Scottish opposition politicians have called for the country to fight its “sick man of Europe” tag as research revealed people in Scotland are more obese, have poorer diets and drink and smoke more than the rest of the UK.
Public Health Minister, Shona Robison, said the Scottish Health Survey should spur more action to tackle widespread health problems.
The report showed 44% of Scottish men probably drink more than four units of alcohol on their heaviest drinking day, which is about two pints of medium strength beer or four glasses of wine.
About 41% men in England drink this much, and Scottish women also outdrink English women, with 36% drinking more than three units on their heaviest drinking day compared with 32%.
Smoking is also more common north of the border, with 27% men and 25% women in Scotland regularly lighting up, against 24% men and 20% women in England.
Ms Robison said: “Far too many people have died before their time with our culture of poor diet, heavy drinking and smoking all taking their toll.
“As today’s statistics show, other parts of the UK are still doing better and this clearly demonstrates that we can, and must, do more to help Scots live healthy lives.”
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