Ms Kizzy Moroney:

I thank members for their questions and for inviting us before the committee today. The meeting has been great. Members are all very well informed. There is so much to say and it is difficult to condense it.

I am grateful that the issue was raised about how parents feel when they come to us and how we approach the situation by saying things in a gentle way. It is frightening that we regularly sit opposite parents who do not know why they have been referred to us, so we are left with the challenge of explaining why they are present. Their faces drop. The child is present for the meeting. As Dr. Murphy said, growth charts are fantastic for GPs and practice nurses. The focus is on them and the issues are outlined so one does not even have to mention specific words. It is a case of bringing matters to a factual level. From a dietary point of view there is a lot we can do to address the issues. In terms of waiting lists, millions of resources have been developed and we can send out information. All the work has been done and the information is ready to go.

We often introduce food from a healthy eating point of view. Initially, we introduce more food involving healthier options. With high-sugar foods the appetite is satisfied in the short term but then the hunger kicks in again. One introduces foods from which energy is released more slowly. In effect, it is more food, which is a comfort for parents. It is not the case that one gives them too much. When one is educated on the food pyramid it is a handy resource, similar to the plate model in the UK. When one ticks all the healthy eating boxes, some of the unhealthy foods just subside naturally. When Dr. Brinkley speaks she might refer to behavioural change that one sees six to eight weeks before the proper behavioural change takes place.

We support parents and reassure them that there are 40 reasons why children are overweight today. For example, it could have to do with not being active, not having safe areas outside in which to play and not being allowed to run in schools. Food Dudes was a schools programme which Ms Flanagan might speak about. Because of technological developments children are not as active anymore. Cheaper food is higher in fat. We address food labelling in simple ways on the programmes. We give simple take-home messages along with the top five tips such as having less than 5 g of fat or sugar per 100 g of a treat food. We have little take-home messages on the programmes we run. We go through budgeting and what is achievable in the supermarket. If one is dealing with a large family, one focuses on bulk buying. We help families with budgeting as well. We try to encompass all such matters. Does Deputy Mitchell O’Connor want a further response to her question about what one says to parents during the first consultation?