The NHF was established in January 2005; Food and Drink Industry Ireland, FDII, as part of IBEC, invited Government scientists, academics, physical activity and health care professionals and other stakeholders to jointly address the challenges to health in Ireland, particularly those relating to obesity. These groups came together as the Nutrition and Health Foundation, a multi-stakeholder body that provides consumers with evidence-based information relating to nutrition and physical activity to help them make better lifestyle choices. To date, more than €1.5 million has been invested voluntarily in the organisation by the food and beverage industry representatives involved. While the initiative came from the industry, the foundation takes direction from its council, which is a multi-stakeholder group. For example, its membership includes Professor Pat Wall of UCD, Professor Donal O'Shea of St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown and Professor Niall Moyna of DCU, who cover physical activity. Other members, from the wide range that exists, include representatives of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute and SafeFood.
At the time the NHF was set up no other country in Europe had an equivalent body to address obesity. Following on from this, the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, a multi-stakeholder group, was established. A number of EU member states have now set up an equivalent of the NHF, which shows that Ireland took the lead in an approach that has been replicated in a number of European countries. We take this as a compliment on what we are trying to achieve.
The NHF takes a multi-stakeholder approach; its concern is the consumer and its mission is to promote a healthier Ireland through evidence-based information that is easy for the consumer to use. This is achieved through the industry, internationally recognised scientists, key health care professionals, the Government, governmental agencies and consumers. The NHF seeks to give evidence-based information on which the stakeholders are in agreement. It aims to promote a balance between physical activity and good nutrition, which is essential in the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. The stakeholders work in partnership to promote the messages and make a real difference in Irish society.
The NHF seeks to promote consumer understanding through research and communication and we have several initiatives in this regard; for example, our website, the "eat smart week" and the workplace well-being campaign. The foundation works with the Government and non-governmental organisations, NGOs, and is part of the implementation group of the national obesity taskforce report. We seek the further development of the NHF and have an open-door policy for groups that wish to add something constructive to its work. These groups can come from the public or private sector, provided they share our agenda regarding promoting health in Ireland.
There is no single cause of obesity; it is multi-factorial and this is why the NHF was set up. The NHF is a multi-stakeholder group that can look at the issue from different angles. Ireland is in the grip of an obesity epidemic at the moment; 64% of Irish adults are either overweight or obese and five years ago that figure applied to the United States. At the moment Ireland has the third highest obesity levels of the 27 EU member states; the UK is slightly ahead of Ireland and Malta has a level of 70%. The eating balance of energy in and energy out in Irish lifestyles has been misaligned. Research shows that while the consumption of calories and fat has fallen in the past 60 years, physical activity levels have plummeted. Sixty years ago people were much more physically active in their day to day lives whereas now we are more dependent on technology. The recent SLÁN survey and the national physical activity guidelines show that even among adults only 41% of our population meets the physical activity guidelines. In 1998 that figure was 38% which shows very little progress in 11 years.
The obesity epidemic raises serious economic concerns today and for the future. There is no single cause; several factors are involved, making it complex. A joined-up approach is needed in respect of the Nutrition and Health Foundation, NHF, and the report of the inter-sexual implementation group of the national taskforce on obesity to address the far-reaching aspects of obesity and its associated chronic diseases. The only way to achieve success is for each sector to support the other. There are international examples of this, for example, north Karelia in Finland had the highest level of heart disease in the world in the early 1970s but a multi-stakeholder approach over 25 years achieved an eight year increase in life expectancy, an 82% reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and a 200% reduction in blood cholesterol levels. That was a very effective approach. We could have similar results in respect of obesity if we adopted a similar approach.
The HSE health of the nation report finds that there are roles for individuals and communities in achieving best outcomes, and that several risk factors need to be tackled as a priority, including elevated blood pressure, tobacco use, inappropriate use of alcohol, high cholesterol, excess weight and obesity, low fruit and vegetable intake and low physical activity. Several of those factors are related to diet and to physical activity. They are all closely connected to obesity.
We are here to get support for the NHF and its multi-stakeholder approach to addressing obesity. Our information is based on fact, focussing on energy in and energy out and achieving a balance between the two. It enables a joined-up approach across several sectors, an example being the salt reduction initiative undertaken by the Food Safety Authority and the food industry working together which achieved great results. This can be done in other areas if more people come together.
I thank the then Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Mary Wallace, for establishing the inter-sexual implementation group of the national obesity task force report in January 2009 and for chairing the task force. Now is the time for continued leadership in this area to continue cohesive and effective national strategies to tackle obesity, perhaps with a focus on physical activity which will result in a cultural change such that it becomes the norm. One of the major problems is that it is not the norm. When we are young we are taught to wash our teeth and we do so and pass the lesson on to the next generation. We should approach physical activity in the same way. There is increasing evidence that pre-natal and early childhood events can have a significant impact on one's health so the earlier the intervention the better.
Physical activity levels among adults and children are very poor. Fewer than 50% of our primary school age children achieve the physical activity recommendations. At 15 years 90% of girls and 70% of boys do not meet the recommendations. This has a serious impact from an economic perspective. It would cost much less to combat obesity now rather than in the future. The barometer readings for obesity and excess weight are rising. We need to immediately adopt wide-ranging and effective strategies to reverse that trend to avoid obesity and prevent chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
In 2005 the national task force on obesity reported that the direct and indirect cost of obesity was €0.4 billion. Recent research by Irish consultant endocrinologists show that obesity-related diabetes accounts for €0.3 billion of the total cost of €0.5 billion for diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. If only one disease connected with obesity costs €0.3 billion what do the others cost? We need to take action on that issue. We are storing up health problems for the future. It is a medical time-bomb. It is key that obesity remain on the agenda of political parties and the Government. I understand that this might be difficult in the current economic climate but we need to take a long view of the matter too.
A wide variety of stakeholders is involved in the NHF. Our information is based on evidence from different sectors. The members of the committee should feel free to use our information and to contact us about it. We would be delighted to help them in any way and answer any questions they might have. We initiate, fund and co-fund research in respect of consumers. For example, we co-funded the teen survey published last year. We have also funded a project with the Irish College of General Practitioners to see what can be done in the GP setting. We have done research on consumer behaviour and what motivates them to make changes successfully and the barriers they face. Our workplace well-being campaign is a free health promotion initiative in the workplace providing a balance between nutrition and physical activity and advises people on their choices. More than 300 organisations in the country participate in this initiative, covering 80,000 employees. This has been very successful. Our evaluation of it found a high level of change in diet and exercise habits, lifestyle and even social interaction with colleagues.
The eat smart week has been running since 2007 and shows that healthy eating is not difficult or boring and does not have to involve sacrifice. When people hear the phrase 'healthy eating' they think that all the goodies are gone but that is not the point. It is a question of achieving a balance and making smarter choices about the type and quantity of food one consumes and how one prepares it. One can load foods up with extra calories or fat depending on the cooking method. We provide that information and how to balance diet and physical activity. The research in the GP practices involved examining behavioural risk factors in the practices. The results of this work have been submitted for publication in the British Journal of General Practice. They outline the approach to health promotion that GPs and health care teams would like to see in the GP setting and the barriers they face. The next stage of that will be a pilot study.
There could be a national campaign for workplace health promotion. The World Health Organisation and the World Economic Forum support workplace health promotion initiatives. There are several happening in Ireland which means that we are all competing with one another for the same field. It might be a good idea to bring all these initiatives together specifically in respect of nutrition and physical activity and see if one excellent product can be devised. We would also like to bring the GP project forward and roll it out nationally. A total of 75% or more of the population visit GPs who are the gatekeepers for health provision.
