Childhood obesity

The prospect of severely obese teenagers in Scotland increasingly undergoing gastric surgery should sound an alarm to everyone concerned with the health of young people. Above all, parents should be alert that children who weigh more than the recommended amount are heading towards serious ill-health. So far, three teenagers in Scotland have had gastric bands fitted to reduce the size of their stomachs, but with 10% of 13-15-year-olds in Scotland considered severely obese, there is every prospect that the number will increase. What is truly shameful, however, is that Scotland could have led the world in tackling the epidemic of obesity which is leading to an explosion of related health problems, but missed the opportunity of taking a proactive approach.