Study finds 25% of children in Ireland are overweight

One in four Irish children is overweight or obese, according to the HSE, Safefood.ie and Healthy Ireland.

They are launching a new public health campaign today to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic in Ireland.

They are hoping that by highlighting everyday habits associated with weight gain, the issue can be tackled by parents before there are long term health risks.

Cliodhna Foley Nolan, Director of Human Health At Safefood, said that we need to take action now.

She said: “Essentially, now we have a generation of children where one in four of them are overweight or obese.

“Bqasically there are major health risks coming down the line unless we take action.

“We have a 14-year-old child, a boy, who is three-and-a-half stone heavier than his grandfather was 50 or 60 years ago.”