Ministers in Northern Ireland and Ireland back new Safefood campaign

Health Ministers in Northern Ireland and Ireland, Mike Nesbitt MLA and Stephen Donnelly TD, joined Junior Minister Aisling Reilly in backing Safefood’s new all-island Food Environment Public Health Campaign to tackle overweight and obesity and protect children’s health.

At a recent North South Ministerial Council meeting, the three ministers discussed the importance of the five-year campaign which will aim to tackle the island’s food environment that bombards children with unhealthy foods.

Safefood – the North South body responsible for the promotion of food safety and healthy eating – is spearheading the campaign across the island of Ireland to spotlight the harsh reality of our unhealthy food landscape and is seeking immediate action to safeguard our children's future.

It will highlight the urgent need to tackle the overwhelming variety and availability of unhealthy food options that are high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt and the marketing tactics used to target children.

Currently, one in four children in Northern Ireland and one in five children in Ireland are living with either overweight or obesity, which puts them at much greater risk of developing diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers in adulthood.

The psychological and social toll on children due to weight stigmatisation can be profound, while, economically, the estimated lifetime cost of childhood overweight and obesity is significant, with Northern Ireland’s economy impacted by £2.1 billion and Ireland’s by €7.2 billion.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA said: “Obesity is a significant public health issue in Northern Ireland. The burden caused by an unhealthy food environment is falling hardest on those children from low-income backgrounds. Obesity rates are highest for children from the most deprived areas. Tackling inequality is key to creating a better food environment for children.

“My Department of Health has recently completed a public consultation on a new Obesity Strategic Framework, ‘Healthy Futures’, which aims to create the conditions that enable and support children and adults to improve their diet and participate in more physical activity, and reduce the risk of related harm for those living with overweight and obesity.

“It’s imperative that we take action to create a healthier food environment for all our citizens and I commend the work of Safefood in this important campaign.”

Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD said: “Overweight and obesity pose an increasing challenge in Ireland. One in five of our primary school children are living with overweight or obesity. In socially deprived areas, it is one in every four children. I very much welcome the focus of Safefood’s new public health campaign, and I hope it will ignite a discussion and raise awareness across Irish society about our children’s health and the impact the environment has on it.

In Ireland, we have driven a number of important initiatives under the Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025 to promote and enable healthier choices with a particular focus on children. As we look to renew the OPAP in 2026, we will work across Government to strengthen existing policy measures and introduce new measures that will support a shift to an environment within which healthier food options are available, accessible and affordable.”

Dr Gary A. Kearney, Chief Executive, Safefood says: “This initiative marks a shift in public health campaigning in both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland and for the first time focuses on our potentially harmful food environment and why we need a healthier one. It is a move away from personal responsibility towards a broader societal response.

“For several years, many public health bodies have been encouraging people to eat healthily, but it is virtually impossible to do so within an environment that doesn’t support this. It is very difficult to make healthy food choices when faced with constant advertising and marketing, and the availability of cheap, unhealthy foods at every turn. Rates of overweight and obesity remain high, and a different and inclusive approach is now required for society.

“This campaign will be a key initiative for Safefood, working with our partners in public health in both parts of the island. Over the next five years, we will draw upon the latest and emerging research in this area and work with our many partners with a view to building a healthier food environment and protect our children’s health.”

The new campaign was developed by Safefood in partnership with the two Departments of Health in Northern Ireland and Ireland, the Public Health Agency, the Health Service Executive, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland.

For more information on the campaign visit www.safefood.net/talk-about-food or follow the conversation on social media using the hashtag #TalkAboutFood.