Call for action with Ireland to be fattest country in Europe by 2030

An expert on obesity has said the Healthy Ireland framework needs to be aggressively rolled out to address the obesity crisis in Ireland.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Professor Donal O'Shea said new World Health Organization figures show that Ireland is on course to be the fattest country in Europe by 2030.

Prof O'Shea, Head of Weight Management Service in St Columcille's and St Vincent's hospitals, said this report has to be seen as a tipping point.

He said the Healthy Ireland 2013-2025 plan is the only way forward but if action is not taken, it's just another document sitting on a shelf.

The as-yet unpublished WHO figures suggest Europe is heading for an unprecedented explosion in rates of obesity and excess weight, with Ireland the worst-affected.

In 2030, the proportion of obese and overweight men in Ireland is projected to rise to 89% with a corresponding 85% of women falling into this category.

The forecast puts Irish men at the top of an "overweight" table of 53 countries, matched only by Uzbekistan.

"Overweight" is clinically defined by a Body Mass Index (a measure relating to height and weight) of 25 to 29.9, and "obese" by a BMI of 30 and above.

For this study, the "overweight" category also included anyone who was obese.

In terms of obesity alone, the estimates show a big jump for women in Ireland, soaring from 23% to 57%.

The proportion of obese Irish men was expected to increase from 26% to 48% while the figure for those either overweight or obese rising from 74% to 89%.

While few countries were expected to see stable or decreasing overweight and obesity rates, the Netherlands appeared to be doing better than most.

Fewer than half of Dutch men were predicted to be overweight or obese, and just 8% obese, by 2030 compared with 54% and 10% in 2010.

For Dutch women, overweight and obese rates were due to fall slightly from 44% to 43% while the level of obesity alone was expected to drop significantly from 13% to 9%.

Prof O'Shea described the findings as "extremely scary", and "unthinkable" in terms of physical and mental healthcare.

He said they are likely be accurate in Ireland and the UK as these were the only countries which measured participants, while the other 51 countries used self-reported data.

Prof O'Shea said he believed Ireland was leading the trend because we have a particular problem with physical activity levels, especially among young women.

He said there has been a levelling off of childhood obesity rates overall, because of falling levels in better-off, better-educated socioeconomic groups.  

However, he said in less well educated, less well-off groups, the upward trend is dramatic.  

He said 12% of three-year-olds in lower socioeconomic groups are obese compared to 4% in better-off, better-educated groups.

IHF says figures are 'alarming'

The Irish Heart Foundation has described the latest figures on predicted obesity levels in Ireland as truly alarming.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Head of Health Promotion with the Irish Heart Foundation Maureen Mulvehill said obesity would increase the levels of heart disease and stroke.

"We're going to see a reversal of the trends we've seen in the last 40 years where heart disease and stroke have reduced in prevalence and in terms of premature deaths, and we're going to see that reversed.

"We do know that people who are overweight and obese, that heart disease and diabetes can accompany obesity and people are deprived of up to eight years of life and up to 19 years of a healthy life."

Ms Mulvehill said that regulation governing the marketing of unhealthy food to children needs to be extended immediately.

She said that there was no standard to guide schools on the type of food they provide to children and a tax on sugary sweets and drinks needs to be introduced.