High Obesity Rate Among Scottish Presbyterians
According to an official health survey, the rate of obesity among Presbyterians in Scotland is higher than any other religious group in the country.
Members of the Church of Scotland have a 30 per cent rate of obesity, the survey found, with non-religious persons coming in second with a rate of 26 per cent.
Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists had the lowest rate at 15 per cent.
Dietary rules imposed by those traditions may help explain some of the findings, said Dr. Gerry McCartney, head of the Public Health Observatory Division for Health Scotland, the Herald Scotland reported.
Muslims are forbidden from eating pork, Hindus do not eat beef and some schools of Hinduism and Buddhism promote vegetarianism.
These groups were the most likely to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Sixty-three per cent of Scottish Buddhists eat the recommended amount, the government survey found.
Other factors, such as income and location, may also impact the types of food people eat and may affect obesity rates as a result.
¦ —with files from the Scotland Herald
