CUTTING sugar from sweets and fizzy drinks is a step in the right direction, experts have said, as Scotland fights its personal battle with the bulge.

With manufacturers making moves to change their products ahead of the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy next month and others seeking to make their products healthier, the options are there for Scots who want to cut down the amount of sweet treats they consume.

But while such moves are being welcomed, habits are hard to change and there is no simple solution to the ongoing obesity epidemic. Governments, health professionals and individuals must work together if lasting change in the historically bad diets consumed north of the border are to be changed. Heather Peace, head of Public Health Nutrition, said: “As a nation we consume a high volume of sugary food and drinks. Our updated situation report for Scotland: The Scottish Diet: It Needs To Change 2018 shows two-thirds of adults here remain overweight or obese and almost one-third of children living in Scotland are still overweight or obese.

“As a first step, we should reduce our intake of discretionary foods such as confectionery, cakes, biscuits, pastries, crisps and sugary drinks by at least a half. These foods currently contribute about 20 per cent of calories and fats, and half of the sugar we eat.

“The time for change is now and progress has already started with the implementation of the soft drinks industry levy and reformulation programme launched by the UK Government in March 2017.

“The solution will not be a simple one and we need greater industry and government collaboration to drive improvements in our diet, and we welcome any reduction in sugar in products by UK retailers.”

At the moment in Scotland we are facing a health challenge with the rates of overweight and obesity. Two out of every three adults are overweight or obese. This is driven by our very poor diet where we eat too many calories, too much sugar and not enough fruit or vegetables.

We are currently consuming three times the amount of sugar that health experts recommend. If we want to get closer to the recommended levels Food Standards Scotland highlighted that we should reduce our consumption of “discretionary foods” by 50%. This includes foods such as confectionery, biscuits, pastries, cakes and sugary drinks.

In response to a programme by Public Health England, many companies across the UK are reformulating their products to reduce the sugar content. Companies selling certain products such as confectionery or yogurts have been set a target of 20% sugar reduction within four years. We are expecting the results of the first year very soon.

Ms Peace added: “Reformulation on its own though is not enough. We require bold measures to transform the food environment around us and the everyday influences on our food choices. We need to start by tackling the ubiquitous price promotions and advertising of unhealthy foods. We must make the healthy choice the affordable, accessible one.”