Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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How many of the family members of the witnesses have changed their lifestyles since they enlisted in the programme? Have they changed their lifestyles because of the participation of the witnesses in the programme? In going to schools, did the witnesses find children in poorer areas were more obese than those in more affluent areas?

My third question concerns parenting and the responsibility of parents. Do the witnesses think parents are being let off the hook if we expect schools to take on that role? There are 84 waking hours in the week of a child and, of that, only 25 hours are spent in school. The witnesses referred to the importance of education and fitness in school, yet the first reference was always to school rather than parents, who seem to be second or third on the list.

I grew up in a big family in a working-class area. I was in the attic the other night looking for a photograph for a book. I came across a box of photographs of children, including myself, who used to go on club holidays with Sunshine House. I did not see one fat kid in the photograph. I was 18 years old at the time and I was a size 6. The difficulty is that parents depend on everyone else outside to do things for their children. We have lost the value of what it is to be a family and to sit at home. Children do not bring the basket to the supermarket counter; adults do. We are responsible for what we put in it.

I happen to be a good cook, and I am not afraid to say it, because my mother was a good cook. We had basic meals. There was always bacon and cabbage and home baking. Brown bread or biscuits were always being made at home. We did not have money. We got a cake from Johnston, Mooney and O'Brien with a little cherry on top on our birthdays. People were not buying cakes for €50 for their children. The most important point is that we have a responsibility when we bring a child into the world. From day one, no matter what else we do, we have a responsibility to teach them to be sensible adults and grow up in good health. Now, we are depending on outside influences, including the "Operation Transformation" programme, which encourages parents to take more of a back seat. I do not agree with that and I think parents should be more proactive and get involved with their children.

I have one son who never played football because I was always on the sidelines screaming at him. I have four daughters, none of whom play sport, but they are all conscious of their weight and what they eat. That came not from outside but from being around the kitchen table. We always have our meals sitting at the kitchen table. None of my children, who are grown adults now, would have been allowed to have their meals sitting in front of the television. There is a lesson for all of us. One of the witnesses referred to plain, good old-fashioned eating. Most of us were reared like this and we need to go back to that and place more responsibility on parents when they bring children into the world.