Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 11 October 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed)

11:30 am

Dr. Donal O'Shea:

On whether we will have an outbreak of anorexia in response to highlighting children's weight, that point has been made and we come across it regularly talking to parents. It is a mistake. Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disease. The tool is food but it is not a food-related disease.

In terms of increased physical activity in the classroom, this is part of the cross-sectoral approach. Wake Up Shake Up programmes are in place in some schools, under which children stand up and do some musical dancing in between classes. We mentioned the green school. There is an active school programme that is trying to encourage all of that but it must be embedded in schools across the entire country, and that will involve resources.