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Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Junk food sponsorship deals 'should be banned from 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow'
Obesity Action Scotland said 170 experts had signed its petition demanding no deals with unhealthy food and drink companies at next year's Games. Junk food sponsorship deals should be banned at next year's Commonwealth Games, health campaigners have urged. Obesity Action Scotland said more than 170 individuals and groups had signed its petition demanding the change at the 2026 Games in Glasgow amid "alarming" childhood obesity rates. Twenty per cent of Scottish kids are now at risk of being overweight by the time they enter primary one. The group, which is led by clinicians, said allowing high fat, sugar and salt products to be marketed at sporting events "undermined" public health and risked worsening the obesity crisis. Irn-Bru was the chief drinks sponsor at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Writing to Commonwealth Games 2026 CEO Phil Batty, Dr Shoba John, head of OAS and convener of the Scottish Obesity Alliance, called on next year's event to be a "junk-food free event" for families. She said: 'There is overwhelming evidence that advertising and marketing techniques powerfully influence food preference, choice, and consumption in children, thus harming their health. 'We also know that the wider food environment heavily influences what people consume. 'When food marketing and the wider food environment lead us towards increased consumption of soft drinks and junk food, we see corresponding increases in obesity rates. 'Therefore, we need healthy food and drink to be available and affordable, and for it to be front and centre at every opportunity.' Dr John commended the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which Mr Batty was also involved in, for ditching junk food sponsors and urged Glasgow to follow suit. She also called for unhealthy food and drinks outlets to be prohibited at or near sporting venues. It follows controversial sponsorship deals at the 2012 London Olympics with brands like McDonald's and Coca Cola. As part of its promotion at the event, McDonald's launched its biggest ever restaurant in the heart of the Olympic village, prompting fury from health campaigners. Latest research shows young Scots from the most deprived parts of the country have double the risk of experiencing obesity than those living in the most affluent areas. Last week, the Food Standards Scotland agency said ministers' efforts to tackle the nation's weight problem was "too slow and not far-reaching enough". It warned public health had been 'taking a back seat to commercial interests' and said Scotland was 'lagging behind' other parts of the UK in measures to tackle junk food. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Scots face some of the poorest diet-related health outcomes in Europe including obesity, type 2 diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: "Ensuring everyone in Scotland eats well, has a healthy weight and is physically active is a key priority for the Scottish Government 's public health agenda. "As a part of this action, we are restricting the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar." Phil Batty, chief executive of Glasgow 2026, said: "Sporting events play an important role in promoting active and healthy lifestyles. "We met with Obesity Action Scotland and representatives of the NCD Alliance Scotland last month and we look forward to working with them to build shared plans for the Games next summer."
Daily Record
02-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Childhood obesity in Scotland 'growing alarmingly' as experts call for food industry crackdown
Young Scots from the most deprived parts of the country have double the risk of experiencing obesity than those livng in the most affluent areas. Childhood obesity has risen to "alarming" levels with experts calling for action to prevent unhealthy lifestyles setting in among babies and toddlers. A report out today warns a child's expectation of living a healthy life is set early on and becomes "difficult to alter after the age of about five years". Experts said the first 1,000 days of life – from pregnancy through to a child's second birthday – are "critical to development and health across the life-course" as they called for early action to prevent obesity in youngsters. It comes amid warnings that childhood obesity in Scotland is "growing alarmingly" with 20 per cent of children at risk of being overweight by the time they enter primary one. Young Scots from the most deprived parts of the country also have double the risk of experiencing obesity than those livng in the most affluent areas. Experts said interventions were needed to help women to begin pregnancy at a healthy weight and encouraging breastfeeding - which is linked with a reduced risk of childhood obesity and avoiding 'rapid catch-up growth' in low birth weight babies. "The overall goal should be to establish and maintain a healthy body-weight trajectory that avoids excess gain early in life,' experts from the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the Italian National Academy of Sciences said. In the UK, 1.3 million children are obese and a further 2.3 million are overweight. The authors highlight how single interventions 'such as diet or physical activity, in single settings' rarely work without consideration of wider factors which may contribute to childhood obesity. The report says that portraying obesity as a 'character flaw' leads to stigmatisation which can be counterproductive and may increase the risk of unhealthy diet and lifestyle, but positive messages about the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight may work better. 'Childhood obesity has become an urgent public health challenge that is both affecting lives today and storing up problems for the future,' the report states. Dr Shoba John, head of Obesity Action Scotland, said the report mirrored what was happening north of the Border. The health expert urged the Scottish Government to restrict the advertising of junk foods and ensure school meals met nutritional standards. "Childhood obesity in Scotland is growing alarmingly, with 20 per cent of children at risk of overweight and obesity at primary one level," Dr John told the Record. "Worryingly, children from deprived areas have double the risk of experiencing obesity at that age, an unacceptable disadvantage to start life with for any child. "They continue to grow up in an unhealthy food environment replete with junk food ads, discounted sugary drinks and promotional deals on unhealthy food in retail stores. "England is introducing mandatory healthiness targets for retail food. Scotland needs to urgently follow suit, restrict outdoor advertising of junk food and ensure that school meals adhere to national nutritional standards. Fiscal levers are key to reducing consumption of unhealthy food and drinks that have a bearing on obesity levels." The authors of the new report said that "robust" regulation of the food industry is needed rather than relying on voluntary agreements, with evidence supporting taxation of unhealthy products and potential subsidies for healthier options. 'The first 1,000 days, including time in the womb, represent an important window of opportunity to set children on a healthy trajectory for life,' said Professor Susan Ozanne, co-chair of the report. "Once obesity is established, it becomes increasingly harder to reverse. This isn't about individual willpower or blaming and shaming – it's about creating an environment for parents, carers and their children that supports healthy development from the very beginning." The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.
