The cost of treating obesity and related illnesses is close to €500 million a year, the Taoiseach said yesterday.
Expressing alarm at the figure, Bertie Ahern promised to look at a range of measures proposed by the National Taskforce on Obesity including whether or not the tax system could be changed to encourage healthy eating.
Mr Ahern said he was dismayed that in some school playgrounds children were not allowed to run "for fear of litigation in the event of a fall". This was "nothing short of shocking".
The taskforce report estimates 300,000 Irish children are overweight. It says the Department of Finance should look at the influence of taxation policy on the foods people buy and whether a decision should be taken to subsidise fruit. However, it ruled out a "fat tax", concluding that research indicated that taxing unhealthy foods would probably be "regressive".
Mr Ahern said the Government had to take a leadership role in tackling the problem but it needed the support of communities, schools, health professionals and the food industry.
Last night the soft drinks industry said it had some reservations about points made in the report, especially a reference to World Health Organisation concerns about consumption of fizzy drinks and linking this to obesity.
The shortage of places to treat people with obesity problems in the State was highlighted by Dr Donal O'Shea, a member of the taskforce who himself treats such patients at Loughlinstown Hospital.
He said his clinic, the only one of its kind in the State, was "flooded" and the waiting list of 400 names was "not fully closed but pretty much".