Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 May 2012
17 May 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Physical Activity
I really welcome this debate. It is essential that we understand the challenges that obesity currently poses to our national health and the devastating impact that it will have in future if we do not do all that we can do.
We have shared—and I am sure that we will continue to share—many facts and figures during the debate, many of which cause great concern. We need to hear them, because they will act as a catalyst and a strong call to action. That is important, because obesity limits the lives and life chances of too many Scots and is costing us a fortune—socially and economically.
There are many consequences of having an obese population, including human suffering and an increase in the demand for and cost of healthcare services. The British Medical Association said in its briefing for the debate that obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS in Scotland in the region of £171 million in 2003. Given the increase just in the numbers of people who have type 2 diabetes, the cost has increased markedly, as the minister noted.
Scotland has one of the highest levels of obesity in the OECD countries, with more than a million obese adults and more than 150,000 obese children. Six in 10 adults and three in 10 children are obese. The increase in the obese population did not happen overnight. Earlier this week, a programme on television documented life in the 1970s. I was struck by the scenes of jubilant Scottish fans celebrating a good result in a home international football match in 1977; I was also struck by the generally trim body shape of the people who were celebrating. What has changed, and what can we do about it?
Professor Philip James, the chair of the international obesity task force, thinks that we have created an obesogenic environment, which has made it difficult not to become overweight, and that factors outwith individuals’ control are having an impact. For example, designing towns and cities around the car has had an impact on the number of people who walk to and from work and to shops—Patricia Ferguson touched on that. Our lifestyles are increasingly sedentary, with the increase in desk jobs and the attraction of couch-potato recreation choices such as TV, surfing the web and video gaming. Our best intentions are constantly challenged by a marketing-savvy food industry that encourages consumption of unhealthy food items, with children being particularly manipulated.
Dr Dennis Bramble and Dr Carrier of the University of Utah, and Dr Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University, have studied the impact of running on the human body and, indeed, on human evolution. Their studies investigate the impact of the fact that we no longer need to use our bodies in the way that our hunter-gatherer ancestors did, and how successful we have been in developing technology and equipment that turn lazing around into a way of life. Let us be honest: how many of us do not use the remote control to turn the TV channel?
Dr Bramble notes that humans have a mind/body conflict. He says that
“we have a body built for performance, but a brain that’s always looking for efficiency.”
We conserve energy as a survival mechanism, so encouraging physical activity, among many Scots, is hugely challenging. However, an active life must become our way of life—physical activity is a habit that Scotland must cultivate. The western diseases that shorten so many lives were largely unknown to our ancestors, as were plasma TVs, bath-size tubs of popcorn, and super-size junk food offerings.
As the Ramblers Association points out, six out of 10 adults and 28 per cent of children do not meet minimum recommended physical activity levels of moderate physical activity. Walking is free—it does not need any equipment. Living Streets notes that 22 per cent of households on less than £10,000 use walking as their main mode of transport, compared with only 8 per cent of those with income more than £40,000. On the school run every morning, I walk or cycle along the Union canal. Those 15 minutes are some of the best-quality time that I can spend in the week. I welcome the fact that 80 per cent of people joining the Paths for All Partnership’s walking groups are women, because women are disproportionately uninvolved in sport and physical activity.
What is to be done? We have a national plan and we have to implement it. We can reduce obesity by investing 10 per cent of our transport budget on active travel, as recommended by the Association of Directors of Public Health. We need to ensure that the Government target of 10 per cent of trips being taken by bike in 2020 is achieved. We need to ensure that all our pupils receive a minimum of two hours per week of PE. Some schools go way beyond that, but schools such as South Morningside primary school, in Edinburgh, have space constraints and high pupil numbers, which make that very difficult.
It is essential that national and local government continue to work together to provide solutions if we are to achieve that target. Active schools is doing a great job, letting school pupils try a wide variety of sports and physical activities, such as street dance. Active schools’ charges are low, but if someone has two or three children and is on a tight budget, those charges for extra-curricular activity might be off-putting, or simply unaffordable.
