Public healthThe obesity crisis among children can only be tackled through immediate Government funding, according to a leading Irish nutritionist.
Paula Mee, one of the consultants involved in a public health education programme announced yesterday, said the Government needed to act immediately on figures which reveal some 13 per cent of five to 12-year-old girls and 9 per cent of boys in the same age group are obese.
The programme, Way2Go for a Healthier You, will involve the distribution of educational videos and workbooks in secondary schools as part of the school curriculum and a series of talks around the State with the aim of encouraging parents and children to adopt healthier lifestyles.
It has been designed in consultation with experts in nutrition, psychology, physical activity and teaching and also involves the Irish Heart Foundation and the Department of Education and Science.
A series of public information meetings is currently underway throughout the country.
"This is going to get worse unless we tackle the two ends of the equation, ie how much energy kids are expending and, at the other end, their consumption of foods that are contributing a lot of calories but that don't have any nutritional value," Ms Mee said.
She added she did not believe it was an exaggeration to describe levels of childhood obesity as "a crisis".
She said the "two-pronged" approach in the programme would involve showing children videos and getting them to use workbooks in school, followed by talks for parents.
"We will reiterate to parents that what happens at home is probably the primary factor that will influence children's diet and their health in the future."
She acknowledged the difficulties caused by greater pressures on families.
"There are huge challenges but the parents are responsible for what's eaten and where and when it's eaten. It doesn't have to be a gourmet meal every night - it can be a 10-minute preparation of fresh pasta and tomato and vegetable sauce.
"In terms of the economic factors, yes, it's more difficult to eat well if you are on a very constricted budget, but there are always things you can do such as including more tinned fish and more peas and beans and lentils to supplement meat."
Psychologist Dr Mark Harrold, who will speak at the information meetings, also admitted that implementing such a programme with the aim of empowering parents and children to adopt healthier habits was a challenge. "It's all about educating all socio-economic backgrounds because the obesity issue is a problem across all social strata," he said.
He said marketing of certain foods and products to children, which used members of his own profession to target youngsters, was "quite cynical".
"For almost every major movie released, the only way you can access some of the toys from the movie is through buying certain fast foods.
"The feedback we are getting from our information evenings is really positive but it seems the challenge is to get the message to the parents who really need to hear it."
The Way2Go for a Healthier You programme was developed by Pfizer Healthcare Ireland.
Irish Heart Foundation: http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/catalog/