Scottish obesity deaths up 40%

DEATHS linked to obesity in Scotland have surged by 40 per cent in five years, according to new figures.

A total of 196 people who died in Scotland in 2009 had obesity noted on their death certificates, compared to 139 five years before.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said the statistics showed Scotland was being gripped by an "obesity epidemic" and claimed large numbers of children were affected by the problem.

Mr Finnie said: "Our figures show that the number of people dying because of obesity has gone up by over 40 per cent since 2004. Obesity is a known risk factor in the development of a range of other chronic and deadly diseases.

"Unless the Scottish Government gets a grip of this obesity epidemic, then all the good work on cutting coronary heart disease, cancer and stroke is at risk.

"With a fifth of primary 1 school children now overweight, ministers have to tackle childhood obesity or these mortality figures are only going to get worse. Every set of figures published shows that the Scottish Government is failing to deliver two hours of PE a week."

A Scottish Government spokesman said obesity "is a known risk factor in the development of a range of chronic diseases".