Diet and healthy weight: monitoring report 2020

Diet & Healthy Weight Monitoring Report

October 2020 

Key points 

• In 2019, 66% of adults aged 16 and over were overweight, including 29% 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.
• Since 1998, the proportion of children aged 2-15 at risk of overweight (including obesity) has fluctuated between 26% and 33% (30% in 2019). In 2019, 14% of children aged 2 to 15 were at risk of overweight, with a further 16% at risk of obesity.
• In 2019, 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 2019, 14% 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 2019, the volume of regular take-home soft drinks purchased reduced by 13%, whilst the volume of diet take-home soft drinks purchased increased by 18%. 
• The calorie contribution of carbonated drinks (ambient and chilled) reduced from 58 kilocalories per person per day in 2015 to 43 kilocalories in 2019.
• Between 2014 and 2019, the volume of take-home biscuits and confectionery and the volume of cakes and pastries purchased increased by 8% and 14% respectively.

About this publication

This publication reports the latest results against the obesity indicator framework originally developed to monitor progress against the Scottish Government's Prevention of Obesity Route Map^[1] published in February 2010. The Route Map has now been superseded by the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan and Active Scotland Delivery Plan published in summer 2018. New monitoring and evaluating arrangements for these plans will be established and will include reviewing the future of this publication.

This is a compendium publication bringing together data mostly already published by various other sources. At the time of reporting, there were no new data available for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, total and saturated fat, free sugars and healthy living awards indicators.

Data are also available in the accompanying tables. Previous reports can be found on the Diet and Healthy Weight website.