Warning republic is set to mirror US obesity levels

IRELAND is on track to experience the same appalling obesity problems that are causing widespread health problems across the United States.

At a seminar on obesity in Croke Park yesterday, a US nutrition expert issued a strong warning about Ireland’s ever increasing obesity levels — already, over 50% of Irish adults overweight.

Speaking at the business body IBEC’s Nutrition and Health Foundation seminar, Professor Sylvia Rowe, a strategic consultant for Edelman (a consultancy/PR firm), said there has been decrease in the levels of obesity in the US — despite growing awareness of the problem. “Obesity will become worse before the problem improves, and this may take a generation,” warned Prof Rowe.

By 2030, she estimated up to 58% of people around the world will be overweight. Currently, 32% of people globally are putting their health at risk due to excess weight. Obesity leads to medical complications such as stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes, breathing problems and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

For a 50-year-old adult, the risk of death increases by 20-40% if they’re overweight and increases threefold, if they are obese.

Senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Dublin City University, Professor Niall Moyna said that “all the talk must not centre solely on food”.

“Exercise is vital to keep weight down and also for a healthy body. We have to be careful however that exercise isn’t engineered out of our lives,” said Prof Moyna.

Junior Health Minister Mary Wallace opened the event where she told delegates that the Government was committed to implementing the recommendations of the National Taskforce on Obesity Report, published in May 2005.

Last night, a Department of Health spokesman said €3 million has been spent on implementing the report, including funding specialist community dieticians, physical activity co-ordinators and the development of specialist hospital services.