Kids at risk of being overweight or obese at record high
The number of children at risk of being overweight or obese has reached a new high, figures released today have revealed.
According to ISD Scotland, 22.9 per cent of primary 1 pupils are in that bracket, a 0.8 rise from the previous year.
And since the SNP came to power in 2007, that figure has risen by almost two per cent.
Broken down, the data shows 12.4 per cent of youngsters were at risk of being overweight, with a further 10.5 per cent at risk of obesity.
A considerable gap also exists between the most and least deprived children.
In the wealthiest areas 80.9 per cent of primary 1s are of healthy weight, compared to 72.5 per cent in the poorest.
Last year, one per cent of children were at risk of being underweight, the joint lowest in a decade.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:
“This is a problem that is getting worse every year, with absolutely no sign of improvement.
“Obesity is fast-becoming Scotland’s biggest public health crisis, and these statistics reinforce that.
“It’s not as simple as just blaming the government, there are many other elements at play.
“But the SNP cannot hide from the fact this has got significantly worse on its watch, and clearly not enough is being done to encourage healthy eating and an active lifestyle from a young age.”