Green Party calls for full implementation of task force as obesity figures soar
The Green Party is calling on the Government to fully implement the National Task Force on Obesity, on the second anniversary of its set up. Only this week reports from the International Journal of Paediatric Obesity show that the proportion of school age children who are obese in Europe has doubled since the late 1990’s while two out of every five children will be overweight in the EU by 2010.
Green Party Chairman and spokesperson on Health, John Gormley TD said that, “It’s been two years since the National Taskforce on Obesity was set up yet obesity figures are soaring. The fact that two out of every five European children will be overweight by 2010 spells disaster for our population’s long term health yet we are still waiting for the recommendations of the Task Force on Obesity to be implemented. Rising obesity levels will not go away of their own accord and it is clear that inter-departmental initiatives and joined-up thinking are necessary if the Government seriously wants to tackle the current obesity epidemic.
“It is vital that healthy eating and physical exercise be promoted in our schools yet many schools do not have the necessary space or equipment to provide the appropriate physical education to our children,” commented Deputy Gormley.
“The Green Party was the first party to publish a discussion document on obesity, in which we recommended a number of ways of tackling the growing obesity problem in this country. All the Government has to do is to follow some of the proposals in that document; such as banning junk food advertising to kids and ensuring that children have safer outdoor areas to play in.
“Mary Harney, the Minister for Health should ensure in conjunction with Martin Cullen, the Minister for Transport that there are safe routes to school so that children can, once again, begin to walk and cycle there.”