33% of people cut out junk food amid obesity fears

ONE-third of Irish people have cut the amount of junk food they buy amid growing concern among parents over child obesity.

A survey for a HSE healthy eating campaign aimed at young people has found that 87% of parents said their children’s eating habits were likely to be influenced by their own habits.

The same survey, conducted at the end of last year, found that one-third of Irish people said they had dropped treats such as cakes, crisps, chocolate and biscuits from their household shopping in the previous six months.

The findings were compiled for the Little Steps campaign, aimed at changing eating habits in small ways to tackle obesity, especially among children.

Statistics show that one in four children in Ireland are now either overweight or obese, yet the latest survey indicates that 10% of those asked still feel healthy food is too expensive.

The Europe-wide campaign, backed here by the HSE and safefood, suggests that parents swap king-size treats for snack-size treats, or that they encourage children to play outside rather than sit indoors playing computer games.

According to the survey, almost one in three people said a busy lifestyle was the biggest barrier to healthy eating. However, there has also been a swing towards healthier eating and parents setting an example for their children when it comes to diet.

The head of health promotion for HSE Dublin north east, Dr Nazih Eldin, said the change in attitudes was possibly influenced by the effects of the recession, with people looking to buy vegetables as they will provide more meals than cheaper, readymade options.

“Regardless of ability to pay, we are now more conscious that obesity is on the increase, because we can see it — it is visible,” he said

Dr Eldin said historically healthier food was more expensive than less healthy options, but that this has changed in recent times, while more people are now becoming aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

However, he said more needed to be done to encourage children and adults away from a sedentary lifestyle, such as creating more pedestrian walkways, the development of more play areas, and government plans for a national cycling policy with cycle lanes.

He also said steps such as limiting advertisements for junk food and fizzy drinks at times when children watch television should be introduced, and that there should be wider availability of healthy food.

Dr Cliodhna Foley- Nolan, Safefood director of human health and nutrition said parents were discovering that by shopping around they can eat healthily on a tight budget.

* www.littlesteps.eu