Dáil debates
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Adjournment Debate
Health Services.
11:00 pm
Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending to reply to this topic. I compliment Deputy Dooley for the motion and the Minister of State for the reply to the previous matter. As someone who was involved in GP training for many years, I welcome this move. I am particularly delighted that the expansion has been achieved from a more effective use of existing resources and without the need for extra funding. This is a good news story. It is a message the Government must get out there.
Obesity is a serious problem here. There are more than 4,000 people who die from obesity-related diseases every year in this country. In 1960 we had the leanest children in Europe; in 2010 we have the fattest children in Europe. These are not my words but the words of Dr. Donal O'Shea, an expert in this field. Recently I and 14 of my colleagues had the honour of participating in "Operation Transformation", the RTE television programme, hosted by Gerry Ryan. It allowed us to participate and get benefits of taking simple measures to achieve weight reduction. The public has a major interest in this topic. The website received more than 3 million hits over the course of eight weeks and more than 500,000 people watched the programme every Wednesday night. The public wants information on this issue and it is imperative that Members of the Dáil, and particularly the Government, provide this information.
Yesterday, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, under the chairmanship of Deputy Seán à FearghaÃl, held a long meeting on obesity. It was a very good discussion, with many contributors. It mainly dealt with the curative aspect, which is very important. I emphasise two points that arose from the discussion. There is only one HSE clinic in the country that deals with this problem. As Dr. O'Shea and others said at the meeting, we should have four, with one in each HSE area.
Surgery is essential for those who are morbidly obese. We need some 400 operations every year and at the moment the HSE has the capacity to carry out 100. I request that the Department considers providing the facilities to allow it to happen. However, I am conscious that we live in a severe economic situation. We must be cognisant of the costs involved. Prevention is better than cure and "Operation Transformation" showed the way we can achieve excellent results by prevention rather than having to spend a major amount of money currently needed to effect a good cure.
There are three actions that can be taken at minimal cost, the first of which being that we publicise the benefits of exercise. Obesity is not a complicated problem. It results from people taking in more calories than they use up. If one exercises - walking is a simple exercise and costs no money - one can achieve great results. Second, we could use the traffic light system in respect of food labelling, namely, green for foods that allow one to go; amber for foods that are potentially dangerous and red for foods that are dreadful. Third, we could request the public health system to weigh at neo-natal and primary school level every child in the country and to then send home to parents the message that Johnny or Mary is 10% or 20% over weight and setting out the health risks that implies.
I am aware there exists a task force dealing with this issue and that it is doing very good work. I am interested to hear from the Minister of State what the task force is doing. I appeal to the House to provide time to for a full debate on the huge epidemic of obesity currently threatening our country. Some 4,000 people die every year from obesity.
John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, who cannot be here tonight. I thank Deputy Devins for raising this matter.
The report of the national task force on obesity, Obesity the Policy Challenges, provided the policy framework for addressing the high prevalence and rising levels of overweight and obesity, in particular childhood obesity. It attributed the development of overweight and obesity to many factors. The involvement of this wide range of factors made it essential that a multi-sectoral approach be taken to deal with the relevant issues. The report provided 93 recommendations of action aimed at six sectors, including central Government, the education, social and community and health sectors, food production and supply and the physical environment.
An inter-sectoral group on obesity, comprising relevant Departments and key stakeholders was established early in 2009 to oversee and monitor implementation of the recommendations of the taskforce. The group published a report in April 2009 detailing progress on each of the recommendations. Its examination showed that significant progress was made in respect of 30 of the recommendations, partial implementation has occurred in respect of 29 and action is progressing on a further 26, leaving only eight where little progress was reported.
The report indicated that while significant progress had been made across all sectors, there is a continuing need for concerted action to halt the rise in obesity. The group also considered key priority areas for action in the short to medium term. The group's overriding concern was the need for concerted Government action driven at the highest level to ensure a consistent approach to the implementation of the recommendations of the taskforce. Among the areas highlighted were measures to increase physical activity among children, continued awareness programmes about the dangers of excessive consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, increased control of the advertising and marketing of food and drinks aimed at children, improved training for health professionals in obesity prevention and diagnosis and counselling for those at risk of obesity.
Since the April 2009 report a significant development has been the publication in 2009 of the first national guidelines on physical activity and accompanying Get Ireland Active website. Based on best international practice, the guidelines specify the recommended levels of daily physical activity for people of all ages and abilities. The work of the inter-sectoral group on obesity is currently being examined in the context of a wider review of policy in regard to lifestyle-related illnesses to which obesity is a major contributory factor. Elements of this work will also be progressed in the forthcoming policy on cardiovascular disease which will be completed shortly.
I have taken account of Deputy Devin's remarks in respect of the importance of the deliberations of yesterday's meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children. I will take up his request this evening for a full Dáil debate on obesity with the Minister and Whips' Office.