Dr. Catherine Woods:

There are two sides to every coin. I have heard a lot of discussion around nutrition and a lack of discussion on physical activity. I wish to draw the committee’s attention to the fact that 86% of primary and post-primary school children are insufficiently active to benefit their current and protect their future health. One could ask why that is important. It is important because physical activity will protect one’s heart and lungs, develop mental capacity and allow one to perform better in school and it will help one in social circumstances. It will also address obesity. It is a behaviour that has massive health consequences if not adhered to. Inactivity – sitting - as we are all doing right now and have been for some time, is the fourth leading risk factor for premature mortality in the world. We need intervention. Dr. Eldin referred to the physical activity plan, which I urge members to read. It explains exactly how we might go about addressing the problem of inactivity in a concrete way where we use a multi-sectoral approach but it tells us how to do it using evidence from around the world. We have consulted with the WHO and everybody on the issue.

Intervention is needed on children. One could ask why and where it is needed. It is needed because of high levels of inactivity but we can do it in the home. The vision in the plan is that children are born into active families with active brothers and sisters, active parents and active aunts and uncles. The vision in the plan is that there would be an increase in the frequency and quality of physical education in the school, where only 10% of primary and post-primary children get the recommended minutes of physical education every week.

It recommends that breaktimes, in a whole-of-school approach, are long enough that children do not need to eat their lunches quickly and have time to go out and play. They learn and develop all the decision making skills and social skills on the pitch that are important for the education of our children. We want interventions in communities with speed limits that allow children to walk and cycle to school safely. We want footpaths and cycle lanes, and coaches who are trained in how to work with children. We should put children first and sport second every so often, with increases in participation in recreation. We want professionals who advocate for a physical activity world. We do this in a unified way through a national plan through which education talks to health and transport, so to speak, to ensure that when a child leaves his or her home every decision is thought about and active choices are made, which are the easy choices.

Deputy Byrne referred to the principal and her healthy eating vision. Would it not be wonderful if that vision was also to do with physically active children? Being active was part of what we were when we left school, as well as acquiring our junior or leaving certificates or other skills.