ADULTS WITH low levels of education and disposable income fare much worse than others in terms of health, quality of life and longevity.
What has not been so obvious is that these parental factors also shape and direct the lives of pre-school children. A survey conducted for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has shown that three-year-old children from the lowest income group are much less healthy than those from professional/managerial families; are more likely to be affected by asthma, skin or other allergies; are more likely to be overweight or obese and to be treated with antibiotic drugs.
The survey should ring alarm bells in a number of Government departments, particularly in Finance, Social Protection, Children, Education and Health, because of the impact budgetary changes may have, particularly on the children of out-of-work families and single parents. Unemployment has more than doubled in the three years since an initial survey was conducted and the effects of austerity measures are widely spread. Nearly two-thirds of the 11,000 families surveyed from all income groups said they were “struggling” to get by, while a larger number reported the recession had a significant, or very significant, impact on their lives. In all cases, the children of well-to-do parents performed best, raising questions about the universal allocation of scarce resources in child support payments.
This national survey, entitled “Growing up in Ireland”, also paints a picture of families who are unaware of, or in denial about, the health risks posed by becoming fat. Ninety-eight per cent of parents described their children as being in good health, even though one-in-four were overweight or obese. That response pattern has been replicated in the general population where two-thirds of Irish people are now either overweight or obese. The culprits for this epidemic – excessive amounts of sugar and fat in processed foods, soft drinks, sugary cereals and a lack of exercise – should be addressed.
Tomorrow, a “sugar tax” may be imposed on the soft drinks industry if Minister for Health James Reilly has convinced his colleagues of the need to address rising obesity levels in this way. Whether that would lead to more expensive fizzy drinks or to cuts in sugar content remains uncertain. If the change is made, however, the Government will be following the lead of four other EU states. Denmark regards the health threat as so serious that a “fat tax” has been added to a “sugar tax”. It may come to that here too.