Children & Youth Affairs Committee to resume discussion of childhood obesity

The Joint Committee will hear from:

•    The Irish Heart Foundation;
•    Parents Plus Charity;
•    The National Nutrition Surveillance Centre, UCD School of Public Health;
•    Dr Sinead Murphy, Director of Paediatric Education, UCD, and Coordinator of Programme Delivery across Dublin's two Children's Hospitals.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Committee Chair, Alan Farrell TD, said, “More needs to be done to develop and implement effective public policy to tackle the epidemic of obesity in childhood. There is no single cause but the high amounts of processed foods we eat and the cost of healthy food, combined with a more sedentary lifestyle, do contribute greatly. Our witnesses tomorrow are well-placed to brief us on the treatment options for childhood obesity. Investment in preventative treatment is crucial, as is buy-in from a variety of stakeholders, including at a national level, in schools and at home. The Committee looks forward to a productive and informative meeting on this topic of increasing importance tomorrow and over the coming weeks.

Watch the meeting live here

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Oireachtas TV  is available throughout Ireland on the following channels: Saorview Channel 22, Virgin Media Channel 207, Sky Channel 574, Eir Vision Channel 504, Vodafone Channels: Oireachtas TV - 201, Dáil - 207 and Seanad - 208