Calls to set up fat camps for obese children in Scotland

Overweight children in Scotland should be sent to state-run fat camps, health chiefs have said.

A report by NHS Health Scotland to the Scottish Government suggests obese Scottish children should be offered places at boot camps.

More than a quarter of children in the country are overweight or obese, and the taxpayer-funded courses could help children to lose weight by teaching them about healthy eating and getting them to take part in exercise.

The report, sent to the Scottish Parliament, suggests the NHS could offer “short-term, intensive, weight-management programmes” for children.

The boot camps would last two to six weeks.

The report continued: “Successfully tackling obesity is a long-term, large-scale commitment that requires sustained and integrated portfolio of preventative measures.”