By Pauline Bugler
Cork, Ireland - Efforts are growing to increase awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet after a recent report painted an alarming picture of the state of Ireland's health.
According to the government-appointed National Taskforce on Obesity, 300 000 children are overweight or obese and projected increases of 10 000 annually loom unless radical measures are taken.
Treating obesity-related illnesses costs nearly €500-million per year, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said and promised to assess whether taxation could be amended to encourage healthier diets.
Obesity is reached when the body's excess fat is 20 percent above the recommended weight for height and age, whereas being overweight implies a larger, increased bodily size with increased lean body mass, but without excess body fat.
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Obese people are more likely to suffer from diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, angina, heart attacks and osteoarthritis, the report noted and pointed to links between obesity and premature death, excessive morbidity and serious psychosocial problems.
With the guidance of Health Services Executive (HSE) dietician, Christine Gurnett, the panel implemented a scheme promoting healthier food by providing school meals across 14 low-income primary schools in Limerick, southern Ireland.
Prior to the introduction of the scheme, some children were arriving at school without having eaten breakfast. Lunch consisted of an odd sandwich followed by an array of junk food including fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps, lollipops and chewing gum.
The scheme benefits 2 500 school-children and is funded by the Paul Partnership (People Against Unemployment in Limerick) and the Department of Social and Family Affairs at a cost of €1,40 (about R10) per child, per meal, according to Gurnett.
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