Dr. Liam Glynn:

I fully agree with Senator Dolan on the burden of morbidity associated with increased life expectancy. I have been examining this issue in detail in my academic career, focusing particularly on self-management. This is a major element and almost an elephant in the room in the sense that we do not talk about it nearly enough. My particular expertise is in high blood pressure and physical activity. It is clear that if we enable patients to monitor their blood pressure, it has a benefit in reducing blood pressure by almost the same amount as one of the medications patients take. This practice has a very powerful effect and I am delighted the Healthy Ireland strategy places emphasis on this type of approach. It has been shown clearly that brief interventions by general practitioners are extremely effective in encouraging lifestyle changes. However, such interventions require time and general practitioners are running to catch up with ourselves. If this could be enabled, it would be a very powerful mechanism for dealing with much of the morbidity we are experiencing and would genuinely empower people to manage their conditions. Not only does this benefit the individuals in question but it also benefits the health service.

In terms of actions outside the health service, I very much agree that obesity is only one of a number of the health tsunamis on the horizon. In many ways, the obesity tsunami has already struck. The National Association of General Practitioners very much supports the idea of a sugar tax. This measure could be very effective. We have also expressed public support for minimum pricing for alcohol. The alcohol Bill before the Oireachtas is important because general practitioners see day in and day out the detrimental effect alcohol has on lives.