An epidemic of obesity and other related disorders is likely over the next 25 years if a campaign to promote lower calorie intake and more exercise is not pursued, a Department of Health report has warned.
The Irish diet has changed for the better in recent years and is reflected in reduced "premature deaths" from heart disease and other related conditions such as stroke, according to the document prepared by the National Nutrition Surveillance Centre in UCG. It is a review of a five-year nutrition plan implemented by the Department, which began in 1991.
But deaths due to heart disease remain high relative to our EU neighbours. Other negative findings include:
an increase in the prevalence of obesity, particularly in middle-aged and older people;
fruit and vegetable consumption remains below recommended daily intake;
there has been a two-fold increase in processed food consumption since 1980;
25 per cent of the adult population aged 40 and over take too little exercise.
Among the positive findings were a 100 per cent increase in vegetable consumption since the 1960s; higher fish consumption; and some reduction in total energy consumption, despite the problems with obesity and lack of exercise. The report concludes that the action plan facilitated public knowledge of nutrition and diet in the past five years.
The plan's main objective was to improve the population's nutritional status and help reduce diet-related diseases. "The conclusions of the review are very encouraging and show that there has been an increased profile for nutrition initiatives during its lifetime," said Minister of State for Health Dr Tom Moffatt.
The Review of the Health Pro- motion Framework for Action Nutrition Plan was published yesterday.
One of the authors, Prof Cecily Kelleher of UCG, said that by recommending that policy should target obesity, she was not advocating "faddish diets or an obsession with body image" but a long-term approach to improving diet from the earliest age.
Within the past five years, health structures had improved, she added. There were now public health departments in all health boards, involved in health promotion. Community nutritionists were also in place. But nutritional advice had to be practically based, with good regionalised structures to support it, and the involvement of a cross-section of interests including the food industry.
The review established that people knew a lot about food and nutrition "but don't know where to go with it". They were well-disposed to changing, as "canteen audits" in Galway had found, provided a practical alternative was in place. This applied to restaurants also but often the healthier option was not on the menu.
