James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is correct. There is major interest in this because, as Deputy Kelleher correctly points out and as I have mentioned in the past and we all believe it now to be true, ours could be the first generation to bury the generation following us due to the epidemic of obesity and the consequent epidemic of type 2 diabetes, something which I never saw in a person under the age of 30 years old when I was practising 20 years ago. Now, one sees it in teenagers. It is scary. There is no question that it is related. I have had an interest in this for a long time. Every second person who came to my clinic and had obesity was unaware of it. If one is not aware one has a problem, one cannot address it. Awareness is a huge part of it, and I thank Deputy Kelleher for his support in striving to improve awareness.

The issue is multi-factorial, so it does not just involve the Department of Health. It involves the Department of Justice and Equality, in terms of having safe places to exercise at night, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, so there are well-lit pathways that are safe, and the Department of Education and Skills, in getting children to form a good habit of physical exercise. Senator Eamonn Coghlan has been very active in this area and in advising people about the value of fitness for the sake of fitness and how well it makes one feel. There is much medical information and research which shows that muscular activity creates endorphins, which are morphine-like substances that can make one feel well.

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