The Scottish Government is to invest £56.5m over the next three years, including £40m of new funding, on improving healthy eating, physical activity and good diet, Public Health Minister Shona Robison said yesterday.
Launching the Scottish Government’s action plan to target obesity, poor diet and exercise yesterday Robison said a key focus of the plan will be on tackling health inequalities through targeted healthy living initiatives to fit into different lifestyle demands, with half of the new resources, £19m, earmarked to improve nutrition of women of child bearing age, pregnant woman and children under five in disadvantaged areas.
In addition, the plan includes proposals for sports, dance, walking and healthy cooking projects to be opened up for children and young adults at school in a bid to engage them in healthy living activities, interactive workplace tools to allow employees to keep track of any changes in their own weight and receive health advice, new nutritional standards for care settings and expanded walking and jogging schemes for communities.
Robison said:
"Obesity is one of the problems that, like climate change, does not have a simple solution and requires a new way of thinking.
"If we successfully tackle obesity then we will reduce ill-health, and a healthier Scotland is vital for sustaining and growing our economy and securing our communities as vibrant places to live.”
Robison said the action plan was about providing people with more opportunity to take control of their own health, adding that Governments and other key stakeholders have a “crucial” role to play in helping to create supportive environments to help people maintain a healthy weight and be more active.
She continued:
"We want to ensure that everyone can benefit from the initiatives we are announcing today in our action plan. In particular we have also focused additional effort and resources for providing young children which every opportunity to start their lives in the most healthy ways.
"Mums, babies and toddlers will benefit from better support to ensure they can improve their own and their children's nutrition as well as projects which make active play fun.
"The Scottish Government is clear that people need to be supported in order to make their own healthy choices and this action plan gives Scotland the framework for doing so."
The Action Plan – 'Healthy Eating, Active Living; An Action Plan To Improve Diet, Increase Physical Activity and Tackle Obesity' - will be available online on Monday 23 June at: www.scotland.gov.uk/publications
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