DUBLIN (AFP) - Ireland's government launched a campaign to tackle
obesity, with Health Minister Micheal Martin calling the nation's
increasing weight "one of the most serious problems" it now faces.
A national survey found that half of the population is overweight,
with one in eight Irish people clinically obese -- a 30 percent
increase in obesity levels from four years before.
"We are as a nation becoming progressively heavier. We are setting
poor trends for future generations. Obesity is emerging as one of the
most serious problems in Ireland," Martin said.
One health board area had found eight percent of children clinically
obese, the survey showed.
Martin said obesity reduced the life expectancy of a 40-year-old by
seven years, with the situation worse for smokers.
"Obese smokers, on average, lose 13 years off their average lifespan,"
he warned.
The country's weight problems are blamed on overeating, takeaway
foods, snacking and too little exercise.
A survey for the ministry's health promotion unit found a third of
people were concerned about becoming obese and over two-thirds felt it
was a serious problem.
However only a third of the 1,200 people surveyed said they would take
more exercise even if they had more time or energy.
Almost one in five blamed the Irish weather for their sedentary
lifestyle.
Asked what they would do with an extra hour in the day, one in five
said they would watch television and 12 percent said they would sleep.
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Majority of lunchboxes fail to meet nutritional standards
Favourites still include a white bread ham or cheese sandwich.
02/09/2004 UK, Three quarters of all school lunchboxes fail to meet
the basic nutritional standards. Children continue to favour crisps,
chocolate and fizzy drinks over fruit and vegetables.
Favourites still include a white bread ham or cheese sandwich, a
packet of crisps and a chocolate bar or cake.
A Food Standards Agency survey reveals that most are overloaded with
sugar and salt and that only just over half contained a piece of
fruit. Children are apparently eating twice the recommended lunchtime
intake of saturated fat and sugar, and up to half their daily salt
allowance.
Doctors are increasingly concerned about the problem of child obesity
and fear the lack of exercise and increased consumption of sugar and
salt in particular, will lead to a huge rise in the number of stroke
and heart attack victims.
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It ain't the lack of exercise it's the damned refined carbs.
TC