Why Olympian's wise words about diet and exercise must spark transformation of Scotland

A new paper written by former Olympic athlete and Scottish Conservative MSP Brian Whittle could be a historic turning point for Scotland that leads to a genuine transformation in this country’s fortunes. Or, it could just gather dust on metaphorical shelves alongside many such heartfelt pleas for action, as Scotland continues to insist on being one of the least healthy countries in the Western world.

The document, called A New Prescription: Putting prevention at the heart of public health, lays out how Whittle believes Scotland can radically improve its diet and participation in exercise. We do not necessarily agree with everything he suggests.

However, as he admits, the proposals are designed to be a “first step” on a long journey. “The price of travel will be significant but those costs pale into insignificance when compared to the costs already being faced by our NHS, social security system and other public services, all of which bear the burden of our poor public health,” Whittle rightly argues.

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Athletes Brian Whittle, Derek Redmond, Kriss Akabusi, Todd Bennett, Daley Thompson and Alan Wells pictured in 1999 | Getty Images

Denmark’s example

His measures include a mass volunteer programme for retirees, more PE teachers, and a national audit of community sports facilities. He also suggests primary school breakfast clubs that include activities like sports, drama and computer coding, saying that this would help remove any stigma around free meals, with the food secondary to participation in the club.

People in Scotland often look enviously at Nordic countries like Denmark, which rank highly in global quality-of-life league tables. One suggested reason for this is that Denmark's 5.7 million people can choose between more than 100,000 active associations and clubs, involved in sport, music, gardening, almost anything you can think of. They have been described as “the glue holding Denmark together”.

So while Whittle’s idea of expanded school clubs might sound trivial, it could have a dramatic effect on Scotland’s school children and form a model for society as a whole.

Scotland does not have to be like this. Our nation can be fitter, healthier, happier and wealthier if we choose to be. We hope politicians from all parties will recognise the need to work together and help Whittle’s “first step” become a giant leap into a brighter future.