A health charity has criticised the size of portions being served up at Glasgow takeaways

Takeaway chip portions are rising along with the nation’s waistlines, a health charity has claimed.

Obesity Action Scotland has carried out research into the average size of chip portions in Glasgow.

And the charity found, after sampling food from 30 outlets in the city, that the average calorie content of a bag of chips is a staggering 2000 calories.

The average size of a portion was 380 grams, which compares to 210 grams a decade ago.

Lorraine Tulloch, programme lead for Obesity Action Scotland, called for stronger legislation to help people make responsible choices.

She said: “From our study, we see a portion of chips has grown significantly since 2002.

“Today’s average bag of chips contains around half of the recommended calorie intake for a woman for an entire day. It is no wonder that people can put on weight so easily.

“Let us start to improve takeaways and eating out, by ensuring people can opt for smaller portions and are aware of the calorie content of the items they are purchasing.”

The study found there was a wide variation in available portion sizes from 120g to 755g. The vast majority, 37 out of the 40 samples were bigger than 2002 portion sizes, and one serving was over three times bigger.