TWO Lothian communities are to help lead the war on obesity after being named as fat-fighting towns by the Scottish Government.
Armadale and Blackridge in West Lothian will be part of a pilot study inspired by a European programme that has cut the number of overweight youngsters by almost a quarter.
The £1.4 million scheme aims to persuade the whole community to embrace h
ealthy eating, physical activity and healthy weight as part of everyday life. Projects could include anything from breastfeeding groups to walking clubs.
The Healthy Weight Communities scheme has been inspired by French projects showing participating towns curbed childhood obesity and maternal weight gain over eight years, while other "control" towns saw both rise.
Although the French scheme targeted children, the Scottish version is for people of all ages.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: "The French experience can teach us valuable lessons in cutting obesity.
"Like their French inspirations, our Healthy Weight Communities will bring whole towns together to get more active and eat more healthily. They'll embrace everything from breastfeeding support groups to walking clubs and healthy local gala days.
"Crucially, they will involve councils, the NHS, the voluntary and private sector from schools and shops to community centres and parks."
West Lothian Council said Armadale and Blackridge, which together have a population of about 13,000, including 2,500 youngsters under the age of 15, had been chosen for the pilot because the initiative would build on work already under way to promote healthy eating and physical exercise.
Ellen Glass, executive councillor for health and care at the local authoroity, said: "West Lothian Council is pleased to receive support for this very important community project and have been heavily involved in bringing this pilot to Armadale and Blackridge. The council recognise that obesity is a problem across Scotland and are committed to working in partnership with other agencies to reduce obesity in West Lothian.
"This is an excellent programme and the results will be beneficial to those families in Armadale and Blackridge."
Other pilots are taking place in East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Dumfries, Dundee, Glasgow, North Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire.
Ms Robison today also launched a consultation on revising Scotland's Diabetes Action Plan, as part of a two-pronged approach to tackling obesity.
She said: "Obesity is thought to be the cause of nearly half the cases of Type 2 diabetes in Scotland – almost 100,000 people.
"Our consultation will consider how to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes and how to detect it as early as possible to prevent complications."
She added: "Isolated action in one field alone is futile.
"If we are to meet the challenge of tackling obesity, we must do it together and making the French connection is a valuable contribution."
