Scottish Diet Action Plan - Policy Background
The Scottish Diet Action Plan (SDAP) is one of the
country's best developed and most mature health improvement
programmes.
'The Scottish Diet', 1993, commonly referred to as
the James Report revealed the true extent of Scotland 's
poor diet and its adverse impact on health.
In 1994 a series of targets for dietary improvement in
Scotland for 2005 were announced.
In 1995 the Scottish Diet Action Group was set up with
the task of preparing an Action Plan.
The
'Scottish Diet Action Plan (SDAP) Eating for
Health 1996', secured widespread agreement on policies, priorities
and interventions through provision of a framework of
action to improve diet and make progress towards achieving
the dietary targets.
The Food Standards Agency's (FSA)
'A Force for Change' (1998) established the FSA, responsible for
protecting public health by promoting a safer food supply
and ensuring that consumers have the information they need
to be able to choose a safe and healthy diet.
Responsibility for national nutrition policy in Scotland is
shared between the Scottish Executive Health Department and
FSA Scotland, working in partnership to fulfil their
interdependent roles in relation to health promotion and
nutrition.
The continuing implementation of the
SDAP was confirmed in the White Paper,
'Towards a Healthier Scotland' in February 1999 and endorsed by the Scottish
Parliament with the publication of
'Our National Health: a plan of action, a plan
of change' in 2000
Dietary improvement is not achievable
without tackling the poor life circumstances which underpin
so much of Scotland 's poor dietary and nutritional status.
The implementation of the SDAP, therefore, is being taken
forward in context of the Executive's wider policies and
structures to promote social justice as set out in
'Social Justice: A Scotland Where Everyone
Matters'.
A range of new programmes, from the
New Deal initiatives and Social Inclusion Partnerships
through to Family Centres and Integrated Community Schools
, to tackle poverty and deprivation are being taken
forward. Some contain direct dietary initiatives as a key
health component. In others, the beneficial impact, for
example, of enhanced employment, improved educational
opportunities and better transport services can be
predicted to have a major impact upon diet.
This work is strongly supported by the
strategic objectives of
Food Standards Agency Scotland which, in
the Scottish context, includes:
- achieving an improvement in the
health of the Scottish population by encouraging and
facilitating the adoption by the population of a
healthy, balanced diet;
- reducing inequalities by enabling
and encouraging the disadvantaged and vulnerable to
improve their diets.
Scottish Ministers appointed a Food
and Health Co-ordinator in 2000 to take forward the further
implementation of the SDAP with the support of Scottish
Executive,
NHS Health Scotland and Food Standards
Agency Scotland, including working with partner
organisations, stakeholders and the food industry, to
ensure the achievement of the key elements within a joint
implementation strategy.
External Links
- The
Food Standards
Agency Scotland was launched on 3 April 2000. It's
commitment is to improve food safety and standards in
Scotland and protect the health of Scotland's
population in relation to food
NHS
Health Scotland is a new special health board
created on 1 April 2003 by bringing together the
Public Health Institute of Scotland (PHIS), and the
Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS). They
provide a national focus for improving health and
will work with the Scottish Executive and other key
partners to take action to improve health and
reduce inequalities in Scotland.