Concern around costs in local authority provision exists, too. Squeezed family budgets and reduced incomes affect the ability of people to take part in formal organised sport and fitness activity. I want the Government and local authorities to work together to ensure that such facilities are affordable.
Despite many opportunities to use brownfield sites, open green space continues to be under pressure from development. Young and old alike need access to informal green space if they are to benefit from important unstructured activities—from rounders, to just pottering around, to goalie-when.
We have shared—and I am sure that we will continue to share—many facts and figures during the debate, many of which cause great concern. We need to hear them, because they will act as a catalyst and a strong call to action. That is important, because obesity limits the lives and life chances of too many Scots and is costing us a fortune—socially and economically.
There are many consequences of having an obese population, including human suffering and an increase in the demand for and cost of healthcare services. The British Medical Association said in its briefing for the debate that obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS in Scotland in the region of £171 million in 2003. Given the increase just in the numbers of people who have type 2 diabetes, the cost has increased markedly, as the minister noted.
Scotland has one of the highest levels of obesity in the OECD countries, with more than a million obese adults and more than 150,000 obese children. Six in 10 adults and three in 10 children are obese. The increase in the obese population did not happen overnight. Earlier this week, a programme on television documented life in the 1970s. I was struck by the scenes of jubilant Scottish fans celebrating a good result in a home international football match in 1977; I was also struck by the generally trim body shape of the people who were celebrating. What has changed, and what can we do about it?
Professor Philip James, the chair of the international obesity task force, thinks that we have created an obesogenic environment, which has made it difficult not to become overweight, and that factors outwith individuals’ control are having an impact. For example, designing towns and cities around the car has had an impact on the number of people who walk to and from work and to shops—Patricia Ferguson touched on that. Our lifestyles are increasingly sedentary, with the increase in desk jobs and the attraction of couch-potato recreation choices such as TV, surfing the web and video gaming. Our best intentions are constantly challenged by a marketing-savvy food industry that encourages consumption of unhealthy food items, with children being particularly manipulated.
Dr Dennis Bramble and Dr Carrier of the University of Utah, and Dr Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University, have studied the impact of running on the human body and, indeed, on human evolution. Their studies investigate the impact of the fact that we no longer need to use our bodies in the way that our hunter-gatherer ancestors did, and how successful we have been in developing technology and equipment that turn lazing around into a way of life. Let us be honest: how many of us do not use the remote control to turn the TV channel?
Dr Bramble notes that humans have a mind/body conflict. He says that
“we have a body built for performance, but a brain that’s always looking for efficiency.”
We conserve energy as a survival mechanism, so encouraging physical activity, among many Scots, is hugely challenging. However, an active life must become our way of life—physical activity is a habit that Scotland must cultivate. The western diseases that shorten so many lives were largely unknown to our ancestors, as were plasma TVs, bath-size tubs of popcorn, and super-size junk food offerings.
As the Ramblers Association points out, six out of 10 adults and 28 per cent of children do not meet minimum recommended physical activity levels of moderate physical activity. Walking is free—it does not need any equipment. Living Streets notes that 22 per cent of households on less than £10,000 use walking as their main mode of transport, compared with only 8 per cent of those with income more than £40,000. On the school run every morning, I walk or cycle along the Union canal. Those 15 minutes are some of the best-quality time that I can spend in the week. I welcome the fact that 80 per cent of people joining the Paths for All Partnership’s walking groups are women, because women are disproportionately uninvolved in sport and physical activity.
What is to be done? We have a national plan and we have to implement it. We can reduce obesity by investing 10 per cent of our transport budget on active travel, as recommended by the Association of Directors of Public Health. We need to ensure that the Government target of 10 per cent of trips being taken by bike in 2020 is achieved. We need to ensure that all our pupils receive a minimum of two hours per week of PE. Some schools go way beyond that, but schools such as South Morningside primary school, in Edinburgh, have space constraints and high pupil numbers, which make that very difficult.
It is essential that national and local government continue to work together to provide solutions if we are to achieve that target. Active schools is doing a great job, letting school pupils try a wide variety of sports and physical activities, such as street dance. Active schools’ charges are low, but if someone has two or three children and is on a tight budget, those charges for extra-curricular activity might be off-putting, or simply unaffordable.
