Children and Young People

In 2018 the Scottish Government set an ambition of halving childhood obesity by 2030. However, since that ambition was published national rates of children at risk of overweight and obesity have continued to rise.

Many children starting primary school in Scotland are at risk of developing overweight and obesity. Children with a higher weight are more likely to develop obesity as adults, increasing their risk of associated health problems later in life. As with adults, childhood obesity is an issue that is clearly patterned by deprivation, with children from the most deprived areas being over twice as likely to be at risk of the condition as children from more affluent backgrounds.

We have created reports and factsheets covering the issues around childhood obesity and highlighted evidence-based actions for policymakers.