Sir, – As a group of patients, health professionals, academics and civil society organisations, we welcome the 2020 Government commitment to protect children’s health with a Public Health (Obesity) Act, including restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods to children. The health of our children, including their future health, is something that matters to us all.
At a time when child health has worsened over the pandemic, we must act now to protect the health and wellbeing of the next generation.
Junk food companies have been using targeted marketing tactics on young people for years, encouraging eating habits that are linked to poorer health, putting additional pressure on our health systems.
Although unhealthy food and drinks brands aren’t solely responsible, there is far too much talk of parental responsibility. While it is important to instil healthy eating and exercise habits, young people are fated to lives of ill-health if we continue to allow them to be enticed with easy access to cheap, tasty unhealthy food and promotions.
A lot has changed for US women since 2016. What does that mean for Kamala Harris?
Forty years of the Dart: ‘Dealing with the public is one of the hardest things anyone can do’
Mark Francis: Acoustic Oceans review – A fascinating development in the Irish artist’s decades-spanning career
Fake phone calls, meeting pretend-presidents and being ambushed by your parents on TV: The rituals of All-Ireland week
It is 19 years since the link between junk food marketing and children’s diets was proven with new research published regularly. That is why these adverts were restricted to 6pm on Irish television in 2013. Since then, Ipsos research shows public support has risen for junk food marketing restrictions in the form of an online marketing ban to under-18s and a 9pm TV watershed, with 78 per cent and 79 per cent of the public supporting these measures respectively.
Change is possible. Like the UK, let’s make 2022 the year Ireland legislates against the starring role junk food plays in our children’s lives. Our politicians can and must act to stem this flood. Together we can give future generations the best chance to live healthy and happy lives. – Yours, etc,
TIM COLLINS,
CEO,
Irish Heart Foundation;
Prof DONAL O’SHEA,
HSE Clinical Lead, Obesity;
Prof EDNA ROCHE,
Trinity College Dublin;
Tanya Ward,
CEO,
Children’s Rights Alliance;
Prof FRANCIS FINUCANE,
Consultant Endocrinologist,
Galway University Hospitals,
Professor
of Medicine, NUIG;
Dr GRACE O’MALLEY,
Obesity Research
and Care Group,
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Science;
Dr MIMI TATLOW
GOLDEN,
Senior Lecturer,
Developmental Psychology
and Childhood,
Open University;
Prof CATHERINE
DARKER,
Associate Professor
in Health Services Research,
Trinity College Dublin;
Dr NORAH CAMPBELL,
Associate Professor
of Marketing,
Trinity Business School;
DAMIEN PEELO,
CEO,
Treoir;
IAN POWER,
CEO,
Spunout;
SARAH O’BRIEN,
HSE National Lead,
Healthy Eating Active
Living Programme;
SUSIE BIRNEY,
Executive Director,
Irish Coalition
People Living with Obesity;
LOUISE REYNOLDS,
Irish Nutrition
and Dietetic Institute;
KAREN GAYNOR,
Dietetic Lead – HSE
Health and Wellbeing;
VIVIENNE PARRY,
Advocacy Manager,
Unicef Ireland;
Dr COLETTE KELLY,
Director of the Health
Promotion Research Centre,
NUI Galway;
LOUISE TULLY,
Association for the
Study of Obesity Ireland;
HELENA O’DONNELL,
Advocacy Campaigns
Manager,
Irish Heart Foundation.