Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. We all know that if we eat healthy food and exercise a little bit more, we would diminish weight and obesity problems more rapidly. The difficulty is getting people to do that. Professor Donal O'Shea has campaigned for a long time for us to address the serious issue of obesity in the general population and in children specifically.

The witnesses indicated there is no single solution but we must start somewhere. Do the schools have a role and what role should we have in terms of legislation, particularly with regard to sugar or fat taxes? Where could a start be made in addressing childhood obesity in particular? Some teachers have indicated to me that a difficulty they have in some communities is that the art or skill of cooking healthy foods is so diminished, parents are incapable of cooking food properly. Processed food is often fed to children. Where could the committee start in promoting and addressing the issue?