Dr. Muireann Cullen:

On the cost of food, it needs to be brought back to basics. From a nutrition point of view, fresher food produce can be more expensive. As there are certainly many specials available in supermarkets, it is a question of looking out for them. Tinned and frozen foods can be as, or even more, nutritious than unprocessed food because they have not been left lying degenerating on the supermarket shelf.

As I said, we have cases in which we have had intervention in the GP setting to show mothers how uncomplicated it is to have a healthier diet, as well as encouraging more physical activity which will also benefit the future health of their children. However, I agree we need to have greater intervention at school level, with healthy eating guidelines and physical activity, which need to become compulsory. I agree with Deputy Catherine Byrne on the need for physical education every day for one hour, particularly considering our children need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. As we know we are not reaching that target, school is an important environment in which to exert influence in this regard.

The home environment is also key when it comes to food consumption choices, how often they are consumed and cooked, etc. We need to bring into home economics in school aspects such as the enjoyment of food and balanced diets. Unfortunately, it is difficult to be prescriptive with children when it comes to the food pyramid because they grow at different rates. However, there are suggested portion sizes for the different age groups. A colleague of mine has told me that when her kids tell her they are hungry, she tells them to have a piece of fruit. If they say no to the fruit, she knows they are not really hungry.