Potato and Wild Garlic Soup

SAFEFOOD Ireland, recently commissioned a report on The Cost of Overweight and Obesity on the Island of Ireland.

Compiled with the help of the HSE (Health Service Executive) and NUI (National University of Ireland) Galway, DCU (Dublin City University), IPH (Institute of Public Health Ireland), National Cancer Registry Ireland, Queens University Belfast and Safe Food, it highlighted the lack of information to-date.

This comprehensive assessment of the cost of overweight and obesity in Ireland began in 2012. The findings are quite simply shocking, 60% of Irish people are now overweight or obese and the cost to the exchequer is between 1%–9% of total healthcare. That’s bad enough but indirect costs maybe as much again or even more. Direct costs include in-patient, out-patient, GP — drugs and prescription costs.