What is the Scottish diet Action Plan?

December 16, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the Scottish Health Survey 2023, almost a third of adults (32%) were living with obesity, the highest level recorded. To combat this public health crisis, the Scottish government developed and implemented a multifaceted strategy known as the Scottish diet Action Plan.

Quick Summary

A summary of the Scottish government's strategy to tackle poor diet and obesity. It outlines policies targeting dietary habits, food environments, and health inequalities across the nation to achieve better health outcomes.

Key Points

Comprehensive Strategy: The Scottish diet Action Plan is part of a broader 'Good Food Nation' strategy aiming to improve public health through systemic food policy changes.
Childhood Focus: A central ambition is to halve childhood obesity by 2030, with specific initiatives focusing on early years nutrition and school food standards.
Environmental Controls: Policy measures aim to reshape the food environment by restricting promotions of unhealthy foods and controlling new hot food takeaway developments.
Addressing Inequalities: The plan prioritizes reducing diet-related health inequalities, recognizing that poor diet disproportionately affects more deprived communities.
Whole-System Approach: The strategy acknowledges that complex issues like obesity require joined-up action across multiple government departments and sectors, including health, education, and retail.
Mixed Progress: While some small gains have been made, such as reduced sugary drink consumption, overall obesity rates have seen limited improvement, leading to continued calls for more urgent action.

The Scottish diet Action Plan, also known as 'A healthier future: Scotland's diet and healthy weight delivery plan,' was introduced in 2018 to address significant public health challenges related to diet and weight. This plan is a key part of Scotland's broader 'Good Food Nation' policy, legally established by the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022. The strategy adopts a 'whole-systems approach,' acknowledging that numerous environmental, economic, and social factors influence diet. The action plan was prompted by persistently poor dietary habits and high obesity rates in Scotland, with 2016 data indicating that two-thirds of adults were overweight or obese.

The Core Objectives of the Action Plan

The 2018 Delivery Plan aims for a Scotland where everyone eats well and maintains a healthy weight. Five primary outcomes support this vision. The plan addresses several key policy areas.

Environment and Retail

Policies in this area aim to create a food environment where healthier options are more accessible and affordable. This includes legislating to limit promotions of foods high in fat, sugar, or salt (HFSS) at point of sale and using planning regulations to restrict new hot food takeaways where they could harm community health.

Early Years and Education

The plan includes initiatives for children, focusing on early intervention. This involves expanding free school meal provision and implementing nutritional standards for food in schools and Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings.

Population Support

Measures are in place to support individuals and communities, including ensuring access to supportive weight management services and providing dietary guidance resources. Additional funds are allocated for healthy eating projects in communities facing greater health inequalities.

A Comparison of Dietary Actions


Feature	2018 Delivery Plan ('A healthier future')	2022 Good Food Nation Act & 2025 Plan
Status	Strategic delivery plan outlining a vision and five key outcomes.	Legislative framework requiring national and local authorities to create statutory food plans.
Focus	Specific actions and ambitions related to diet and healthy weight, including a target to halve childhood obesity by 2030.	Broader, system-wide approach encompassing health, environment, economy, and social justice.
Implementation	Actions were planned for implementation across various sectors. Progress has been slow in some areas.	Provides the long-term legal foundation for future food policies and actions. The first National Plan was published in June 2025.
Key Actions	Restricting promotions, school food standards, and weight management programs.	Builds on previous actions and includes new regulations, such as for food waste reporting and planning controls.
Monitoring	Progress is monitored against national dietary goals and tracked via surveys.	Requires regular reporting on progress by authorities every two years.

Challenges and Progress

Despite the strategy, Scotland continues to struggle with achieving its dietary goals. The typical Scottish diet remains high in fat, sugar, and salt, and low in fibre, fruit, and vegetables. Obesity rates for both adults and children have not shown significant improvement, and the 2030 target to halve childhood obesity is unlikely to be met. Critics, including Obesity Action Scotland, attribute the slow progress partly to implementation delays and a cautious approach to restricting promotions. Nevertheless, there have been some positive developments, such as a notable decrease in sugary drink consumption over the past decade. The evolving Good Food Nation framework and the establishment of the Scottish Food Commission are intended to create a more cohesive and accountable system to address these challenges.

Conclusion

The Scottish diet Action Plan, now integrated within the broader Good Food Nation framework, represents a dedicated effort to address persistent dietary and obesity issues. It is a comprehensive approach targeting various aspects of the food system, from public procurement and school meals to retail promotions and community support. Although progress has been slower than anticipated, the legal foundation and ongoing policy development demonstrate a continued commitment to improving public health and reducing health inequalities through better food and dietary choices across Scotland. For further details on the overarching policy, visit the Scottish Government's page on the {Link: Good Food Nation https://www.gov.scot/policies/food-and-drink/good-food-nation/}.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main objective is to create a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight, with specific targets like halving childhood obesity by 2030 and significantly reducing diet-related health inequalities.

It includes policy actions to make healthier food choices more accessible and affordable, and to decrease the promotion and availability of unhealthy options, particularly in out-of-home settings.

Yes, initiatives include providing free healthy school meals, expanding milk and healthy snack schemes, and setting nutritional standards for food in early learning and childcare.

This is the legislative framework that mandates the Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and health boards to produce and report on Good Food Nation Plans, providing the foundation for food-related policies.

Progress has been slow, with adult obesity rates continuing to rise, although there have been improvements in areas like reduced sugary drink consumption. Obesity Action Scotland noted delays in implementation.

The plan acknowledges that people in more deprived areas are disproportionately affected by poor diet and obesity, and it aims to reduce these inequalities through targeted and population-wide measures.

Individuals can use resources like the 'Eat Well, Your Way' guide developed by Food Standards Scotland, which offers practical advice for making healthier and more sustainable food choices.

It is an approach that acknowledges that the causes of poor diet and obesity are complex and require integrated action from many different sectors, rather than focusing on a single issue.

Yes, the National Good Food Nation Plan includes actions to reduce food waste, such as working with businesses on mandatory reporting and promoting the redistribution of surplus food.