Living in the east is bad for your health, with obesity levels, alcohol consumption and drug-taking worse there than in any other region, according to new research., writes Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent
A regional breakdown of data collected during the latest national health and lifestyle surveys, involving over 1,000 adults and school-going children, shows levels of drinking in the eastern region are far higher than in the rest of the State, as are rates of cannabis use.
One of the authors of the surveys, Prof Cecily Kelleher, said regional variations were far more striking than when a similar study was conducted four years ago.
The study indicates obesity levels are increasing at a rate of 1 per cent a year and she believed there was no way it could be tackled by education alone. The approach had to be multifaceted, she said, including creating opportunities in the workplace for employees to foster healthier eating habits, as well as getting the catering industry to serve smaller portions.
The research indicated 14.4 per cent of men and 11.8 per cent of women are obese, up 3 per cent since 1998. People were cutting back on cereals, bread and potatoes and consuming more high-calorie, processed foods.
One health board in the east, the Northern Area Health Board, which covers Dublin's north inner city and county, reported the highest rates of obesity in the State, at 15 per cent.
The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, is soon to set up a taskforce to tackle the obesity problem.
Yesterday's study showed 15.6 per cent of people in the East Coast Area Health Board reported using cannabis over the previous year, compared to a maximum of 7.3 per cent outside Dublin. The lowest reported usage was in the Western Health Board at 5 per cent.
Some 4.7 per cent of people in the Northern Area Health Board reported they had used ecstasy during the previous year, compared to 0.3 per cent in the west.
People living in the eastern region were significantly more likely to wear seatbelts.
However, if involved in accidents in the home or garden, respondents in all but two health board regions indicated their first port of call would be an A&E department rather than their GP. This may explain some of the overcrowding in casualty departments.
The study revealed marked differences between the lifestyles of those in different socio-economic groups. People with medical cards were less likely to take regular exercise and more likely to smoke.