Diet and Healthy Weight statistics published

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released Diet and Healthy Weight statistics.

This is a compendium publication bringing together data mostly already published by various other sources on obesity, diabetes, diet, healthy living awards and sales of soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits, cakes and pastries.

Main findings

Overweight and obesity

In 2018, 65% of adults aged 16 and over were overweight, including 28% who were obese.

Levels of overweight and obesity for adults aged 16-64 increased between 1995 and 2008, but have remained broadly stable since then.

Proportion of adults with a healthy weight, overweight and obese, 1995-2018 (ages 16-64) and 2003 to 2018 (ages 16+)

Since 1998, the proportion of children aged 2-15 at risk of overweight, including obesity, has fluctuated between 26% and 33% (29% in 2018).

In 2018, 13% of children aged 2 to 15 were at risk of overweight, with a further 16% at risk of obesity.

Diet

In 2018, 22% of adults aged 16 and over met the five-a-day recommendation for consumption of fruit and vegetables. This figure has remained fairly constant since 2003.

In 2018, 15% of children aged 2-15 met the five-a-day recommendation for consumption of fruit and vegetables. This figure shows little variation over time, lying between 12% and 15% each year since 2008.

Between 2014 and 2018, the volume of sales of regular take-home soft drinks reduced by 11%.

However, sales of take-home biscuits and confectionery have increased by 5% and sales of cakes and pastries have increased by 10%.

Diabetes

At the end of 2018, there were 304,375 people diagnosed with diabetes in Scotland recorded on local diabetes registers. This represented 5.6% of the population of all ages. Of all cases, 87.9% (267,615) were Type 2 diabetes.

Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes continues to increase steadily.

Background

The figures released today were produced in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The full statistical publication

Official statistics are produced in accordance with professional standards