Stop focusing on diet! Expert urges exercise to halt obesity crisis
MORE action is needed to promote exercise instead of only focusing on poor diet, Scotland’s leading sports medical expert has warned.
Key proposals in the Scottish Government’s new obesity strategy consultation include banning price promotions on junk food and outlawing advertising of unhealthy food before 9pm.
But Dr Niall Elliott, who is leading Scotland’s medical team at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, and was medical officer to Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, said there needs to be more focus on exercise and physical activity.
The Scottish Government consulted on its ‘healthier future’ proposals last year and is due to publish its final obesity strategy in the coming months.
Dr Elliott, who is fellow of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine and head of sport medicine for Sportscotland, said: ‘There is compelling evidence that regular physical activity is effective in the primary prevention of chronic disease, many of which are connected to obesity and the prevention of early death.
‘The media and healthcare agenda surrounding obesity has been focused for too long on diet alone. A regular increase in physical activity can reduce a person’s risk of the chronic diseases connected to obesity such as stroke, cancer and diabetes.
‘The challenge for the Scottish Government is how to create a healthcare community and social interface where the benefits of active lifestyles become second nature to a community.’
The Scottish Daily Mail first revealed SNP plans to ban promotions of unhealthy foods in shops and cinemas last October.
The crackdown includes a ban on ‘buy one get one free’ and other multi-buy proposals in shops.
It was confirmed in a new consultation published later that month, which stated: ‘The Scottish Government is minded to act to restrict price promotion on food and drink products which are high in fat, salt and sugar. This could include: multi-buy; X for Y; temporary price promotions.’
Latest figures show that 35 per cent of all food and drink purchased was on price promotion, with processed items more likely to be purchased than healthier alternatives.
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK has responded to the Scottish Government with a call to put physical activity at the heart of healthcare and communities in Scotland.
Alex Cole-Hamilton, health spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said: ‘In developing its new Healthy Weight Strategy, the Scottish Government is right to try to tip the scales in the direction of a healthier diet.
‘Restricting junk food promotions, strengthening labelling and expanding the available nutritional information will make the landscape clearer and have the potential to change the “food environment”, but I also want to see exercise included.
‘Almost two-thirds of Scots are overweight, as are a third of children. Having an unhealthy weight has become the dangerous norm for a vast section of our population.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘While exercise is important, so is diet. We recently put forward a package of decisive measures designed to help people make healthier choices.
‘Our new strategy will include world leading proposals to restrict the promotion and advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar.’