Laws needed to protect health of our children

Now it is time to enact robust legislation to transform the food market and the health and wellbeing of all citizens — particularly children, writes Dr Catherine Conlon

Founder of global advertising agency John Hegarty suggests that advertising junk food to children is wrong. ‘Profiting from illness and misery is not a sustainable business model.’

New research from the Growing up in Ireland Report on the lives of children aged 13, published this week, shows that the majority of the cohort are healthy, have settled well into secondary school, and feel supported by family and friends, despite the unprecedented disruption to their adolescence caused by the pandemic.

The report was published by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with Minister Roderic O’Gorman saying he was struck by the complexity of the world of 13-year-olds.