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I am Scottish (from Skye incidentally) and fully resent articles like this where authors think they are doing us a 'favour' by pointing out the well known fact of how lucky we are up here to have such a wealth of fabulous produce while reinforcing cultural stereotypes. To say that 'many' of Scotland's population eat fried food on a daily basis is not only wrong but deeply offensive to the 'many' of us who don't! I am in no way arguing that parts of Scotland don't have horrendous health problems and low life expectancy however there is more too it than simply diet i.e poverty, education, unemployment.

I couldn't agree more with the the comments made by "Iheartfood", parts of the article made my blood boil. I am Scottish and have lived predominantly on the West Coast and whilst I agree there are many chip shops and fast food outlets it is certainly not true to say that most people eat there on a daily basis. I'm only surprised that the deep fried mars bar didn't find its way into this article, of which I have not only never eaten one I don't know anyone who has or indeed seen a shop make one. You may also be forgiven for thinking that the rest of the UK doesn't have an obesity problem or have chip shops. I can only hope that the author looks next to English food so that she can lift her nose at people from the northern counties where presumably eat nothing but pies all day!

I live in Shotts and had never heard of this Healthy Living Centre. I would also love to see these clear skinned folk that the article talks about. Are you sure you were in Shotts?

Gaia here is a link to the Healthy Living Centre.


I am a westcoaster living in the east coast for 40 years, I have never
had a deep-fried pizza or Mars Bar. Never seen them advertised either.

I am a Londoner born and bred living in Rural NE Scotland for 21 years, and as one might expect as a member of a food board I am fond of good food and cooking so you won't get a particularly broad spread of views. However......

Firstly, I wonder how in depth the research was on what foreign people think constitutes British Food. Most often I hear: Roast Beef; Fish and Chips; Pies; Potatoes, Chicken Tikka Masala, Pizza and a few throw up Eels (yes, I might also!).

Scottish Food to me says fresh flesh from land sea and air. Wonderful fish and shellfish from our lochs, rivers and offshore; game birds in season, and wonderful farmed or wild beef, venison and lamb. All of these can make easy, tasty, healthy meals though not always cheap. Or readily available everywhere.

They also require a small amount of knowledge and experience to cook them at all - and then choose to cook them healthily. It is equally easy to make these lovely healthy basics unhealthy by the way we cook and serve them.

Education, especially about recognising, handling and cooking good foods simply - (healthily??? which means lots of different things) and well is sadly lacking in many homes, schools and eateries generally.

It is not unique to Scotland.

p.s. I live near the home of the Deep Fried Mars Bar (other chocolate confections are available - and yes, they will batter and fry those also.

We (Husband and two sons) decided we had to try one, just once. Between 4 of us we could not swallow a whole one. We a were also pretty aghast to discover that if you order a pie (meat/macaroni etc) in a chipper it will be 'fried' unless you tell them not too.

Let's face it, as one gets further north, the body requires more fat to insulate it against the weather.

I am also Scottish (west of Scotland) and slightly surprised that a radio presenter is perhaps not more enlightened about food produce here!!
What about Smoked Salmon, Scallops, Venison, Lamb, an array of fresh vegetables, raspberries, rhubarb, brambles, oats, and an loads of other products that come from Scotland! I have never in my life had a deep fried chocolate bar, but I have had plenty of healthy meals from fresh food!!!

Living in the Highland and Islands is not as simple as Ms Dillon would have you believe.Culture,customs,logistics,finance and a host of other factors play a huge part in the way we choose or are foced to live our lives.Crofting is a huge part of the way of life little more than a hand to mouth existence,a love and a passion for a way of life. Every thing has to get here by road,fuel, time ,weather and the same going back south salmon venison shellfish white fish,to where the money and the lucrative markrts are. I have spent the last 20 years cooking some of the finest for for some of the wealthiest people in the highlands and at the other end of the scale driven 44 ton artics all over the north in the finest of summer days and the worst of total whiteouts at Drumochter when taking organic carrots to Cumbernauld for M&S for onward distribution to the rest of Britain. also tubed prawns that came from Achiltibuie and were to be flown from Edinburgh to Turin Milan and Barcelona.Local businesses rely so heavily on the added value of markets in the south. It is possible to grow a lot up here but it usually has to be done in polytunnels which are expensive and unheated ,fine in mild areas and then there is day length,short growing season which is partly people grew and relied on potatoes carrot cabbages swedes onions kale ,and other tough reliable veg that if you put precious time effort andmoney you could sure of a return for your efforts and would also last through the long winters.So many old habits that die hard and so many temptetions via the media that have to paid for on meagre incomes. Many pros and many cons ,all in all a huge quandry.

Hoots, lassie, in some respec's yir elbow's oot the windae...We Scots are not all of the "vegetables are what's left on your plate when you've finished your dinner" persuasion.
As long as our producers get higher profits from selling our "wonderful" produce abroad so then will we continue to eat what gives us most energy for lowest price. Biscuits are an extreme example, followed, I suspect by high fat foods.
Show me a source of cheap home grown all the year round ripe fruit and vegetables and we will buy them, yes we will ...but that knocks out supermarkets.... even their reduced offers.
What do I eat? I had a poached egg, a bowl of porridge and an orange for breakfast this morning....how much healthier can I get?
I have to tell you that up here we do laugh at the "What's a balanced diet?..Answer..A Gregg's pie in each hand"...
Now may I suggest you go into one of London's less desirable areas, study their diet and see if you couldn't help bring about an improvement a bit closer to home.