Obesity epidemic - Plucking up the political courage

IMAGINE an Ireland where parents face the prospect of outliving their children and more than a quarter of nine year olds are overweight and suffering from the 21st century disease of obesity.

Regrettably, this disturbing scenario is no longer confined to the realm of imagination — it is the stuff of reality from the pages of Growing Up In Ireland, the latest report on child health, which depicts a vista of junk food outlets at the school gate and also in the heart of low income-type housing estates where grocery shops or supermarkets are thin on the ground.

According to Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald, junk food exclusion zones will now be set up around the country to help tackle the issue of overweight and obese children. These welcome proposals are similar to “no fry zone” measures introduced in Britain. Minister Fitzgerald assures the public that outlawing such outlets near schools was under consideration by the Government. The Coalition is also considering introducing taxes on sugary drinks and fatty foods.