Punk singer fronts health campaign

Punk musician Wattie Buchan has become the face of a new Scottish Government consultation aimed at tackling obesity.

The controversial lead singer of 1980s cult band The Exploited was one of a number of football fans launching a drive to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food and drinks at Tynecastle yesterday.

The band gained a worldwide following with their aggressive punk rock style and anti-establishment message, releasing albums including Punks Not Dead and Barmy Army.

Buchan, 60, is now a memberofthespfltrust’s Football Fans in Training (FFIT) and is backing new 0 Wattie Buchan: Programme has made ‘massive difference’ measures on the advertisement of food and drinks which are high in fat, sugar and salt to help curb Scotland’s obesity crisis after losing several stones in weight since joining the programme.

In 2014, Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage while he was performing in Lisbon.

Buchan – who has courted controversy off stage in feuds with bands including Green Day – said he joined the programme after suffering his fifth heart attack at the Lisbon concert.

He added: “I was miserable before. I’ve had five heart attacks, I’ve had a quadruple bypass. My life was terrible. This is the best I’ve felt in four years, I feel better within myself being fitter.

“Twelve weeks ago I could hardly walk. I’ve been doing this for five weeks and now I walk a lot – even my dog has lost weight.

“It’s totally changed my life around. It’s made a massive difference to how I feel; I feel better mentally as well. It’s like night and day. I am loving it.”