In Scotland school, toddlers gym to fight fat

New Delhi: With concerns rising about obesity and heart ailments, a nursery school in Scotland has decided to nip the problem in the bud.

It has built a toddler size gym in it's playroom to tackle child obesity. Children at the nursery are being encouraged to take up exercise at a much younger age in the hope that they will grow into healthy adults.

A government report released this week lists Scotland as having the second highest number of obese persons after USA.

Since 1995, obesity in the adult population here has increased by 46 percent. While one in five seven year olds were estimated to be obese in 2004-05.

"If a child is overweight or obese below the age of six or seven years of age it's likely that they will be overweight or obese in adulthood. There is something like a two-fold increase in the possibility of them having a heart attack or heart-related disease of problems or issues,” said Dr John Sproule from Edinburgh University Department of Physical Education.

Source: www.ibnlive.com