A quarter of all adults in Tayside and Fife are obese.
Latest figures show that Scotland has one of the fattest populations in the world, with two out of three adults overweight.
This can lead to health problems including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
A greater proportion of Scottish men and women are obese compared to their peers across the rest of the UK and Europe. Only the US has greater obesity rates than Scotland.
This week The Courier will explore the possible causes of an epidemic some experts now claim is a greater threat to public health than smoking.
Over the next two days we will also find out what is being done to tackle the problem.
Today we examine obesity rates among adults and children in Scotland, Tayside and Fife.
We also reveal how fire crews in Tayside and Fife have been called out dozens of times over the past five years to help paramedics move obese patients.
Firefighters have also responded to 999 calls where adults have become stuck in the bath and, on several occasions, have been asked to help undertakers move extremely heavy bodies.
Obesity also places an enormous strain on the NHS. It is estimated that around 30,000 people across the UK die prematurely because of health problems linked to their weight.
The total cost to the UK economy in treatment, welfare and days lost to illness now stands at around £2 billion per year.
In Scotland it costs £450 million per year but it has been estimated that if left unchecked the total bill could exceed £3 billion annually.For more, see Tuesday’s Courier