Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We have a wonderful opportunity to discuss such a good, weighty report, if the pun will be pardoned. Obesity has become a serious problem. Between seven and nine years ago I visited America with my children, who were very young at the time. I had difficulty getting them to take their eyes off overweight people, as they could not believe what they saw. I never thought we would reach the same heights as the Americans reached.

The report shows we now have an obesity problem. I was amazed to read that 39% of Irish adults are estimated to be overweight and 18% are estimated to be obese. The Minister of State has already alluded to the 2,000 premature deaths every year that are a direct result of obesity. In 2003 inpatient costs were a staggering €30 million for one year for patients treated for problems related to obesity. The problem is having detrimental effects on the good work that has taken place in the area of cardiovascular health.

In the past few years much of that good work has been eroded because of people's obesity and weight problems. Type 2 diabetes is another disease that affects overweight people. There are also patients suffering from stroke, gallstones and interrupted sleep patterns as a result of obesity.

Irish society has changed a great deal over the past ten to 15 years. We have greater disposable income and there are more persuasive types of advertising. People are taking far less exercise and are making trips by car, whereas ten or 20 years ago they walked. This is having a serious effect on people's lives. Childhood obesity is the fastest-growing disease in Europe and 327,000 children on the island of Ireland are overweight or obese. The figure is growing annually by 10,500.

The Taoiseach recently spoke about the demise of street games. When one drives into a town or an estate one does not see children playing. As a child growing up in Tullamore, County Offaly, I was on the street morning, noon and night playing games with every other child from the town. We went out at 10 a.m. during summer holidays and would not return until we were called for dinner. We went back out in the afternoon and also at night. We played games such as chase, tig and skipping. A piece of rope would stretch the length of the street and every child would join in. We had nursery rhymes to go with all the activities and there were never any overweight children. We did not have time to gain weight, nor did we have the money.

Running in school yards has been mentioned many times over the past few days. I cannot see any reason children should not be allowed run and play in a school yard. Litigation has to be examined and perhaps there should be discussions with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform about what happens when a court awards large sums of money. There was a time when if a child got pushed or fell over in the school yard it was regarded as an accident, but those days are gone. There are no accidents anymore and everything is brought to the courts. This is wrong and there needs to be a change in the justice system.

If a judge is satisfied there was proper supervision in the school yard I do not see why the school can be sued when a child is knocked down in the yard. One cannot provide one-to-one supervision as one would provide at home. As all parents are paying insurance for children in primary and post-primary schools they are covered for insurance reasons if a child does get knocked down. When my children were in primary school there was not a day they did not come home with a cut knee, a cut elbow or a gash on the lip. I had to go to the accident and emergency unit on many occasions but it was treated as an accident, and one warned the child to be a little more gentle at play.

All Irish consumers love biscuits, chocolates and fizzy drinks. Last summer, in France, I was surprised to see the layout of French supermarkets, which is different from Irish ones. Very little shelf space was devoted to biscuits and chocolates in the French supermarkets, but far more space was provided for fruit and vegetables. There is a big difference in this respect between Irish and French supermarkets. We should aspire to change our cultural views on diet, possibly becoming more like Paris and Bordeaux than Pittsburgh and Boston. We should be making whatever changes are necessary in this regard.

I am delighted to hear radio advertisements for affordable gym membership. People can now join gyms at a lower price than before thanks to all the good work Mr. Ben Dunne has achieved. We do not do enough to encourage children and adults to walk, cycle, jog or take other exercise. Recently, I read in the Irish Medical Times that general practitioners are wholeheartedly behind the recommendation on the report of the national task force on obesity. For too long, GPs have been seeking guidelines on weight problems, including obesity. The report recommends that GPs should avail of every opportunity to discuss healthy eating and lifestyle habits with their patients, whether male or female, young or old. I am sure GPs will monitor height, weight and waist measurements. Ante-natal clinics provide doctors with an opportunity to discuss lifestyle skills, including healthy eating and active living, with prospective parents.

At secondary school level, leaving certificate points could be awarded for physical as well as academic achievement. We are all aware of the scourge of suicide among young people but if there was less pressure on youngsters to achieve academic success the situation might improve. Physical activity by students should also be recognised for entry to college. They could, for example, be awarded points for football, hurling, swimming, golf and other sporting endeavours. That would encourage young people to engage in sports and, thus, feel part of the system. Some may not be academically bright, but physically they would have an advantage over others who might be more academically gifted. Sport is a wonderful way of exercising.

I am delighted to have had the opportunity to comment on this marvellous report, which I welcome. It is in all our interests to ensure its recommendations are acted upon. This is one report that will not be left on the shelf to gather dust.