Dr. Eddie Murphy:

A number of interesting questions have been raised.

Let me invite committee members to think about the concept of the "Nudge Unit", a behavioural unit that is being adopted in the United Kingdom and America, which has been used in a number of situations, for example in dealing with teenage pregnancies, health choices and paying tax. They have saved significant sums of money in terms of nudging people to make better choices and it answers the questions on the role of parents. People thought that fewer would cycle in Ireland when the cycle scheme was introduced in Dublin, but it turned out that it became the social norm and bicycle sales increased.

We need to create new social norms in order that we need to distinguish between entertainment and eating. Sometimes we eat in front of the television. We need to provide structure so that people are eating with the family around the table. There is an increased incidence of obesity in poor children and in working class areas. Senator Colm Burke raised the discussion on weight with health care professionals. It is almost that obesity has become the new stigma. It is a bit like talking around suicide and mental health. We need to drop the diplomacy and have honest and real conversations and give people the capacity and the language to have conversations that engage people to say "This is where I think you are at". Rather than lecturing people, we must invite people to change and they may come on board. If one lectures people, they will step back and go back into child mode and rebel against the advice. One needs to change the process and invite people to take help to engage in the process of change. "Operation Transformation" remains on the website throughout the year. It is a free programme and people can commence the food and exercise programme and engage in change. The programme raises awareness and gives them a focused awareness so that they understand the process. At present being overweight and obesity are seen as the norm. Young people of 14 years weight 3 stone 7 lbs more than their grandfathers did at the same age. I think that is incredible.