Obesity in Ireland – The role of Agriculture & Food policy (19/09/2012)
Andrew Doyle TD, Chairman – Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food, and the
Marine
Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen
I would like to thank the organisers, Nutrition and Health Foundation, for inviting me here
this morning and giving me the opportunity to present the opening speech.
Acknowledge the Problem & don’t bury your head in the sand
As we all know, Obesity is a complex condition that affects and threatens to overwhelm
virtually all age and socio-economic groups. The problem has been exacerbated as a result
of changes in our physical environment and social-economic status, leading changing dietary
patterns and a dramatic reduction in physical activity.
According to the Department of Health, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this
country has risen steadily in recent times, with 61% of Irish adults now considered
overweight or obese. In terms of gender breakdown, 16% of women and 20% of men are
obese, and 33% of women and 46% of men are overweight.
This trend in increasing levels of overweight and obesity is also being witnessed among Irish
children as well. According to The Growing Up in Ireland survey, 2011, 1 in 4 children as
young as 3 years of age are overweight or obese. These figures are similar to those found in
the Irish survey for the WHO Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative and The National
Children’s Food Consumption Survey. In addition, 1 in 5 teenagers is overweight or obese
according to The National Teens Survey.
This of course is alarming, not only because a high percentage of children and young people
who are overweight or obese grow on to become overweight or obese adults (with the
attendant health complications), but also because of the increasing incidence of child cases
of type-2 diabetes which in the past used to be confined to the 50 – 58 age group.
Obesity is a ticking time bomb in terms of the health risks and health spending costs it
imposes in the long run. As we are all aware, overweight and obesity contribute to a
significant number of illnesses including, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, excess cholesterol,
stroke, cardiovascular diseases, gallstones, gout, some types of cancer, and of course
psychological problems such as stress and low self-esteem. It is therefore critical as a society
that we do all we can to address and halt the disturbing rise in levels of overweight and
obesity in this country.
The Role of Legislation
In terms of solutions, I believe that a muiti-sectoral approach, as exemplified by this
seminar, is the best way forward since obesity is such a multi-framework issue which can
only be successfully tackled by a concerted effort across all sectors of society, public,
private, and commercial.
In this respect, Agriculture & Food policy can play an important part, especially in line with
the Recommendation made by the 2005 National Taskforce on Obesity Report.
In particular, we should do all we can to pursue policies that support our farmers and
agribusiness sector in the production of local vegetables and fruit, as well as high-nutrient,
low-energy healthy products. This we can do by facilitating funding to local industry in
favour of healthy products.
We should also pursue policies that incentivise the marketing and retailing of low cost
healthy food in low income communities so as to make healthy food accessible to all.
The agri-food industry should also do more in terms of food labelling. It should, for instance,
in line with best practice provide labelling that is accurate, consistent, and user-friendly, and
contains information on portion sizes and nutrient content. The Special Action Group on
Obesity set up by Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, is currently examining putting in place
guidelines for food & nutrition labelling, especially in the context of the EU proposal for
regulating the provision of food information to consumers.
The Need for Balance
A word of caution however in relation to the marketing or advertising of food and drinks in
this country. It is all too easy to fall into extremes and call for example for a complete ban
on the marketing or advertising of so called unhealthy foods (i.e. foods high in fat, salt and
sugar), especially when it comes to children. It is important to remember, however, that
these so called unhealthy foods, when taken in moderation, will not be harmful to your
health. Just as the consumption of healthy foods in large quantities will prove unhealthy to
you. The crucial issue, therefore is that of balance, and good legislation in this area will thus
seriously take into consideration actual consumption patterns and legislate accordingly.
The greatest impact in tackling the problem of overweight and obesity will come from
initiatives that promote a combination of healthy balanced eating and healthy balanced
lifestyles. Initiatives, such as those that help children gain a greater appreciation for what is
nice and tasty as well as what is healthy are therefore vital. The Special Action Group on
Obesity has already developed and is currently implementing Healthy Eating Guidelines for
Pre-school and Primary schools. And the Department of Health working with the
Department of Education and Science is developing Food and Nutrition Guidelines for PostPrimary schools which will be available later this year.
Initiatives promoting healthy balanced lifestyles will also be critical. Research has shown
that 3 in every 4 adults and 4 in every 5 children in Ireland do not meet the targets set in the
National Physical Activity Guidelines developed by the Department of Health and the HSE
in 2009, and are consequently at risk of developing serious health problems due to
inactivity. These Guidelines include recommendations for all age groups and levels of ability
and were designed to help support people to be active every day in as many ways as they
can. The basic message is that ‘physical activity is for everyone, and any level of activity is
better than none’. For adults, the minimum level recommended is 30 minutes a day of
moderate intensity activity, 5 days a week. There is also website www.getirelandactive.ie
that we specifically launched to promote the Guidelines, so please do have a look.
Remember, prevent is better than cure.
In conclusion, I would like to wish this seminar and the National Health Foundation every
success and look forward to considering the many interesting initiatives that will no doubt
be presented here.
THANK YOU