Concern around costs in local authority provision exists, too. Squeezed family budgets and reduced incomes affect the ability of people to take part in formal organised sport and fitness activity. I want the Government and local authorities to work together to ensure that such facilities are affordable.
Despite many opportunities to use brownfield sites, open green space continues to be under pressure from development. Young and old alike need access to informal green space if they are to benefit from important unstructured activities—from rounders, to just pottering around, to goalie-when.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-02904, in the name of Shona Robison, on meeting the challenge—physical activity and its contribution to t...
The Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport (Shona Robison)
SNP
I am pleased to open the debate by exploring the significant challenge that obesity presents to Scotland and the Scottish people. I will also set out how phy...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
No matter what age each of us is, I am sure that, if we individually thought back to our own childhood, we would agree that our lives are significantly diffe...
Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
A number of authorities in Scotland have taken policy decisions to refuse hot food licences within a certain distance of school establishments. Does Patricia...
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
I certainly think so. However, we must also ensure that the food that is offered in schools is appetising enough to encourage young people to stay and eat it...
Shona Robison
SNP
Will the member give way?
Patricia Ferguson
Lab
Unfortunately, I am in my last minute. I am sure that the minister will take the chance to respond later.We accept that PE is not the only factor in creating...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I call Nanette Milne. You have six minutes, but there is time if you feel inclined to take interventions.15:19
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
No one can doubt the need for action to address the increasing problem of obesity in this country, whose health consequences are well known and cannot be ove...
Hanzala Malik (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I am a bit of an expert on the subject, in which I have practical experience. One issue in relation to obesity is that proper care is not provided at the ver...
Nanette Milne
Con
I am coming to that matter. I agree absolutely with the member. I, too, was an overfed young baby. As I get older, I struggle to keep my weight in the right ...
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I really welcome this debate. It is essential that we understand the challenges that obesity currently poses to our national health and the devastating impac...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I ask you to come to a conclusion, please.
Alison Johnstone
Green
I thank the minister for her intention to support my amendment. I move amendment S4M-02904.1, to insert after the first “active”:”; considers physical activi...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We come to the open debate. Speeches should be of six minutes.15:33
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
SNP
I thank the minister and the Government for lodging the motion. I also thank them for grasping the nettle of obesity and for the couple of reports that were ...
Drew Smith (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
Does Mr Don accept that, in itself, simply having more people walking in their community—rather than feeling that they have to go somewhere else, because the...
Nigel Don
SNP
The member makes a fair point. A busy, occupied space is a much safer space—until, of course, it becomes so crowded that the pickpocket has a field day.The a...
Margaret McDougall (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Obesity is a major problem in Scotland. We have one of the highest rates of obesity—only the United States of America and Mexico have higher levels. The late...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I must ask the member to conclude.
Margaret McDougall
Lab
We need to become more effective at preventing obesity rather than just dealing with the consequences later. The clock is ticking, and we need to get that ri...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
Obesity is a highly complex matter and a difficult subject to tackle, due to the number of factors that are involved. If we had a simple cause, we would have...
Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I thoroughly enjoyed Alison Johnstone’s speech and I am happy that we will back her amendment at decision time. She speaks with great authority on the issue....
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on a pressing issue. We have heard from various speakers that Scottish people who are obese experience...
Gil Paterson
SNP
What makes you think that?
Mark Griffin
Lab
Mr Yousaf challenged me on which of us was younger and I won through on that, so I can say with some confidence that I am the youngest member in the chamber....
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
You must close now, please.
Mark Griffin
Lab
However, we will not achieve that if we continue to count throwing 25 boys out on to a football pitch for two periods a week as a success. I look forward to ...
Margaret Burgess (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate on tackling obesity in Scotland. We must remember that obesity is not confined to Scotland and is a g...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP)
SNP
I am guilty as charged, Presiding Officer. I stand before you as a person who knows that he is overweight and does not take enough exercise, but who is perha...