Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Asked by

Search by keyword

Dates of parliamentary sessions

Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
Current session: 12 May 2021 to 29 November 2024

Search by question reference

Select a time period

Start date

End date

Answer status

Answered questions

Unanswered questions

Holding answers

Taken in Chamber

Question type

FMQs

General Questions

Portfolio Questions

SPCB Questions

Topical Questions

Written Questions

GIQs

Clear search

Displaying 1 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-31352

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of primary school pupils have been classified as overweight in each year since 2012.

In 2023, almost seven in ten children were within a healthy weight range (69%) based on their BMI, this was within the range of 64% - 72% recorded since 1998.

The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) sets out data on children’s weight. The table of children aged 5-11 with valid interviewer administered height and weight measurements from that report is set out below by year::

BMI, Children aged 5-11, 2012 to 2023
Base: Children aged 5-11 with valid interviewer administered height and weight measurements					2012 - 2023
BMI status (National BMI percentiles)	2012	2013	2014	2015		2016	2017	2018	2019	2020*	2021	2022	2023
	%	%	%	%		%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Not at risk of overweight or obesity	73	72	71	73		72	76	73	75		68	71	69
At risk of overweight (excluding obesity)	13	12	12	13		13	12	12	12		11	12	12
At risk of obesity	14	16	17	14		14	13	15	13		21	17	18
Base	629	636	651	507		581	576	672	695		386	386	677

Data for 2020 have not been included, as data collection was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic*.

For definitions of BMI status, please use the following link.