Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 April 2006

Diabetes Policy: Statements.

 

8:00 pm

Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State and the opportunity to speak in this important debate. Like other Senators, I commend Senator Glynn on his perseverance in regard to this issue, his insistence on constantly raising it, bringing to public attention and having it considered. I was not aware of the figures until I read the Minister of State's speech and listened to other Senators. There is no question but that this is a serious public health issue.

I wish to limit my remarks to the growth of type 2 diabetes, because there is a major distinction between the two types. We need to consider the reasons for the growth of type 2 diabetes and the implications for the health service and, as other Senators said, the economic implications. The Minister of State did not mention the cost in his speech. How much does it cost to treat people with type 2 diabetes? While most are treated at primary care level, it must be possible to calculate the cost. The cost of cigarette smoking has been calculated, so I hope every effort is being made by the Department to calculate the cost to the taxpayer and the Exchequer of the growth of type 2 diabetes.

We need to consider the growth of childhood diabetes. As Senator Browne said, people who we would not have expected to develop diabetes until possibly their 60s are now developing it at a much younger age. There is a very worrying trend in regard to the growth of childhood diabetes which is linked to diet and exercise and which is preventable. In other words, we can do something about it, but clearly we are not doing so.

I am a parent and I know of the pressures on the modern family, which Senator Browne mentioned. There is often a tendency to buy fast food and put it in the microwave. When one eats such food one is unaware of the amount of added sugar and salt in it. Given our increased affluence and prosperity, more people go out to dinner and our diet has probably become less healthy. Growing up, we had a very plain eating regime but children nowadays would not put up with it. Fizzy drinks should be banned in schools and fizzy drinks machines should be removed from them. A clear message should be sent to children about healthy eating yet we are not doing enough in that regard.

I am very concerned about the growth of childhood diabetes. A task force on obesity has been established and, clearly, there is an issue in terms of weight, exercise and unhealthy lifestyle. We must look at how we will transform the situation because we are not doing enough in that regard. Every now and then, there is a spate of advertising, talk about the healthy eating pyramid, the fact we need to eat more of this and that, and about using the stairs instead of the lift. RTE also broadcasts good programmes on healthy living. However, we are only skimming the surface. We must recognise we have a major problem on our hands. Unless we treat it as a major problem, it will not be responded to as such. It will be regarded as a problem for somebody else to worry about.

Given that type 2 diabetes is preventable, it is inexcusable that we are not dealing with the issue. When we look at the issue of lifestyle, we probably need to look at the broader issue of the pressure families are under. It is possible families do not have enough time to cook a healthy meal — hence the increase in the consumption of fast food, the number of people going out to eat and the number of fast food outlets. While there is nothing wrong with having a burger and chips occasionally, we all know that in some cases it becomes the regular diet, which is not acceptable. Let us consider how we can make our schools and workplaces healthy. We are doing our children a disservice by not taking this matter seriously because they will be left with a lifetime of illness and possibly a reduced life expectancy.

I thank all those involved in bringing about this debate. I hope it will generate the kind of action that needs to be taken.

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