Minister for Health James Reilly has today about his personal struggle with being overweight.

Dr Reilly was speaking at the launch of Safefood’s childhood obesity campaign when he was asked about a Sunday Independent article criticising of his weight.

Mr Reilly said: “I’m happy for any publicity that brings about a greater awareness of the issue of obesity.

“I’m not happy with the profundity of my rotundity and it’s been an issue that I’ve been concerned about since I was way back when, in the IMO... it’s an area I’ve had a long, long interest in for obvious reasons and one that I continue to struggle with myself but I’ll keep struggling and I’d like everybody to be aware of the fact that it’s not just…that you are well padded for the winter. It does have an impact on your health status and will impact in so many ways, not just diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, but osteoarthritis, and interfering with your ability to enjoy your later years in life,” he said.

“We want to live long and live well. There’s not much point, as happened in my own family, of living to be 80 if you spend the last 14 years of your life with no vision…it’s not the best way to spend your last 14 years. Obviously we all want to live as long as possible but surely we want to have a life that’s a quality life as well.”