Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, and thank Senator Noone for driving this issue. I hope we can use this time to get detailed feedback on the progress of a Healthy Weight for Ireland plan and other initiatives that aim to tackle the issues raised in the report.

I commend the work of the committee on this report and I agree with very many of the key recommendations and findings. This report provides more evidence that childhood obesity is island wide. Somewhere between 25% and 28% of children on the entire island of Ireland are overweight or obese. It is a serious issue both North and South. It seems that a common policy, sharing of expertise and resources makes sense in tackling this issue across the island. That perspective is applicable to all health issues. I ask the Minister of State to consider how we can do more North-South collaboration on this issue. After all co-operation seems to be the theme of the committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

There are other considerations in childhood obesity. It is hard being an overweight child. The health risks are obvious, and include diabetes, cardiac issues in later life and impairment of respiratory, renal and other functions. All organs are affected by the extra burden of carrying an increased body mass index. It leads to a shorter lifespan.

It is chilling to think that statistics from the United States and a few other countries show that this generation may be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents. I think that is amazing. As well as the impact on physical health, the psychological consequences cannot be over estimated. Obesity affects self esteem, mood swings, depression and suicidal thoughts. Children who are overweight often play in isolation, which encourages further psychological consequences of being overweight, the humiliation in the playground sends them back to being by themselves, the indignity of being called names would have a significant impact on a child and how vulnerable they would become.

In the course of the report the committee recommends involving and consulting children and young people as part of any approach to reduce childhood obesity. I welcome this consultation with them. If we want to influence the behaviours of young children, adults or teenagers we must get them on-side. We cannot forget the invaluable input they will contribute by their insight into their real-life experience. They need to be included in the decision making that affects them and that is vital.

The advertising of unhealthy food is targeted at children. This is a key finding of the report. I would like to know what plans the Government has to help tackle this. We all felt the iron fist of the powerful industry lobby during the debate on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015. If this report's recommendations are to be implemented in full, then the Minister and the Government must be resilient to the vested interests of industry.

In the final debate before the summer recess on childhood obesity, Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, on behalf of the Government, stated the Department is working with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland on a new code to restrict the marketing of food and drink to children. The children's code is being revised and we have made submissions in that regard. Perhaps we could get some detailed update on the work since then.

The report also recommends a strong focus on schools. What has been done to date to provide schools and communities with the resources they need to implement the policy? It is unfair to lump more and more responsibility on the schools without equipping them. In their role teachers must be counsellors and provide guidance and now it is expected that they be health experts also.

I want to focus on what Senator Noone said about early intervention, on nutrition and looking at early nutritional experiences. It is proven that breast-fed babies are protected against childhood obesity, but the breast-feeding rates in Ireland and perhaps across Europe are very low. In spite of the HSE, public health nurses and midwives trying to promote it, the rates are extremely low. Breastfeeding is not just a nutritional experience for an infant but the mother is much more aware of nutritional value. Babies that are formula fed are heavier than babies that are breast-fed. Breast-fed babies get the right amount at the right time and in the right calorie laden milk that the mother produces. That might be something that we really need to push on the health side in all our maternity hospitals-----