Sir, – Dr Muireann Cullen’s piece (Opinion, August 15th) omits what is perhaps a significant element of the current obesity crisis – global food companies’ highly sophisticated and effective marketing and promotion of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.
These junk foods – many of which are produced by companies that fund the Nutrition and Health Foundation which Dr Cullen represents – have contributed to the public health crisis where over half of the Irish the population is overweight, with 23 per cent of adults and an alarming 11 per cent of children obese.
Dr Cullen avoids reference to the junk foods of NHF’S funders including Coca Cola HBC Ireland, PepsiCo International, Mars Ireland and Kraft Foods Ireland, focusing instead on the need to create better access to physical activity across communities.
The Irish Heart Foundation does not dispute that physical activity is important both for general health and to assist weight management. We have been promoting active lifestyles for more than five decades and only last year published key recommendations for a supportive environment for physical activity here in Ireland “Building Young Hearts”.
However, it is disingenuous for the NHF to single out a lack of physical activity in the context of a poorly built environment as a major reason for the obesity epidemic. The market forces which impinge on public health must be tackled and the food industry must take responsibility for its role in developing and promoting high calorie, nutrient-poor foods. – Yours, etc,