Mick Wallace
Question:26. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Health in view of the cost of obesity to the State, if he has a strategy for dealing with the issue. [48056/13]
View answerWednesday, 13 November 2013
Questions (26)
Written answers
As Minister for Health, I have made overweight and obesity a public health priority and have established a Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) whom I meet with regularly to progress the obesity agenda. The Special Action Group on Obesity comprises representatives from the Departments of Health, Children and Youth Affairs, Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Safefood and other key stakeholders, to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of obesity. The range of measures being implemented by my Department seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle, to encourage people to make healthier food choices, to become more active and take the first steps towards reducing obesity.
The Special Action Group on Obesity is concentrating on a range of measures including actions such as: calorie on menus in restaurants, how best to support healthy eating choices, the supply of healthy food products in vending machines, the detection and treatment of obesity, healthy eating guidelines and the promotion of physical activity. As one of the measures specifically designed to combat Childhood Obesity, on Monday 21st October, I launched the Safefood/Healthy Ireland/HSE three year Childhood Obesity Campaign – Childhood Obesity: Let's take it on – one small step at a time which is designed to create greater awareness among parent's about the threat of childhood overweight and obesity and provide practical tips to help address the problem with the ultimate aim and effecting behaviour change.
I also tasked SAGO with establishing a sub-committee to investigate and develop a range of options around pricing and other mechanisms in order to reduce consumption of foods and drinks from the top-shelf of the Food Pyramid (as per the Department of Health's Healthy Eating Guidelines) as these foods and drinks are not necessary for health. The sub-committee's report and recommendations were presented to me on Wednesday, 23rd October when I attended a meeting of SAGO and an action plan is now being developed around these recommendations.
Because the issue of Childhood Obesity is of such serious concern for me I placed it centre stage of the Irish Presidency of the EU and was successful in having the EU mandated to draw up an EU Action Plan to tackle Childhood Obesity. This Plan has been drafted and will be finalised before the end of the year. SAGO will continue to liaise with other Departments and organisations in a cross-sectoral approach to further progress initiatives to help halt the rise in overweight and obesity.