Reaction: The European Commission's anti-obesity campaign has been welcomed in the Republic where it was described yesterday by the president of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) as a hugely important initiative.
Dr James Reilly said the initiative was imperative because obesity was the major epidemic of modern society.
"It is costing our health service vast sums and is responsible for an enormous number of cases of hypertension [high blood pressure], heart attacks, diabetes and cancer, not to mention osteo-arthritis," he said.
The IMO's annual conference later this month would discuss a range of motions aimed at tackling obesity. There would be calls to address schools' insurance concerns, which curtailed children's activity in school playgrounds, to ban soda drinks in schools and replace them with healthy options, and also for tax incentives for workers to join gyms.
"I think obesity needs to be addressed by Government in a holistic fashion through the education system, the health system and the tax system," Dr Reilly said.
"And we have to stop paying lip service to preventive medicine and engage with it and fund it in a realistic fashion."
One in eight Irish people are obese, and obesity accounts for at least 2,500 deaths in Ireland each year, according to the Department of Health. It established a taskforce a year ago to look at the problem and make recommendations to combat it.
The taskforce, chaired by John Treacy of the Irish Sports Council, is expected to report next month.
Mr Treacy said he welcomed initiatives such as this latest EU one to tackle the growing problem of obesity, particularly among young people.
"It is important to recognise at international and national level and on a multilateral basis that we are facing a serious crisis," he said.
Consultant endocrinologist Donal O'Shea, who treats obese patients at Loughlinstown hospital, Dublin, said the European plan was similar to that of the Irish obesity taskforce, of which he is also a member.
He said he hoped it would focus on the lack of physical activity by children. "The activities they are choosing are increasingly sedentary and often rewarded with crisps or high-sugar drinks," Dr O'Shea said.