IT’S the most beautiful illustration of the nation’s rising obesity problems: McDonald’s is to build the world’s biggest and busiest diner on the London Olympic site.

As honed athletes at the peak of fitness strive to win medals signifying their physical perfection, the rest of us can ogle at their sweat-drenched prowess while chowing down on a burger, some chips or maybe a deep fried apple pie.

The biggest Maccie D’s ever built will accommodate 1500 people in its 3000 sq-metre restaurant. And would you believe, it’s only one of four being built to serve an estimated 1.75million meals during the Olympics and Paralympics.

In Scotland, new projections claim 40% of working age adults will be obese by 2030. The obesity problem among children in the Central Belt turns out to be 10% greater than thought. A third of kids in Greater Glasgow who took part in a health and fitness scheme were found to be overweight, obese or morbidly obese. At one school, in East Dunbartonshire, pupils are being given a 40-minute lunch hour to stop them spending too long at the chippie.

Now, I went to school in Lanarkshire, where we top the fat table, so I can’t speak for pupils elsewhere. But a cut in our lunch hour would certainly have raised physical activity levels as we jogged, instead of strolled, to the chip shop. Chips consumed would have remained at a steady rate with a sharp rise in hiccoughs reported.

Turn now to Argentina where fatty beef steak figures are falling. This is not to be confused with the lack of beefcake available to single Argentinian women. It is, however, the case in Glasgow and should be addressed by the Government post-haste. I digress.

President Cristina Kirchner engaged her people to eat less beef steak, the national dish, and turn instead to chicken, a healthier option. In 2006 Argentinians ate more beef than any other country: 63kg a year per person, twice as much as the average American.

Working on the basic premise that sex sells, Ms Kirchner made chicken and pigs alluring. “Pork consumption improves sexual activity,” she said. “It’s a lot nicer to eat a bit of barbecued piglet than take Viagra.” It worked. Pork sales are up 8% and chicken up by a third.

The way to urge healthy eating is plain. Veg needs a new spin. Is Andy Coulson available yet?