Dying for change: Irish need to look at what goes into their bodies

POOR diet, lack of exercise and high alcohol intake are making us sick, costing us economically and killing us in huge numbers.

Ireland has the second highest incidence of cancer in the world (rates are set to rise 72% by the year 2030). That’s a higher anticipated increase than in any of the other 27 European countries surveyed.

Death rates from cardiovascular disease have decreased markedly — our biggest killer — over the past 15 years. But most of this improvement is due to improved drug treatment and surgical intervention in patients who already have cardiovascular disease, rather than better prevention. Irish death rates from heart disease remain 24% higher than the average of the original 15 EU member states.