Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 May 2014
112. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health the reason there is a lack of funding and support for obesity, with only limited resources being put into weight management clinics in Galway and Loughlinstown, County Dublin; the reason the clinic in Loughlinstown is only funded and staffed to the 2005 standard even though the number of persons with a BMI over 50 has doubled since then; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23558/14]
View answerI have established the Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) comprising representatives from relevant Government Departments, the HSE, the Food Safety Authority, members of academia, service professionals and safefood to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of overweight and obesity in Ireland. Furthermore, Healthy Ireland supports a whole-of-Government approach to address the determinants and predictors of health and well-being, many of which fall outside the health sector, e.g. housing, transportation, education, workplaces and environment along with an individual's socioeconomic status. Comprehensive, multilevel approaches are required to address the obesity epidemic and the work of SAGO and Healthy Ireland is on-going in this regard.
Progress has been made on the Healthy Eating guidelines, Calories on Menus initiative and the Report on Recommendations to reduce consumption of high fat, salt and sugar foods and drinks from the Top Shelf of the Food Pyramid. As one of the measures specifically designed to combat Childhood Obesity, I launched the safefood/HI/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 parents about the threat of childhood overweight and obesity and provide practical tips to help address the problem with the ultimate aim of effecting behaviour change. The Deputy might also wish to note that my Department is developing a new obesity policy this year which will have a significant impact on the obesity agenda, provide a framework for action based on a number of informants and help lead inter-sectoral work in addressing overweight and obesity in Ireland.
In relation to the detailed queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond to him directly.
