Pregnant women and the under-5s are to be targeted in a £40 million anti-obesity drive introduced by the government. Almost half of the new resources, £19 million will be used to provide vouchers for fruit and vegetables to help improve the diet of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and pre-school children living in deprived areas.

The remainder of the money will be used to increase exercise schemes and to promote healthy eating across all age ranges.

For schoolchildren sports, dance, walking and healthy cooking projects will be set up to encourage them to be healthy and active.

Walking and jogging schemes will be expanded to benefit local communities, and for elderly new nutritional standards will be developed for the benefit of people living in care homes. The plan will also target working adults, who will be encouraged to use interactive tools to monitor their weight so that they can seek early help if it increases.

The SNP will also introduce a cooking bus that will tour Scotland, giving advice on healthy eating.

It is estimated that obesity costs the NHS in Scotland about £170 million a year and one in four Scottish adults are classified as obese.

Introducing the new plan, Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, said: “Obesity is one of the problems that, like climate change, does not have a simple solution and requires a new way of thinking. If we successfully tackle obesity then we will reduce ill-health, and a healthier Scotland is vital for sustaining and growing our economy and securing our communities as vibrant places to live.”

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