Check children’s weight regularly ‘like eyesight’

Children’s weight, like their eyesight, should be checked regularly, a nutrition expert has told the joint committee on health and children.

Safefood’s director of human health and nutrition, Dr Cliodhna Foley Nolan, said parents did not find it easy to accept that their child was overweight or obese.

“We need to ‘normalise’ the taking of weight and waistline measurements so it is not seen as criticism or an insult. It should be the same as getting their eyes checked.”