No instant cure for obesity

OBESITY in Scotland has reached epidemic proportions over the past two decades, affecting nearly a quarter of adult men and women. The result is 500,000 cases of high blood pressure annually, and 30,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. The situation is set to get worse, as one in five young boys in Scotland and more than one in ten girls are obese – double the UK average.

However, the obesity epidemic has produced a dangerous side effect – the growing and costly use of drugs to combat the condition. According to the latest Scottish Government statistics, nearly 10,000 obese adults are being prescribed drugs to suppre...