Fish suppers take battering in crackdown on takeaways

SCOTLAND'S unhealthiest takeaway meals are being named and shamed by the Scottish government in an attempt to wean the country off battered fish and creamy curries.

Ministers have announced a crackdown on carry-outs in an effort to tackle the obesity crisis gripping Scotland.

The £500,000 Take Life On campaign, being launched this week, will ask us to choose healthier alternatives to chips, curries and kebabs as well as to consider the health benefits of cutting down on alcohol and taking more exercise. The advice includes: "Try not eating all of the batter on your fish" and "Avoid creamy sauces".

Shona Robison, the Minister for Public Health, said: "The major message of Take Life On is that simple switches in our daily lives can make a real difference to our health and give us a feel-good boost.

"It doesn't mean making big sacrifices or cutting out pleasures altogether. Small changes like walking to work, aiming for at least two alcohol-free days per week or cutting down on crisps and biscuits by making switches to fruit or vegetables all add up."

The new campaign by the SNP Government will feature TV, radio and billboard adverts as well as a website. The adverts, which will run until September, will urge us to make small changes in our everyday lives in order to reduce the risk of serious illness.

Bad takeaways to be highlighted include chicken tikka masala, battered fish with chips, doner kebabs and deep-pan pepperoni pizzas.

The better alternatives, according to the Government, include tandoori chicken, fish in breadcrumbs, shish kebab and thin-crust pizza.

In addition to the advice to shun the unhealthy takeaways, the campaign will also try to persuade the public to have at least two days a week completely alcohol-free and to have a brisk 30-minute walk at least once a day, five days a week.

Scotland is the second-fattest nation in the developed world, according to figures published last year. Only the United States is suffering higher obesity levels.

Some 25.5% of the adult population in Scotland was obese in 2003, compared with 32.2% in the US.

The campaign has been criticised by opposition MSPs. Scottish Tory public health spokesman Jackson Carlaw MSP said: "This is the sort of intrusion into people's personal freedoms that we can well do without. Scots are perfectly capable of deciding what foods they want to choose from their local takeaway without the assistance of the Government."

But the campaign has been backed by a top health expert.

Carina Norris, a registered nutritionist, said: "Although this might be seen as nibbling round the edge of the problem, if you'll excuse the pun, I think this has quite a lot of potential to make a real difference. This campaign seems quite realistic, in that it recognises that people are not just going to change their behaviour all of a sudden. It recognises that people will still go out for takeaways and then suggests maybe have a healthier takeaway."

Restaurateurs had mixed views on the campaign. Chris Reilly of the Townhead Cafe in Biggar, the Scottish and UK Fish and Chip Shop of the Year 2008, said: "There's no particular danger, as far as obesity is concerned, from fish and chips cooked in the right way. It largely comes down to the standard of the shops concerned. It's wrong to pin the blame entirely on takeaways; there's plenty of high-fat food available in supermarkets."

Mirza Nawaz, an Indian restaurant proprietor in Aberdeen, said: "Recently, there was a meeting of a large number of Aberdeen takeaway restaurant owners, where we discussed ways to encourage healthy eating. We recognise that excessive consumption of takeaway food can lead to problems. The Government's right to act: kids need to be looked after."