Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2013
680. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if his Department has considered the merit of appointing one person in Government to drive a coordinated obesity strategy between and across central Government Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24333/13]
View answer682. Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor asked the Minister for Health his views on whether obesity and nutrition are inadequately represented in the current medical undergraduate curriculum; his plans to take action to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24335/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 680 and 682 together.
Overweight and obesity are a public health priority for me, as Minister for Health. I established a Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) with whom I meet regularly to progress the obesity prevention agenda. The Special Action Group on Obesity comprises key stakeholders from a wide range of Departments, the HSE and other interested parties and is chaired by the Department of Health. SAGO is already concentrating on a range of measures including Calorie posting in restaurants; Healthy Eating Guidelines, including the Food Pyramid; Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax; Marketing of Food and Drink to Children; Treatment Algorithms; Opportunistic Screening and Monitoring; Vending Machines in Schools and a Physical Activity Plan. SAGO is also currently looking at ways of reducing food consumption from the top shelf of the food pyramid, in accordance with this Department's Healthy Eating Guidelines.
I am aware that obesity and nutrition are represented in the current medical undergraduate curriculum and the level of representation varies, a matter which is within the remit of the different universities. However, in establishing the Special Action Group on Obesity, a key action was to guide and standardise treatment practices throughout the country. SAGO works closely with the Health Service Executive, the Irish College of General Practitioners and in conjunction with other professional bodies, and, as mentioned previously, has developed treatment algorithms for both adults and children. These algorithm obesity tools are being used nationally in the treatment of adult and childhood obesity.
Healthy Ireland, a Framework for Improved Health and Well-being, forms the basis of how a whole-of-government and whole of society approach to health and well-being will be delivered. It sets out 64 actions under a number of thematic areas which provide for the development of inter-sectoral and cross government plans to address risk factors and social determinants of health. It provides a structured mechanism to engage all different sectors of society to channel measures and actions around individual health and lifestyle issues, and to measure, monitor and evaluate implementation.
Healthy Ireland describes supportive mechanisms to ensure effective co-operation between the health sector and other areas of Government and public services concerned with social protection, children, industry, food safety, education, transport, housing, agriculture and the environment. The implementation of Healthy Ireland is now focused on the development of an outcomes framework and a physical activity plan. In this regard the Health and Well-being Programme in the Department of Health will work closely with relevant policy divisions in the Department of Health and with existing cross-government and cross-sectoral groups, such as SAGO.
