Northside TD demands action to tackle obesity  

A NORTHSIDE TD is calling on the Government to publish an annual report for an obesity action plan launched two years ago. 

In September 2016, the Government published ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016–2025’.

Dublin Fingal TD Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson, said the plan was a welcome one with the principles of trying to reverse obesity trends, to prevent health complications, and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system and the wider society and economy.

Deputy O’Reilly said: “The plan was two-years-old this month yet despite the Government saying it would report annually, we have not seen anything from the Department of Health in terms of the progress of implementing the plan, and in particular, in relation to the implementation of ‘Ten Steps Forward’ which is the key section in preventing overweight and obesity.

“Without the provision of an annual report, we cannot benchmark the progress of the plan and how it is impacting on obesity in the State. 

“Safefood research estimates that 55,056 children currently living in the State and 85,688 on the whole island will die prematurely due to overweight and obesity.”

Deputy O’Reilly said the total lifetime costs of childhood obesity in the State are estimated to be €4.6 billion, with the direct healthcare associated costs estimated at €1.7 million.

“Simple health improvements can make a massive difference,” she said. 

“For instance, if body mass index (BMI) was reduced by 1 percent, the lifetime cost of childhood overweight and obesity would be reduced by €270 million. 

“A BMI reduction of 5 percent would reduce the lifetime costs by €1.1 billion.

“However, there seems to be little appetite to tackle the issue of obesity by this Government.” 

Deputy O’Reilly said: “We saw this recently with the implementation of voluntary codes for junk food where there has not been a monitoring body set up or any technical guidance despite the codes being published seven months ago. We need to see ring-fenced funding to tackle obesity and we need to see, as a matter of urgency, an annual report into how ‘A Healthy Weight for Ireland: Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016–2025’ is being progressed.” 

 A spokesperson for the Department of Health told Northside People: “We intend publishing on the Department's website a short interim update on progress with implementing the national Obesity Policy and Action Plan pending the development of a framework for an annual bulletin and score card which should be finalised next year.”