Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I rise to raise a World Health Organization, WHO, report that, thankfully, has found that sugar consumption among 11 to 15 year olds decreased between 2002 and 2014 although, unfortunately, obesity has continued to increase. It is good to know that the efforts made and the awareness campaigns being run about diet are having some effect.

The data for Ireland show that 70% fewer 11 to 15 year olds drank sugar-sweetened soft drinks daily in 2014 than in 2002. The same survey found that daily vegetable consumption had increased by 12.5%. However, despite these positive figures on the diet front, obesity in Ireland has been steadily increasing over these years. Although some children's diets may be healthier, it is clear some other issues are contributing to obesity - for example, our sedentary lifestyle and our obsession with social media and the like. Computer usage of two hours or more on a weekday has increased by 203%, for example, while moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity of 60 minutes or more a day has decreased significantly.

I have raised concerns about the increased time spent online, not least because of children's and teenagers' mental health, but this report from the WHO suggests that factors such as the increased use of computers and smartphones, as well as video games and the like, have a substantial part to play in our obesity issue. I raise this issue and this report so that we might have the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, brought into the House when we reconvene. I know there will be much legislation over the next while and, in fairness to the Leader, he did have the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, come before the House relatively recently for a discussion on obesity. Unfortunately, there is no specific Ministry responsible for obesity now so it falls back on the desk of Deputy Harris to deal with.We need to continue to have an integrated approach to tackling obesity in this country. It is still a very serious problem. Some progress has been made however, as is evident from this report.