Yesterday the Scottish Government published summary statistics showing changes in overweight and obesity in Scotland between 1995 and 2009. It shows an upward trend of obesity and overweight. This is a serious health problem for Scotland.
In 2009 almost two-thirds of men aged 16-64 (66.3%) and more than half of women (58.4%) were overweight (including obese). I bet most people think that overweight is a woman's problem! Certainly women worry about it more than men. In 1995 the figures were 55.6% for men. So 20% more men are obese or overweight in just 14 years. In 1995 47.2% women were classified as overweight or obese, so by 2009 the number had gone up by 21%.
The increase was greater amongst those who were obese (including morbidly obese) where the percentage for men increased from 15.9% to 26.8% (over a quarter of the population and up 68%)between 1995 and 2009 and from 17.3% to 26.4% for women. So more than a quarter of Scotland's population is obese. Obesity has risen faster than general overweight.
In 2009, almost a third of children (29.7%) were outwith the healthy weight range (31.0% of boys and 28.3% of girls). For boys, prevalence increased between 1998 and 2008, followed by a sharp decline in 2009. For girls the corresponding figures were very similar each year and did not vary significantly. The Scottish Government has established a National Indicator to reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their BMI outwith a healthy range by 2018.
In 2009 almost two-thirds of men aged 16-64 (66.3%) and more than half of women (58.4%) were overweight (including obese). I bet most people think that overweight is a woman's problem! Certainly women worry about it more than men. In 1995 the figures were 55.6% for men. So 20% more men are obese or overweight in just 14 years. In 1995 47.2% women were classified as overweight or obese, so by 2009 the number had gone up by 21%.
The increase was greater amongst those who were obese (including morbidly obese) where the percentage for men increased from 15.9% to 26.8% (over a quarter of the population and up 68%)between 1995 and 2009 and from 17.3% to 26.4% for women. So more than a quarter of Scotland's population is obese. Obesity has risen faster than general overweight.
In 2009, almost a third of children (29.7%) were outwith the healthy weight range (31.0% of boys and 28.3% of girls). For boys, prevalence increased between 1998 and 2008, followed by a sharp decline in 2009. For girls the corresponding figures were very similar each year and did not vary significantly. The Scottish Government has established a National Indicator to reduce the rate of increase in the proportion of children with their BMI outwith a healthy range by 2018.
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