Fast food spread linked to food poverty and life expectancy
Issued : Friday 10 April, 2009
Statement by Sean Sherlock TD
Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills with responsibility for Research & Innovation
Labour's Food Spokesperson, Sean Sherlock TD, has stated that the proliferation of fast food outlets in these recessionary times will have a negative impact on the health of Irish citizens.
Deputy Sherlock said: "We are being told that cancer rates, heart disease and diabetes are increasing dramatically. We are witnessing a spike in the number of fast food outlets. Yet, we are not seeing any increase in the number of community based dieticians.
"The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute in their submission to the Department of Health and Children (Strategy 2008-2010), states that 'reductions in mortality from heart disease will be reversed if obesity is not tackled urgently. 57% of irish adults are overweight or obese (39% are overweight and a further 18% are obese'.
"This spike in obesity levels is due to a lack of exercise, no food poverty policy and a lack of community dieticians operating at the Community care level.
"Food poverty is defined as the consumption of food whose nutritional content is too low to meet basic nutritional requirements. If there are not enough community based dieticians then we are storing up problems in the future.
"One way to tackle this problem is to expand the 'Supermarket Tours' programme which was set up under the Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service (HSE WEST) in 2003. This will need more Community Dieticians to implement.
"The expansion of the Supermarket Tour programme throughout the country, involving a qualified dietician/ nutritionist accompanying participants through the aisles of the supermarket, and giving good advice, would assist in changing our eating culture.
"School programmes also need to be enhanced and properly funded and Government needs to tackle this with the same gusto as they did the Smoking Ban."
