Urgent warning for Irish parents over children’s access to sweets as obesity rates rise

KIDS can identify unhealthy food brands before they can say their ABCs, it has been claimed.

The Government yesterday launched a new five-year campaign to build a healthier food environment for young people.

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The campaign from Safefood aims to raise awareness of sweets and treats and how this is harmful to children’s health and why it needs to change.

One in five children in Ireland are either overweight or obese.

Dr Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition with Safefood, said kids are being “bombarded with advertising and promotions”.

She said: “Children see about 1,000 ads for unhealthy food every year. And even before they know their ABCs, young children can identify unhealthy food brands.

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“If we stop and look around at our own environment, we begin to see how much unhealthy food and drink surrounds us.

“Our campaign ads show how overwhelming this is from a child’s eye view.

"We’re bombarded with advertising and promotions for it.

“It’s there when paying for petrol or buying a tin of paint. It’s on never-ending price promotion.

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"Expecting any of us to make a healthier choice is simply not possible when faced with this relentless sales push.”

The Safefood report found that eight of the top ten selling food brands are unhealthy and over half of all promotional convenience store offerings are unhealthy.

Public Health Minister Colm Burke, added: “Overweight and obesity pose an increasing challenge in Ireland with three in five adults and more than one in five children and young people living with overweight or obesity.

“Much has already been achieved in this area, including the introduction of a sugar tax, work on food reformulation and changing the food supply, reducing advertising of unhealthy food, and creating nutrition standards for education and healthcare.

“Now we must go further.

"This campaign recognises that all of us, especially young children, are being exposed to greater marketing and promotion of unhealthy food and beverages.

"By working together, we can build a more positive food environment that will support everyone to make healthier choices.”