be removed from schools and chips will be served only as part of a balanced meal.
Top of the table (per cent)
United States 32. 2
Scotland…………………………. .25.5
Mexico……………………………. 242
UK (as a whole)………………. 23
England………………………….. 22.5
Canada……………………………. 22.4
Greece…………………………….. 219
Australia…………………… _…… 217
New Zealand………………….. 20.9
Hungary…………………………. 18.8
Czech Republic
And at the bottom
Germany…………………………. 12.9
France…………………… ~……… 9.5
Italy…………………………………. -9
Norway……………………………. 8.3

Times Sept 26th 2007 p 11

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