OVERWEIGHT children should be sent to fat-fighting "boot camps" under proposals designed to fight Scotland's obesity epidemic.

Youngsters would be put through intensive exercise regimes and educated on health eating during two- to six-week residential courses provided commercially or by the NHS.

The measure was among dozens of suggested public health interventions in a report submitted to MSPs by NHS Health Scotland.

In 2014, one in six children in Scotland (17 per cent) were identified as at risk of obesity, with 40 per cent of Scotland total population forecast to be obese by 2030.

It is estimated that overweight and obesity combined cost the health service in Scotland around £363 million a year, but the cost to the economy as a whole is thought to run into billions.

Wight loss "boot camps" are popular in the US and have been offered in England on a private basis at a cost of around £8,300 for a six-week course.

Children take part in calorie-burning activities such as hillwalking, games, and dancing, and are fed lean but filling meals such as grilled chicken, fish and veggie burgers.

The policy document described the intervention as a "short-term, intensive weight-management program" which would provide "nutritional education and physical activity to children".

It adds: "A range of complementary solutions, including regulatory actions from governments, increased efforts from industry and civil society and services for those wanting to lose weight, is needed".

However, Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum, warned that such camps could exacerbate the problem in the long-run.

He said: "The problem with courses like this is that people who go on diets often end up fatter than they were in the first place. Short courses are not enough for behaviour change, and they require follow-up.

"It might be a waste of money if it is just a short course. A better idea might be a longer course of up to 12 weeks in the community, where families also attend because these children are ultimately going to be returning to their families."

The report also recommended a ban on vending machines and tuck shops in schools, more time for PE lessons, and eliminating "supersize" items from restaurant menus and product lines.