HUNDREDS of children aged between two and four in Scotland have been referred to obesity specialists in the past three years amid concerns over their weight.

One in ten referrals to NHS Weight Management programmes for under-18s involved patients in the youngest eligible age group of pre-school children.

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However, in Scotland's largest health board area, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, more than a quarter of all weight programme referrals for young people - 103 out of 368 - were for children aged between two and four.

In total over the last three years, there were at least 519 referrals nationally for children aged two to four, although the true figure is likely to be higher as a number of health boards did not hold specific figures for under-18 referrals or could not provide a breakdown of such data by age group.

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Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said it was "tragic" that children as young as two were at risk of obesity, but stressed that it was better to intervene early.

He said: "The younger they can be picked up for excess weight gain and something is done about it, the more satisfactory and successful it will be because at that point children are much more receptive to management, instruction, coaching, whatever you want to call it, than if they were allowed to continue to put on weight and deal with it at a later date.

"Ideally what Scotland should be going for is not having bad habits in the first place, but at least their strategy is going in the right direction by identifying weight management requirements for these young children at that age.

"But of course, my first reaction is that it's tragic that it's necessary in the first place."

The total numbers of referrals for under-18s have been fairly steady over the past three years, but there was a substantial increase in NHS Forth Valley - from 37 in 2014/15 to 87 last year.

In NHS Lothian they were also up 15.5 per cent, from 328 to 379 last year.

It comes as the Scottish Government considers responses to the consultation on its proposed obesity strategy, which includes measures such as banning bulk-buy offers on junk food such as crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks, limiting portion sizes from takeaways and requiring restaurants to display calorie information on menus.

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The Scottish Government wants to expand the sugar levy to include milk-based drinks, such milkshakes and hot chocolate, containing less than 95 per cent milk, and is also pushing for a ban on advertising junk food on television before the 9pm watershed - but both issues are reserved to Westminster.

Scotland has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world and research has shown that overweight or obese preschoolers are five times more likely than normal-weight children to become overweight or obese adults.

Dr Steve Turner, Officer for Scotland for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said: “With the drafting of an obesity strategy, Scottish Government has a real opportunity to turn these statistics around.

"We know that obesity rates are falling in the more affluent communities in Scotland, so it is possible to reduce obesity rates.

"What we hope to see are bold policies that invest in prevention, particularly in our less affluent communities, as we know this is much easier than cure.”

The figures were obtained in a freedom of information request by the Scottish Conservatives.

Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said: “These figures show tens of thousands of people – even children as young as two – are being referred to specialists.

“If we don’t take steps to tackle this problem now, the consequences for both the health of our population and the future strain on the NHS will be severe."

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: “We put forward a bold package of measures in our draft diet and healthy weight strategy to help everyone make positive choices, empower personal change, and makes Scotland a healthier place to live.

“The strategy includes world leading proposals to restrict the marketing of foods high in fat, salt and sugar.

"Now that the strategy consultation has closed, we will continue to lead the consensus across the political spectrum as we set out our next steps.

"As was the case with tobacco and minimum unit pricing for alcohol, when Parliament unites around a common purpose we can make a real and lasting change to the health of our nation.”