Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Commencement debate is on the topic of obesity and concerns the need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on the healthy weight for Ireland action plan. The plan is now two years old and there has been no update on its progress despite a pledge to conduct mid-term reviews and report annually.

Cancer Research UK launched a campaign this week warning that obesity is set to overtake smoking as a cause of cancer in women. The low level of public knowledge of the risks and links between obesity and cancer is very serious. Ireland is facing a silent epidemic of obesity and Irish people are on course to be the heaviest in Europe.The action plan A Healthy Weight for Ireland, launched in 2016, contained a pledge to report annually, but its progress has not been reported on. Tackling the rise of obesity must be made a priority as we are sleepwalking into a nightmare scenario. It is an issue I have raised numerous times in the House. By allowing obesity levels to rise unchecked, we are putting a massive additional strain on the health service. At the same time, the population is ageing, which will put its own strain on the health service.

I am aware that the Minister of State is doing a good deal of work in this area. I would be grateful to receive some response on the progress made and any further measure that will be implemented to deal with this very serious issue that places a huge burden on the State. We talk about the fiscal space, but the fiscal space would be much larger if we dealt with the problem of obesity to prevent cancer and diabetes related illnesses and a myriad others due to lifestyle. It is very difficult to quantify the cost, but it is estimated to be approximately €2.6 billion annually. We could do a great deal for citizens with that money if we could adopt a better approach to our lifestyles. As a nation, we are becoming fatter, with all of the risks that come with it.