Calls to tackle obesity ‘pandemic’
Of those who took part in an obesity survey, just under half considered themselves to be overweight, delegates at the Innovations in Tackling Obesity Forum were told.
A survey conducted by the Nutrition & Health Foundation revealed that 84% of women and 69% of men would like to lose weight but only one third had managed to do so over the past 12 months.
The conference, attended by Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, heard that physical inactivity amongst Ireland’s population is estimated to cost €1.6 billion a year and will escalate if it is not tackled.
The EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was proposed as an example of best practice, taking into account consumer information, physical activity promotion as well as the education concerning foods.
According to Dr Muireann Cullen, Manager of the NHF, lifestyles need to change to prevent “this ticking time bomb” from getting worse.
“Ireland needs an effective health impact assessment system. We need to ensure that health is an integral consideration in all government policies, from agriculture to environment, from transport to trade.
“With over 60% of the adult Irish population overweight or obese, we need to target each demographic to encourage not only an understanding of good nutrition but actually adopting good dietary habits. We need to act immediately to tackle this growing pandemic.”
The NHF research found that 51% of those surveyed said they had tried to lose weight over the past 12 months but only 34% of those lost any while 37% of participants had put on weight over the same period.
The study also showed that the highest weight gain was among those in the 25-34 age group with 41% putting on weight over the past 12 months.
Almost three quarters of participants had gained more than 22lb (10kg) since the age of 18 — 81% males and 70% females.
Of those participants who tried to lose weight, 72% attempted to do so through exercise while half chose to eat less. Of those who have not gained more than 22lb (10kg) since the age of 18, 57% exhibited an active lifestyle.
*For more information, go online to www.nhfireland.ie
