James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this hugely important issue. If we do not address it we may end up the first generation to bury the generation behind it, which is not the natural order of things or what any parent ever wants to be involved in.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased with alarming speed over the past 30 or so years, so much so that the World Health Organisation calls it a "global epidemic". The problem has been exacerbated in recent years as a result of our changing social, economic and physical environment and by a dramatic reduction in physical activity and changing dietary patterns. It is projected that if current trends are maintained half the population of the United States will be obese by 2025. The disease is now a major public health problem throughout Europe. The situation in Ireland mirrors the global obesity epidemic, with 61% of Irish adults now overweight or obese. Most worrying of all is the fact that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in Europe, with body overweight now the most prevalent childhood disease. Some 25% of Irish children aged 5-12 and 20% of teenagers are either overweight or obese.

Childhood obesity is of particular interest to me. Obesity is a condition in which weight gain has reached the point of seriously endangering health. Some people may exhibit a genetic predisposition to weight gain but in general overweight and obesity in individuals is an excess of energy intake over energy expended. Obesity in children is of major concern in that it causes a wide range of serious health and social consequences and increases the likelihood of adult morbidity. The health consequences of overweight children during childhood are less clear but a systematic review shows that childhood obesity is strongly associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, orthopaedic problems and mental disorders. Moreover, childhood obesity is linked to lower self-esteem. More than 60% of children who are overweight before puberty will be overweight in early adulthood, reducing the average age at which non-communicable diseases become apparent and greatly increasing the burden on health services, which have to provide treatment during much of their adult life.

Earlier this year, a special action group on obesity was established, comprising key stakeholders to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of obesity. Alone no single initiative will reverse the trend but a combination of measures should make a difference. For this reason the group is concentrating on a range of measures, including actions such as calorie posting in restaurants, the introduction of a sugar tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, nutritional labelling, restrictions on the marketing of food and drink to children, the improved detection and treatment of obesity, revised healthy eating guidelines and the promotion of physical activity. The group will liaise with other Departments and organisations as required.

The Health Service Executive continues its work on many programmes and services to help prevent and treat obesity, including the provision of nutritional programmes, the roll out of national physical activity programmes, the community games and the all-Ireland media campaign "Little Steps". Equally the Department, in conjunction with other organisations and Departments, is involved in a number of programmes that encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles.

The World Health Organisation recommends that no more than 10% of daily energy should come from added sugar. It has serious concerns over the high and increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks by children in many countries. Sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks seem to be a contributory factor to the obesity epidemic. Research in the US shows that adolescents there now consume more calories from drink than do from the food they eat. The Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance conducted the national children's food survey in 2005,a survey of the diets of children in Ireland aged 5-12. Preliminary analysis shows a high intake of fat and sugar, a low intake of vitamins and minerals and high physical inactivity with 7-10 year olds spending three hours in front of a TV and-or computer screen every night. Looking specifically at foods from the top shelf of the food pyramid, every day children consumed 17 grams of chocolate, 11 grams of non-chocolate confectionery, 12 grams of savoury snacks and 26 grams of biscuits, cakes and pastries.

We take this problem seriously. The Government is basing its policy on evidenced based information. The Deputy may be aware that I recently visited the United Nations for the second ever meeting of the UN on a health matter, namely, non-communicable diseases. Each of the nations, developing and developed, are facing huge problems in relation to their health budgets and their ability to look after their people if we do not address this serious issue.

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