Calls to tackle obesity ‘pandemic’

ALMOST a quarter of the Irish population is obese and Ireland has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world, a health seminar heard yesterday.

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.