‘Family meal becoming extinct in overweight society’

DATA released today suggests more than half the population is overweight or obese, while the family meal is becoming a thing of the past.

Other findings suggest the gym is fast replacing going to church as the new form of penance.

The drop off in organised religion can be linked to people doing other activities to replace church attendance, such as taking up the gym.

Called “Your Are What You Eat” the Mintel research said the ban on smoking, if properly implemented, will hit the pub trade leading to more consumption at home. Irish drinking habits are changing anyway with people going to the pub less often. When they do go they tend to binge drink.

The survey also found that smokers are not the majority of the drinking population. Just 44% of those who frequent the pub once a week are smokers.

In this market the group most affected by the ban will be heavy smokers (20-plus a day) and who drink at least once a week. They also represent one in 10 of the pub trade, the survey found.

While judging the impact of the ban is difficult Mintel said the pubs likely to be hit hardest are those serving their local communities and not large theme pubs popular with the younger generation.

On general eating habits the Mintel survey found on any given day 50% of all adults will “graze” their way through the day. In other words they will not sit down to a standard meal, but indulge in a quick snack or eat while on the move. This trend is leading to over-indulgence in chocolate and other snack foods like crisps.

The report also found that one-sixth of the population “are self-confessed junk food addicts”.

And of those who are in the junkie category about 20% say their junk food choices are sweets and crisps rather than healthier options such as fruit.

Three in five people confess to having a sweet tooth and to consuming foods they know are not good for them.

Of the 1,198 people sampled, 25% said they eat out more often that they used to.

With the over-indulgence comes a concern with overweight among some classes of the population. The reality is that the other 75% in the sample were unconcerned about weight as a factor influencing their future state of health.