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SDAP Ongoing Implementation

Scottish Diet Action Plan - Ongoing Implementation

The ChallengeAs part of the ongoing implementation of the Scottish Diet Action Plan, three key actions have been identified to promote healthy eating as part of 'the Challenge'

Improving Health in Scotland-The Challenge (2003)

1. Implement the next phase of the Scottish Diet Action Plan to the extent that it has a measurable, incremental, impact in Scotland each year to 2010.

2. Support the integrated programme, launched January 2003, of communication and public education, in the context of the wider health improvement agenda, to increase demand for, confidence in and skills for healthy eating.

3. Measure food consumption between 2003 and 2010 to monitor progress towards the targets set out in the Scottish Diet Action Plan using the Scottish Health Survey.

In the next phase of the SDAP implementation, action will focus on the key targets of increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables and upon reducing consumption of fat, particularly saturated fat.

The key conceptual stages in the next phase of work will be to:

  • Increase the demand for healthy food;
  • Supply that demand for healthy food;
  • Provide support, education and skill development to allow people to break through the barriers of food cost and availability, and the negative impact of culture and lack of food skills.

Much of this work will be undertaken at both a local and national level in Scotland , but there will also be wider interactions because of the global nature of the food industry. This highlights the importance of effective inter and intra-Government links.

Public information and skills development will only be successful if all sectors of Scottish society have access to healthier food choices in the context of their day to day lives. Therefore work with communities, particularly those characterised by social exclusion, will be essential to support the overall strategy.

A great deal of activity to combat poor the diet is being taken forward through highly productive, smaller initiatives at community and local level involving the voluntary and community sectors, often driven by communities themselves and supported by community planning partnerships (CPPs) and social inclusion partnership (SIPs). This effort is increasingly being strengthened through joint planning by NHS Boards, local authorities and CPPs.

Local and national strategies will be required to address the multiple barriers to accessing a healthier diet, expressed in the Scottish Diet Action Plan in terms of food affordability, availability, culture and skills.

Useful Links

Scottish Diet Action Plan

External Links

The Scottish Health Survey is designed to make a major contribution to monitoring health in Scotland

Page updated: Thursday, July 7, 2005