Health Scheme to Fight the Flab

A Successful scheme to tackle obesity is to be introduced in Grampian as part of a pounds40million programme.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said tackling the growing obesity problem will be a key element of the Scottish Government’s health plans over the next three years.

An extra pounds40million will be made available to healthy weight, healthy eating and physical activity initiatives, with pounds15million directly targeted against obesity.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Obesity is an increasing problem and poses a very serious threat to our nation’s health.

“That is why we have made tackling obesity, particularly in early life, a key priority.”

Obesity levels in Scotland are the second highest in the developed world, after the US.

The aim of the new initiative is to tackle the problem from conception.

The scheme has proved a success in three health boards including Tayside and will soon be introduced in Grampian, Fife and Ayrshire.

Shona Hyman, Keep Well project co-coordinator with Dundee Community Health Partnership, said: “Most of the people in the Counterweight programme have achieved 5-10% weight loss, which is enough weight loss to significantly improve their health.”

(c) 2008 Press and Journal, The Aberdeen (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.