PREVENTION IS better than cure. In today's world, where more and more money is being devoured by the treatment of preventable illnesses, governments have a duty to protect the public purse.
Smoking has already been banned in public places. And we can expect a fall in the cost of cancer care in the years ahead. But action is urgently required to counteract a rising tide of obesity that could threaten half the population with life-threatening illnesses by 2030.
Just as tobacco companies fought to protect their profits against government legislation, so the food industry is resisting statutory controls in relation to advertising aimed at children and involving the fat, sugar and salt content of products.
Voluntary regulation has not worked. Targets set by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in 2005, involving a reduction in the salt content of various foods, have not been met. Today, even so-called "healthy" food products invariably exceed established health guidelines relating to their sugar, salt and fat content as manufacturers target consumer weaknesses. It is a cold and deliberate strategy.
Nearly one-quarter of our population is now obese. These people are much more likely than others to develop diabetes, cancers and dementia in their later years.
Not only will their quality of life be reduced but the cost to the State in terms of lost productivity and higher hospital bills will be enormous. A medical conference was told last week that if the situation is left unchecked, up to 50 per cent of our population is likely to become obese in about 20 years. That is a truly horrifying prospect and an issue of urgent public importance.
It is not just a matter of cracking down on the sale of unhealthy foods products, although that is a central element. Lifestyle education and promotional campaigns to encourage a healthy and inexpensive diet are equally important. Once a person becomes obese, they are likely to remain excessively fat for the rest of their lives. That is why prevention is so important.
And exercise is a vital ingredient in ensuring a quality lifestyle. Unlike many other things, keeping fit comes without a price tag, while offering a better and a more productive life. Children need regular activity. Apart from organised sports, walking to or from school could provide some of that effort, while freeing up congested roads and reducing fuel costs. Kids do not melt in the rain.
But we have become so over-protective and indulgent, in terms of both control and diet, that their best interests may have been neglected.