Weight of the Nation

Obesity Action Scotland have published a Weight of the Nation report which provides an in-depth analysis of the Scottish Health Survey results between 1995 and 2018.  It indicates that trends were getting worse over time for a number of important measures including average adult BMI and adult waist circumference.  It also highlights a stark difference in average BMI between the most & least deprived.

This report clearly shows that the population of Scotland has been getting heavier over time and that the average BMI for the adult population is slowly moving towards the obese category.  This is concerning as we know there is a link between obesity and many non-communicable diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.  There is also evidence that obesity is a risk factor for severe complications with COVID-19.

The key findings of the report are as follows:

 ADULTS

» Average BMI has risen steadily and significantly over the 23-year period.

» The average BMI for the adult population has been in the overweight range since records began but is now heading towards the obese category.

» The proportion of adults in the heaviest BMI category has been increasing.

» By 2018 almost two-thirds of adults were within overweight or obese classifications.

» The average BMI of young adults (16-24) has increased the most out of all age groups since 1995.

» Average BMI is patterned by level of deprivation with those from the most deprived areas consistently showing higher BMIs compared to the least deprived.

» Between 1995 and 2018 there was a significant increase in average waist circumference for both men and women.

» Over time there has been a significant rise in the proportion of women in the raised waist  category. Whilst men have seen an increase in the proportion in the raised waist category it is not as stark as the pattern for women.

CHILDREN

» There have been fluctuations in rates of childhood obesity over the years and no clear pattern is emerging.

» Over half (58%) of the children with obesity are children with severe obesity.

» As with adults, children from the most deprived areas are more overweight and obese than children from the least deprived areas.

This report clearly indicates that there is much work to be done to achieve a healthy weight population in children and adults in Scotland.  It is evident that policy measures that have been in place up to now have been insufficient to tackle the epidemic of obesity.

While there has been an appreciation of the importance of obesity by successive governments, no progress has been made in addressing it.  Our poor diet has become ingrained and the bold and radical change needed to the food environment in Scotland has not been delivered.  An urgent policy response is needed across the food system and all settings that influence our diet.

Lorraine Tulloch, Programme Lead of Obesity Action Scotland said:

“We want to ensure the people of Scotland have all the tools necessary to achieve healthy weight.  This report highlights that at the moment this is not the case and for decades we have been going in the wrong direction.  The Scottish Government have recognised the challenge but we need more than that.  We need them to deliver the policies that will change our food environments and ensure a healthy diet is accessible and affordable for us all.”

Please note:  Throughout the report we use the terminology morbid obesity/morbidly obese as that is the terminology used within the Scottish Healthy survey and we wished to be in line with the original data.  That is not our preferred terminology.  We have used severe obesity in the press release above.