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MORE THAN SIX in ten people support the extension of the so-called ‘sugar tax’ on sweetened drinks to other products with a high sugar content.
An Ipsos MRBI poll carried out on behalf of the Irish Heart Foundation found that 64% supported extending the tax to other products, rising to 82% if the proceeds were spent on making healthy foods like fruit and vegetables cheaper.
The poll also found that 74% of people support removing unhealthy products from end of supermarket aisles and checkouts, while 89% support rules to make manufacturers reduce excessive levels of fat sugar and salt in products popular with children.
The polling was carried out as part of the Irish Heart Foundation’s Childhood Obesity Manifesto, which outlines plans to halve the rate of childhood obesity in the next ten years.
The document contains 58 recommendations which call for the fight against the obesity to be prioritised by the Government, a ban on unhealthy food and drink marketing to children, the restriction of price promotions, and an increased focus on nutrition.
The charity’s head of advocacy Chris Macey claimed that the Government’s target to reduce childhood obesity by half of one percent per year up to 2025 is not ambitious enough.
The annual cost of obesity to the State is estimated at over €1 billion per year, while the World Health Organisation predicts that 241,000 school children in Ireland will be affected by overweight and obesity by 2025.
“The people of Ireland have told the Government very clearly through our poll that they want a much bolder approach to tackling the obesity epidemic,” Macey said.
“The State’s own research estimates that 85,000 of this generation of children on the island of Ireland will die prematurely due to overweight and obesity. Only drastic action now will change their futures.”
The charity believes new legislation should be introduced to prohibit all forms of unhealthy food marketing to children online, along with a 9pm watershed for all food and beverage advertising.
They also highlight how restrictions on price promotions placement at checkouts and end-of-aisles can significantly reduce sales of junk products.
The HSE’s clinical lead on obesity, Professor Donal O’Shea said the Irish Heart Foundation’s aims could “turn the tide” on childhood obesity.
“This manifesto has the potential to be a game changer if people take it at face value,” he said.
“It is the truth, simply spoken and crucially has been developed in cooperation with young people who it is ultimately for.”
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Who’s mammy and daddy left who the most. Let the battles begin!
@Dan The Man: Yeah,keep telling yourself that.typical Irish attitude towards success and hard work.We must be the worst begrudging nation on earth.
@Dan The Man: Just because you didn’t make it very far in life, doesn’t mean others can’t either. You just assume that anyone with something decent was just given to them. Is that your coping mechanism because you can’t admit there is people who work harder than you and make better decisions?
@John Paul: well that’s one way to look at it, but you can see how such shows might really grate on those that haven’t been able to afford a house. I am in fact lucky enough to have purchased a house I can afford but I do wonder when we might see a tent or a temporary type of house on the show. Doesn’t fit the narrative though.
This is tat, pure and simple, but it’s par for the course with RTE!
This abomination along with the other shitshow cheap Irish homes have to be the worst ever attempt by RTE at entertainment.
@Sea Spirit: Why don’t they give updates or tell you what home the people featured, make a bid on. What’s the point of it all!
@Sea Spirit: A stop Dathai should be on this show aswell for god sake he’s brilliant oh Frank
Hugh Wallace makes me nauseas ‘Hooooooome of the year’… while the majority of us hard working people can’t even afford the circular red pillow to put in our ‘favourite place’. Yup rub it in please Man just a little bit more.
@J B: No fair enough JB and thank you for that x You must be so proud of your children that’s amazing x You’re right in fairness, I need to get over my resentments it’s just hard because genuinely worked so hard and lost everything. There I go again with the self pity!! Sorry JB and thanks again for your reply x
@Donna Fallon: As all the evidence shows, Irish people have never been better off financially. Look at car sales, holidays etc. There are always people who get left behind or endure bad circumstances etc but they are definitely not the majority
@Brian M: Yup there certainly are people who get left behind I agree but our obsession with property porn in this Country is quite unsettling. I personally find it distasteful. Just an opinion.
Love the show and the judges. It is amazing what people can do on very little as in the converted shop in Tipperary. Gorgeous home full of personality.
@Suzanne Phelan: I prefer those to the ones that obviously just had more money than taste thrown into them, everything to the max size, but minimal and sterile at the same time.
Home of the year …
I blame Duncan Stewart and his show “our house” with rté which started in the mid 90s for the start of the property boom. Just looat the graph 1996 / 2008 \ 2014 / 2025
@P. V. Aglue: Ah Drunken Duncan. There’s a name I haven’t seen in a while
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