Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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410. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the benefits of treating persons with obesity in reducing mortality, the comorbidities of obesity, reducing disease management costs and improving quality of life; his policy for treating persons with established obesity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22963/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In September 2016 Minister Harris and I launched "A Healthy Weight for Ireland Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 – 2025". The key themes of the Policy are Prevention, Care and Management, and Research and Data with the overall aim of reversing the rising levels of overweight and obesity. The World Health Organization has set a global target to halt the rise in obesity by 2025. "A Healthy Weight for Ireland" will cover the ten year period until 2025 and sets targets to be achieved and actions that will produce measurable outcomes. The Policy contains 60 actions which will be implemented, monitored and evaluated; twenty of which have been identified as priority actions and work has commenced on the implementation of the majority of those priority actions already. The timeframes for the other actions will operate over the lifespan of the policy which is 2016 - 2025.

The policy acknowledges that obesity prevention services in the community as well as specialist hospital services will need to be strengthened. Action 7.1 of the Obesity Policy Action Plan makes a clear commitment to the appointment of a Clinical Lead for Obesity in the Health Service Executive (HSE). The process of the recruitment of the Clinical Lead is under way.