Scots most likely to take drastic action to shed the pounds

A survey of 3,000 people found that nearly one in four Scots (24 per cent) would be prepared to go hungry in order to shed the pounds, compared with just one in ten across the UK.

The study also found that some people were willing to take even more drastic measures, with one in 20 Scots admitting they would consider undergoing bariatric surgery, such as having a gastric band fitted.

However, medical groups warned that embarking on “extreme” diets could be dangerous to their health, and urged people to simply eat less and exercise more.

While 40 per cent of those surveyed in Scotland said they would go on a traditional diet in order to lose weight, a 4 per cent minority expressed a preference for following a celebrity- endorsed regime, while 1 per cent said they would only eat one type of food, such as protein.

Asked for the most important reasons for wanting to lose weight, 38 per cent said the prime motivation was to get fit. However, in a sign of the significance people place on body image, more than one in five (22 per cent) said they wanted to look like a particular celebrity.

The survey, commissioned by the Co-operative Pharmacy and carried out by One Poll, also showed that the majority of people questioned in Scotland (57 per cent) did not know their body mass index, despite the fact that more than in one in five Scots class themselves as overweight.

It found one in five people also said they did not know that being overweight can be linked to cardiovascular disease, while nearly half (45 per cent) said they were unaware excess weight could cause a stroke.

A spokeswoman for British Medical Association Scotland said: “Embarking on an extreme diet can be quite dangerous, and people really need to think about taking a more moderate approach to losing weight – for example, eating less and taking more exercise, which has been proven to be the most effective long-term solution to weight management.

“It’s important that people discuss any concerns they have over their weight with their pharmacist, and if they want to talk about the various options open to them, they can approach their GP.”

Professor David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: “The decision to undergo bariatric surgery is a major one, not to be taken lightly by the patient or the hospital team which provides the operation and it is not suitable for everyone.

“As with any surgery, there are associated risks, but if the wrong person was to undergo a bariatric operation, the consequences could be catastrophic.”

He said if it was undertaken responsibly, the operation had the potential to extend lives and prevent chronic illnesses linked to obesity such as heart disease.

Across the UK, the survey found that 8 per cent of people started to worry about their weight between the ages of three and 13, while 31 per cent said they were aged 14 to 20.

The research found men were least likely to be concerned about their weight, with more than a third (37 per cent) having never worried about their body shape compared with 18 per cent of women.